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Tips for Successful HD Production
A successful HD production depends on many factors when looking for production packages
and hiring a crew. Similar to any other craft or trade, the best outcome will be produced by
people with experience, skill and having the right tools for the job. Let’s face it, anyone can
purchase equipment. It is important to hire experienced professionals that know how to get
the most from their gear and make it work for your production. Some of these tips may
assist you in better understanding the production process and in hiring the right crew with
the appropriate equipment for your production.
Location: Where will you record your production?
Throughout the United States there are many production resources. Based on your needs,
you may opt to use a crew a few hours away or use a production crew that is local to your
shoot. Keep in mind that the type of HD format you plan to use may reduce your options in
hiring a crew. Many smaller production markets do not have camera crews with quality high
definition gear, or directors of photography experienced in operating it. Our crews have
traveled all over the country shooting video for many different clients. We have been
shooting standard definition video since 1982 and have more than 10 years experience
shooting high definition. We offer a variety of HD production formats as well.
Quality: How important is the quality of your video?
Consider the quality of HD video you will need for your production. There is a wide variety of
HD formats, camera equipment, and crews experienced in shooting HD. You should have a
good understanding of the tools available and the differences in quality between formats
(HD DVCPRO, HDCam, XDCam, HDV, etc.) Additionally, every camera and brand name
(Panasonic, Sony, JVC, etc.) have inherent differences. The bottom line is that there is an
obvious difference between lower end formats like HDV and higher end formats like XDCam
and DVCPRO HD.
What format will you need?
Sometimes, your production company or network will dictate which format to use. Other
times, your client, executive producer or post production facility will require a particular
format. Either way, you should know your options. Before selecting a crew it is crucial to
ensure they can record the HD format you need. Many times, video crews own one or
perhaps two HD formats. They will need to rent any additional formats. R & B
Communications has been shooting HD video since 1999. We have experience in shooting
most formats of HD and own cameras in XDCam HD, DVC Pro HD (both tape and P2
versions), and HDV formats. Our clients request the following formats from us on a regular
basis:
DVC Pro HD – Panasonic manufactures the DVC Pro format. Panasonic offers several flavors
of the format including DVC Pro 25 and 50 (both standard definition) and DVC Pro HD also
known as DVC Pro 100. The DVC Pro format that most television stations use is the
standard "25". DVC Pro 50 is generally a higher quality version that records a better quality
image, but is still standard definition. Finally, DVC Pro HD or 100 is used for acquisition of
high definition material. The DVC Pro format can be shot to tape or P2 flash cards.
XDCam HD – Sony’s XDCam format comes in several flavors. It can be shot onto XDCam
discs (not tape) or onto Sony's SxS flash drives from one of about 7 different cameras
offered by Sony. XDCam is a relatively affordable and high quality format.
HDV - HDV is a cost effective format for producers looking to record a lower end high
definition image. HDV offers producers a lower cost HD production solution while
compromising a bit on quality. It is also useful as a secondary shot to a higher end format.
HDV can be shot with several models of Sony cameras and a few JVC cameras.
Unfortunately, each version of HDV is not compatible with the other manufacturer.
What other equipment will you need?
As a producer, you want to be assured that you are getting appropriate equipment for your
production and in good working order. Our high definition video crews will provide
everything needed for your production (camera, batteries, tripod, monitor, lighting, audio,
grip gear, media stock, etc.). In addition, our video crews travel with extra gear that is
billed only if it is needed and used during the production. These additional items may
include wide-angle lenses, HMI lighting fixtures, camera jib, teleprompter, etc. In addition,
we maintain all of our gear on a regular basis to assure that it works properly for your
production.
What crew members are needed?
Every video production requires different staff on location. Many times, it may be just a
producer, DP (director of photography) and a sound mixer. Other productions may include
make-up artists, production assistants, grips, gaffers, prompter or jib operators and other
crew members. The typical two-person crew includes a DP and a sound mixer. The audio
package will be more extensive if the video crew has a dedicated sound mixer versus a one-
man-band. Many freelance sound mixers are talented in other areas, such as lighting, and
will help round out the two-person crew. Two people on the crew facilitates more efficient
set-ups and moves more quickly from one location to another than a one-man-band and
ends up being more cost-effective.
Booking the crew local or portal-to-portal?
Ours crews work locally and are also willing to travel longer distances to your production
location. Booking a crew as local means the crew is responsible for any mileage and travel
time to and from the first location. A local location is usually up to 30 miles of travel. Usually,
there are no travel expenses if the production is local. Portal to portal means the crew must
travel a fair amount of time, usually over 30 miles before arriving on location. If the crew
must travel, they will bill for travel time, mileage and other related costs. Usually, if the
production has multiple locations in one day, then the production is charged portal-to-portal
expenses.
What other travel expenses are involved?
Standard industry practices dictate that production crews charge for travel expenses and/or
per diem for any work more than 30 miles away from their office. These expenses include
any travel related costs such as hotel rooms, mileage, airline fees, ground transportation,
tolls, skycap tips, meals, etc.
When are you booking your crew?
Sometimes, we are booked days, weeks or months in advance. It is always a good idea to
contact us as soon as possible to let us know your intended production dates. Many times
we accept a “standby shoot”. Standby is similar to “Right Of First Refusal” or ROFR. This
practice allows producers and clients to ensure crew availability without limiting the crew
from taking other assignments. Once a crew is placed on standby, then we are responsible
for communicating with you before accepting another assignment on the same day. Many
times when you call and ask our availability for a specific date, we may already be on
standby for that day. If you offer us a firm shoot, we will then call our other client and either
firm up their shoot or be released to take your assignment. This is a very common practice.
It is beneficial to both our clients and our crew.
What if a shoot gets cancelled after you book a crew?
Standard industry practices dictate that if a shoot gets cancelled with less than 24 hours
notice, then the crew will invoice for their day rates less the equipment rental. Within 48
hours notice, they bill for half their day rate. It is only fair since they either turned down
other jobs to confirm yours, or they cannot book themselves on another assignment in
time, or both.
How long is your assignment?
In video production, it is common practice to offer full-day and half-day shoots. A full day
usually means up to 10 hours. If you book a crew for half-day (or 5 hours) and you roll over
into the sixth hour, you will be billed a full day rate. Full days typically start at crew call of
the first assignment and end when the shoot is completely wrapped, even if breaks or
lunch were taken in between. If long distance travel is required before the shoot starts,
then travel time is included within the 10 hours. Keep in mind that overtime will be billed for
each crew member after 10 hours. Overtime is defined as any time of work performed after
the end of a full day. Overtime is typically billed as time and a half for labor, but no extra
charges for equipment rental. After 12 hours, overtime is charged at double time.
Will the crew handle transportation?
We are responsible for the transportation of our equipment and crew. However, there may
be additional charges for mileage as noted earlier. Producers and clients should arrange for
their own transportation. The equipment we transport fills our production vehicles and we
sometimes only have one passenger seat – usually reserved for the sound mixer. In
addition, there are insurance and logistical reasons for not traveling in production vehicles.
It is usually best for the producer and/or client to meet us on location.
What insurance coverage does your crew have?
As a producer, it is important to make sure your production crew has appropriate insurance
coverage. R & B Communications always carries liability coverage for our business, workers
compensation coverage to protect against any crew member that may be injured during the
course of a production and automobile insurance to cover our production vehicles in the
event of an accident. Make sure your crew carries insurance.
What information does the crew need?
It is important to us that your production to go as smoothly as possible. To help facilitate
that, communicate as much information about your production prior to the scheduled date.
Here is a list of information that is helpful to provide us:
Crew call time
Location address(es) - We use GPS and require exact addresses
Production schedule - Interview times, event starts, locations
Estimated wrap time
Location contact information/phone numbers
Other crew members names and contact information (if not hired by us)
Parking situations and loading instructions
Any special attire
Amount and format of tapes/media
Shooting indoors or outdoors
Special equipment needs
Nature and/or purpose of shoot
End use of footage
Billing information
Thank You
We hope that these tips and information help you in making decisions in hiring the best
crew with the appropriate equipment for your next production. Please feel free to call us at
440 946-9511 if you have additional questions or if you need more information.
The staff of R & B Communications
A successful HD production depends on many factors when looking for production packages
and hiring a crew. Similar to any other craft or trade, the best outcome will be produced by
people with experience, skill and having the right tools for the job. Let’s face it, anyone can
purchase equipment. It is important to hire experienced professionals that know how to get
the most from their gear and make it work for your production. Some of these tips may
assist you in better understanding the production process and in hiring the right crew with
the appropriate equipment for your production.
Location: Where will you record your production?
Throughout the United States there are many production resources. Based on your needs,
you may opt to use a crew a few hours away or use a production crew that is local to your
shoot. Keep in mind that the type of HD format you plan to use may reduce your options in
hiring a crew. Many smaller production markets do not have camera crews with quality high
definition gear, or directors of photography experienced in operating it. Our crews have
traveled all over the country shooting video for many different clients. We have been
shooting standard definition video since 1982 and have more than 10 years experience
shooting high definition. We offer a variety of HD production formats as well.
Quality: How important is the quality of your video?
Consider the quality of HD video you will need for your production. There is a wide variety of
HD formats, camera equipment, and crews experienced in shooting HD. You should have a
good understanding of the tools available and the differences in quality between formats
(HD DVCPRO, HDCam, XDCam, HDV, etc.) Additionally, every camera and brand name
(Panasonic, Sony, JVC, etc.) have inherent differences. The bottom line is that there is an
obvious difference between lower end formats like HDV and higher end formats like XDCam
and DVCPRO HD.
What format will you need?
Sometimes, your production company or network will dictate which format to use. Other
times, your client, executive producer or post production facility will require a particular
format. Either way, you should know your options. Before selecting a crew it is crucial to
ensure they can record the HD format you need. Many times, video crews own one or
perhaps two HD formats. They will need to rent any additional formats. R & B
Communications has been shooting HD video since 1999. We have experience in shooting
most formats of HD and own cameras in XDCam HD, DVC Pro HD (both tape and P2
versions), and HDV formats. Our clients request the following formats from us on a regular
basis:
DVC Pro HD – Panasonic manufactures the DVC Pro format. Panasonic offers several flavors
of the format including DVC Pro 25 and 50 (both standard definition) and DVC Pro HD also
known as DVC Pro 100. The DVC Pro format that most television stations use is the
standard "25". DVC Pro 50 is generally a higher quality version that records a better quality
image, but is still standard definition. Finally, DVC Pro HD or 100 is used for acquisition of
high definition material. The DVC Pro format can be shot to tape or P2 flash cards.
XDCam HD – Sony’s XDCam format comes in several flavors. It can be shot onto XDCam
discs (not tape) or onto Sony's SxS flash drives from one of about 7 different cameras
offered by Sony. XDCam is a relatively affordable and high quality format.
HDV - HDV is a cost effective format for producers looking to record a lower end high
definition image. HDV offers producers a lower cost HD production solution while
compromising a bit on quality. It is also useful as a secondary shot to a higher end format.
HDV can be shot with several models of Sony cameras and a few JVC cameras.
Unfortunately, each version of HDV is not compatible with the other manufacturer.
What other equipment will you need?
As a producer, you want to be assured that you are getting appropriate equipment for your
production and in good working order. Our high definition video crews will provide
everything needed for your production (camera, batteries, tripod, monitor, lighting, audio,
grip gear, media stock, etc.). In addition, our video crews travel with extra gear that is
billed only if it is needed and used during the production. These additional items may
include wide-angle lenses, HMI lighting fixtures, camera jib, teleprompter, etc. In addition,
we maintain all of our gear on a regular basis to assure that it works properly for your
production.
What crew members are needed?
Every video production requires different staff on location. Many times, it may be just a
producer, DP (director of photography) and a sound mixer. Other productions may include
make-up artists, production assistants, grips, gaffers, prompter or jib operators and other
crew members. The typical two-person crew includes a DP and a sound mixer. The audio
package will be more extensive if the video crew has a dedicated sound mixer versus a one-
man-band. Many freelance sound mixers are talented in other areas, such as lighting, and
will help round out the two-person crew. Two people on the crew facilitates more efficient
set-ups and moves more quickly from one location to another than a one-man-band and
ends up being more cost-effective.
Booking the crew local or portal-to-portal?
Ours crews work locally and are also willing to travel longer distances to your production
location. Booking a crew as local means the crew is responsible for any mileage and travel
time to and from the first location. A local location is usually up to 30 miles of travel. Usually,
there are no travel expenses if the production is local. Portal to portal means the crew must
travel a fair amount of time, usually over 30 miles before arriving on location. If the crew
must travel, they will bill for travel time, mileage and other related costs. Usually, if the
production has multiple locations in one day, then the production is charged portal-to-portal
expenses.
What other travel expenses are involved?
Standard industry practices dictate that production crews charge for travel expenses and/or
per diem for any work more than 30 miles away from their office. These expenses include
any travel related costs such as hotel rooms, mileage, airline fees, ground transportation,
tolls, skycap tips, meals, etc.
When are you booking your crew?
Sometimes, we are booked days, weeks or months in advance. It is always a good idea to
contact us as soon as possible to let us know your intended production dates. Many times
we accept a “standby shoot”. Standby is similar to “Right Of First Refusal” or ROFR. This
practice allows producers and clients to ensure crew availability without limiting the crew
from taking other assignments. Once a crew is placed on standby, then we are responsible
for communicating with you before accepting another assignment on the same day. Many
times when you call and ask our availability for a specific date, we may already be on
standby for that day. If you offer us a firm shoot, we will then call our other client and either
firm up their shoot or be released to take your assignment. This is a very common practice.
It is beneficial to both our clients and our crew.
What if a shoot gets cancelled after you book a crew?
Standard industry practices dictate that if a shoot gets cancelled with less than 24 hours
notice, then the crew will invoice for their day rates less the equipment rental. Within 48
hours notice, they bill for half their day rate. It is only fair since they either turned down
other jobs to confirm yours, or they cannot book themselves on another assignment in
time, or both.
How long is your assignment?
In video production, it is common practice to offer full-day and half-day shoots. A full day
usually means up to 10 hours. If you book a crew for half-day (or 5 hours) and you roll over
into the sixth hour, you will be billed a full day rate. Full days typically start at crew call of
the first assignment and end when the shoot is completely wrapped, even if breaks or
lunch were taken in between. If long distance travel is required before the shoot starts,
then travel time is included within the 10 hours. Keep in mind that overtime will be billed for
each crew member after 10 hours. Overtime is defined as any time of work performed after
the end of a full day. Overtime is typically billed as time and a half for labor, but no extra
charges for equipment rental. After 12 hours, overtime is charged at double time.
Will the crew handle transportation?
We are responsible for the transportation of our equipment and crew. However, there may
be additional charges for mileage as noted earlier. Producers and clients should arrange for
their own transportation. The equipment we transport fills our production vehicles and we
sometimes only have one passenger seat – usually reserved for the sound mixer. In
addition, there are insurance and logistical reasons for not traveling in production vehicles.
It is usually best for the producer and/or client to meet us on location.
What insurance coverage does your crew have?
As a producer, it is important to make sure your production crew has appropriate insurance
coverage. R & B Communications always carries liability coverage for our business, workers
compensation coverage to protect against any crew member that may be injured during the
course of a production and automobile insurance to cover our production vehicles in the
event of an accident. Make sure your crew carries insurance.
What information does the crew need?
It is important to us that your production to go as smoothly as possible. To help facilitate
that, communicate as much information about your production prior to the scheduled date.
Here is a list of information that is helpful to provide us:
Crew call time
Location address(es) - We use GPS and require exact addresses
Production schedule - Interview times, event starts, locations
Estimated wrap time
Location contact information/phone numbers
Other crew members names and contact information (if not hired by us)
Parking situations and loading instructions
Any special attire
Amount and format of tapes/media
Shooting indoors or outdoors
Special equipment needs
Nature and/or purpose of shoot
End use of footage
Billing information
Thank You
We hope that these tips and information help you in making decisions in hiring the best
crew with the appropriate equipment for your next production. Please feel free to call us at
440 946-9511 if you have additional questions or if you need more information.
The staff of R & B Communications
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