liamskelter, sorry for hijacking your thread but it looks perfect for my needs
i am going to attend a show in sitting venue and i know there will be two tapers, so i may go for video! great idea as band dont have any so far, yet its quite known (at least some of its members)
at first i thought about HP camera (photo) with video recording support, cheapest, easiest to use, with flash memory, but even i guess that MPEG-1 320x240 is no good...
I've seen some video's from cameras and they can be OK, but you aren't gonna get anything that's really worth much doing it this way. Obviously, the resolution is not the greatest, but the biggest problem is that the video is balky and irregular. Also, seems like you'd need a very large card to fit an entire show.
i don't have any video-camera and i dont have money for one but if im already trying, why not try to do it best? i saw some gnr fan, who recorded some shows and is trading only for miniDV masters (uncompressed), i usually don't have enought time to listen music, so im sure that after taping that show it will take few months (or few years) to get it done, so i wish my show would be interesting in a few years (opposed to outdated, if im not too clear), so here are my questions:
You could borrow a camera until you buy one for yourself. If you don't have time to master a video, there are LOTS of people that would be interested in doing it for you...usually fans of the band that are mainly interested in getting a copy of the video. By sending them a copy, your only requirement would be that they return you the original video tape and a DVD of the final product.
1. does it really (really really) looks better to tape in SP mode and get somthing missing than taping LP?
Whoever told you not to tape in LP mode is WRONG, in my opinion! When recording in mini-DV format I always record in LP mode because you can record for 90 minutes instead of 60 minutes. There isn't much difference in video quality between SP and LP on my video cameras (Sony DCR PC100)
2. and i heard LP mode is dangerous, not worth trying if i really want to tape the show?
Again, wrong. Most concert recordists that talk to record in LP because then there is only one tape cut during the typical show instead of two.
3. what about HD quality, do i need it or not?
For concert recording, mini-DV format remains more popular than HD. I can't tell you from personal experience because I've still not tried recording a concert in HD, but mini-DV provides plenty nice resolution for the purpose.
4. is tripod needed so much? laying camera on my knees isn't enough?
TRIPOD is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL! If you want to make a video that will hold you interest, use a tripod. If you want a souvenir that you FOR SURE WON'T EVER EVER EVER watch again, then hand hold or use your knee.
Trust me, tripod is the more important than a quality camera, more important than ANYTHING. I would't bother video taping without a tripod becuase the result won't be worth watching more than once...nor will you feel any sense of accomplishment or value in the recording that you'd want to trade it with anyone...and in that case what's the point???
5. do every videotaper look at screen whole time? isn't light from it too shiny (to get caught?)
I thought you said that the band you were taping were cool with video taping?
Yes, video is nearly impossible to do secretly, so you should probably only video tape when you know that the band is OK with you taping them. It is possible to video tape secretly, but it's NOT easy.
If you MUST tape secretly, the only way to do it is in a large venue where you are in the middle of a row. The best you can do is be creative in covering up the screen. THE LAST thing you want to do is hold a video camera up to your eye. You need the screen to be able to keep the camera out of the way. I've folded the screen so that it's almost closed against the camera and the light can be shielded that way, but you can still see the screen well enough to ensure that your subject is centered.
6. static shot on stage, no zooms etc, boring or may be interesting?
BOOOORING! Yawn.
Again to me anyway, not worth bothering if you can't pan and zoom. If you aren't able to get a good video with good dynamics, then the same logic applies, why bother. In that case you're better off leaving the camera home and enjoying the performance because you'll never watch the video again. What have you accomplished?
The exception to this answer is if you know that someone else is also recording. If there are maybe three cameras capturing a show from totally different angles and with different magnifications, then you can mix the three static sources afterwards and make a decent video. It's still rather boring to my taste though if all three camera's never change position for 2 1/2 hours.
7. should i take seat in the back and corner or i may get a nice view for myself (my guess is no, camera will have too narrow 'look'
The closer you are, the more likely you are to get caught. If that's no concern, my preference is that the closer the better. To me, it's always more interesting to be closer, but maybe you don't share that same perspective.
Question: When you're watching a band without a camera in your hand, do you prefer being back and seeing the whole stage or do you prefer being close up and watching...that's your answer to your question. Personally, I enjoy seeing video where I see he guitar players fingers on the fretboard.
8. audio taping may be 100% stealth, looks to me like i need kind persons on my left and right?
No, you just need someone with one stereo rig...that's all.
However, if you're saying that audio is undercover, I'd be realy skeptical about whether or not you'll be getting a video tape that has much viewing interest. My opinion.
9. how to know when to start recording
Not sure I understand your question. I make sure that I have plenty of battery power and tapes. I start video recording plenty of time before I know that the band is gonna come on stage. That way I know I won't miss the first few notes. There's no other way to make sure, unless you KNOW for 100% sure that someone will come out and do an introduction, but that rarely happens anymore.
10. if you managed to this question, any other tips?
TRIPOD!
Also get a decent quality tripod...one with a decent fluid head. Anything less than $100 isn't gonna be worthwhile because one with a decent fluid head is gonna cost at least that much. The fluid head is the key because it eliminates herky jerky changes whenever you touch your camera.
You can invest $10,000 in the best camera in the world, but if your technique and your tripod suck, you're gonna still have a crappy video. Sooo, what I'm telling you is this...save your money and don't get an HD camera. Get a good mini-DV camera and get a good tripod. You'll enjoy the results. Get a $10,000 camera without the other stuff, your results will stink.
As usual, my opinions.