Arricam ST and the Duo Framliner

[Erwin Landau]

I used an Arricam ST on a feature this week and developed problems with my Duo Framline Generator on my TB-6.

When the Stop was set and the Tap iris was at that point that video village was happy I had torn framelines that created 2 diagonal lines through the Image, it got worse when ever we opened up on the lens or had to brighten up the tap. The only point at which the framelines where okay was when I closed down the Lens, the tap iris and went all the way down on the brightness on my TB-6.

 

At one point Michael Keaton leaned over and was like" How the hell can you see anything?"

 

I couldn't turn the frame lines off as we where shooting Super 35 (2.35) in a dark Library and we had to keep a very tight 2 shoot walking through the illes.

 

I used the Arricam LT last week and the Movicam Compact MK 2 (which has the identical Video tap/IVS as the ST) as well as the 435 Extreme which all have the simular IVS system. No problem. Also yesterday SR3 with the IVS... all was well. I guess it was the tap on that specific Camera... No?

 

Any thoughts?

 

Fly safe,

 

Erwin

[Kareem La Vaullee]

Hi Erwin,

 

Sorry I don't own a TB-6 (I'd love to) so can't really give an answer.

 

But just a question, was it impossible to use the camera integrated Frame-Line generator and switch off the TB-6's Duo on that shoot ?

Or you tried and it did nothing better ?

 

Would like to know... (me ?, thinking about upgrading ?)

 

Thanks,

 

K.

[Lawrence Karman]

Hi Erwin,

 

Sorry I don't own a TB-6 (I'd love to) so can't really give an answer.

 

But just a question, was it impossible to use the camera integrated Frame-Line generator and switch off the TB-6's Duo on that shoot ?

Or you tried and it did nothing better ?

 

Would like to know... (me ?, thinking about upgrading ?)

 

Thanks,

 

K.

 

 

I had the same thought as Kareem, why not use the interal frameline generator from the tap? Best to ask Greg but perhaps you had a termination issue. Was the TB-6 terminated with the switch on the back panel? Perhaps your on-board recorder feeding back?

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

I used an Arricam ST on a feature this week and developed problems with my Duo Framline Generator on my TB-6.

When the Stop was set and the Tap iris was at that point that video village was happy I had torn framelines that created 2 diagonal lines through the Image, it got worse when ever we opened up on the lens or had to brighten up the tap. The only point at which the framelines where okay was when I closed down the Lens, the tap iris and went all the way down on the brightness on my TB-6.

 

 

Never had that problem. Worked with the LT and ST on a feature on New Mexico a month ago, then again didn't have that problem on the pilot I did 2 weeks ago.

 

Don't have that problem either on this pilot, but then again it's a freaking HD show.

[Alec Jarnagin SOC]

Erwin,

 

What transmitter are you using? I've had this problem with LTs. Change the iris on the tap and all is okay. Turning off the Modulus can make a difference too. If armed with a Canatrans, you have more defenses. First, there seems to be less problems, but you can also change the video level sent to video village and therefore set the tap iris to whatever level keeps your system happy. Some bodies seem far more finicky than others.

[Thomas English]

I think the circuit generating the video synch (the signal drum beat that runs that timing of the scan lines) might be a bit buggered on that tap. Your monitor can handle a messy synch ok but the circuit putting the framelines on needs a much more precise signal so it can tango with it. A dirty modulus could also affect the synch on the whole sled. The fact that it was working at different levels is just something to do with your framelines circuit having an easier time dealing with the messy synch under certain circumstances. i.e. when there is loads of information on each pass the synch is not read well when no video info on each scan line pass the weak/messy synch signal can be made out ok.

 

Just a theory. I am sure it s a rubbish video tap and not your fault at all, definately notify the camera house.

 

I assume the picture transmited ok and was recieved by all and sundry with no problems. If no other suitable frameline generator was available I suppose I would have set my framlines with the video level at optimum and white camera taped thin lines but I would not be happy.

[Charles Papert]

To echo Kareem's suggestion, I use the camera's framelined output whenever possible since it will also transmit to video village that way and make everyone happy. Since that tap can also darken the border it does everything the Duo does (except multiple framelines, which usually isn't an issue on a feature...?).

 

I too have not experienced that problem with either the LT or ST as described.

[Erwin Landau]

Thank you guys,

 

The tap was faulty... got taken care of.

 

Firstly I totally forgot about that feature on the tap...

 

And secondly I couldn't have used the internal tap frameline because I didn't know that something was wrong, everything was fine until the first take when the DP asked me to open up the Iris on the tap and THEN the picture went to hell. Later I couldn't transmit because they didn't want all the info on the screen.

 

My DUO went apeshit but the UNO from my Ultimate still transmitted nice framelines to Videovillage.

 

Thanks for the heads up I will try the frameline on the tap in the future.

 

Fly safe,

 

 

Erwin