Questions on video for DCA judging

[Jeff Ream]

1 hour ago, JimF-LowBari said:

However I’ve seen switching between high camera and hand held on the field. Have seen it at least once so maybe that corps misunderstood the rules

what we as fans watch is different than whats submitted for the judges. the judges get high cam only. makes sense in todays system they are all in the press box anyway ( and its comical in Williamsport to see 14 people crammed in and on the box)

[JimF-LowBari]

2 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

what we as fans watch is different than whats submitted for the judges. the judges get high cam only. makes sense in todays system they are all in the press box anyway ( and its comical in Williamsport to see 14 people crammed in and on the box)

So you are saying what Box5 shows could be different from what the judges get?

Edited August 12, 2021 by JimF-LowBari

[BigW]

15 hours ago, BrassTeacher said:

Again, video/audio editing is not allowed at all in videos submitted for judging. The camera cannot be zoomed in or out, or even adjusted at all once the show starts. The entire show is required to be recorded in one take.

Thank you. But, the camera can be adjusted before show start to frame the field the way the presenter wants to frame it for the entire show using positioning and the zoom lens and then left in that fixed lens setting and position, can't it? One reason would be to keep distractions from being seen like the cars driving by that Jim mentioned earlier. Perhaps to show only the part of the field the corps is using, not all the fences, the track, empty field space, etc.. Can the camera be fixed on a tower/pole /raised in or behind the stadium to get a better top down angle onto the field so it's not as flat so the drill pops better and is more readable? Can one use a drone set on hover to also get the same result a normal  camera would at that point in space rather than a tower mount? (though strong gusts might cause a problem, but the settings on the drone can be fixed and not adjusted after show start ... I'll give a dollar to someone involved in one of the DCA corps for drone use as a teaching tool, he knows who he is...) Camera lens choices and settings can do a lot to alter visual perceptions in a subtle way. Are those mandated as long as they remain fixed throughout the performance?

 

it still leaves a lot of options one could do to better present the program within your description of the rules framework, unless the lens fixed setting, angle of presentation camera to field, distances from camera to sideline are all specifically mandated.

 

You tinker with any kind of motorsport as I have, you read the rules carefully and use what you can use legally within the provided framework. Are any of the things I have mentioned above to enhance the video presentation illegal within the framework? They seem to be legal regarding the restrictions you've mentioned. I've emphasized legality. I have not mentioned doing 17 takes of every chunk of the show and finding the best one of every number and splicing it, which is blatantly illegal or altering the sound files or using a different music file attached to the video file and synced.

[BrassTeacher]

8 hours ago, BigW said:

Thank you. But, the camera can be adjusted before show start to frame the field the way the presenter wants to frame it for the entire show using positioning and the zoom lens and then left in that fixed lens setting and position, can't it?

 

it still leaves a lot of options one could do to better present the program within your description of the rules framework, unless the lens fixed setting, angle of presentation camera to field, distances from camera to sideline are all specifically mandated.

 

Yes, it can be adjusted before the show. In CV's case, the guard goes from the 10 yard line on side one to the 5 yard line on side 2, So it has to be set so that no one is cut out of the video. A wider-angle lens compatible with the camera was experimented with, but it gave a "fish-eye" lens type effect to the image. CV's camera is mounted on a stand on top of the press box of the stadium they use, and using a stand any higher would make it susceptible to being moved about by the wind. Various tilt angles have been tried as well, and what you see is the best solution found in that regard.

The rules do not allow the connection of an external microphone, the built-ins must be used. 

I imagine the other corps have experimented in a similar fashion, and are going with the best solution that they can find under the rules.

Edited August 13, 2021 by BrassTeacher

[BigW]

16 hours ago, BrassTeacher said:

Yes, it can be adjusted before the show. In CV's case, the guard goes from the 10 yard line on side one to the 5 yard line on side 2, So it has to be set so that no one is cut out of the video. A wider-angle lens compatible with the camera was experimented with, but it gave a "fish-eye" lens type effect to the image. CV's camera is mounted on a stand on top of the press box of the stadium they use, and using a stand any higher would make it susceptible to being moved about by the wind. Various tilt angles have been tried as well, and what you see is the best solution found in that regard.

The rules do not allow the connection of an external microphone, the built-ins must be used. 

I imagine the other corps have experimented in a similar fashion, and are going with the best solution that they can find under the rules.

Thanks! I figured that someone was thinking about these issues in a serious way. Especially with a corps as thoughtful and detailed as CV is about how they go about their craft. Just sticking a Go-Pro on the 50 and letting fly might work, but there really has to be thought and care about these kinds of things if you're going for a score. The competition is also thoughtful and detailed with the other DCA teams, or had better be unless they got lucky with the set-up.

 

I fiddle with photography mainly of rare automobiles for fun and have to do it a lot more seriously for work, and know even at work, composition and camera settings are important when you need to drive home to another facility that they're shipping unaudited hazardous materials and they don't want to believe it. (Jim's nearby DLA counterparts... "Why is our case of ethylmethyl bromoseltzeride being held?" "You didn't so all the paperwork we need. Almost all of it. Read the rejection form. I sent you. It tells you what's missing." "We want pictures of EVERY side of the case." "Sure, since you asked. Either send me the documents to fix this or come get your case." 😾) Hope I made you groan, Jim.

 

Do NOT put a Frank Dorritie/Dave Rohrer/Ray Eyler trained brass player with a Mus.Ed. degree into a job that demands attention to to very fine details. If you screw up.... 😸

[BigW]

On 8/12/2021 at 12:43 AM, Jeff Ream said:

i told him we still had one sub box at 9.9 LOL

That was one of his biggest concerns. I remember a conversation to the corps about always having something to work on and improve all the way to the end- showing us a list of things to take care of over finals weekend.

[Jeff Ream]

On 8/12/2021 at 3:42 AM, JimF-LowBari said:

So you are saying what Box5 shows could be different from what the judges get?

they get the hi cam that we see also. the corps also provide other angles that only fans see

[Jeff Ream]

On 8/13/2021 at 3:58 PM, BigW said:

That was one of his biggest concerns. I remember a conversation to the corps about always having something to work on and improve all the way to the end- showing us a list of things to take care of over finals weekend.

oh we had stuff to work on....like the #### guard setting the snowflakes up right

[BigW]

2 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

oh we had stuff to work on....like the #### guard setting the snowflakes up right

IIRC, There was a tendency to have what looked like heavy and cumbersome props that called for burly HS offensive linemen to manhandle, and the guard were mostly very petite young ladies who could barely move that stuff. There were times I felt bad for them.

 

It's hard to construct strong enough stuff for field use that's also light enough to easily move around. Almost need a structural engineer to design the prop and figure out what materials to make it out of. O.o

[JimF-LowBari]

5 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

they get the hi cam that we see also. the corps also provide other angles that only fans see

That explains switching between cameras that I saw