XDCAM’s in-camera editing capabilities are enabling ABC producers to preview footage as thumbnails on the camcorder’s LCD screen.
ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” reality TV series is now using Sony’s XDCAM professional disc system for its second season. The optical disc’s workflow benefits and the improvements in image quality were key factors in the decision.
Director of photography Daryl Studebaker said that the XDCAM’s in-camera editing capabilities allowed him to preview footage as thumbnails on the camcorder’s LCD screen, eliminating the need to have a separate playback monitor available for field producers on set.
The XDCAM system also performs well under harsh shooting conditions, such as recent shows that took place in Seattle (in the rain and cold) and Bakersfield, CA (heavy dust conditions). Through it all the crew said they did not experience any kind of problem.
The main parts of the show are shot in a traditional documentary style, but the designer and family interviews are captured with a film look.
Once the optical discs from the field are handed over to the show’s post-production team, the XDCAM allows them to quickly locate scenes according to timecode breaks.
For more information, visit www.sony.com/professional.
