Toaster & VCR Controller
14 messages in this thread
As some of you may know, the Army at Ft. Irwin is getting three Video
Toasters. However, we are still looking for an interface from the
Amiga/Toaster to our VCRs to allow us to do 3-D animation.
What will we require?
We are presently using the following video equipment:
Sony BVW-75 Beta SP VCRs Sony BVE-900 Editors
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
–HUT
The least expensive approach is a software solution called the Personal SFC
(about $325 mail order) this will work if you have internal time code in
your machines, and it sounds like you do. If no tc in machine, then I would
look into the BCD 2000A controller package (about $850) it generates/reads
SMPTE and fits into a slot in your Amiga 2000. You might also check with
Sony, the BVE-900 editor may have an "animation" mode, but could require
some kind of mouse port relay trigger which could be set up with Arexx.
Frank
Frank,
Thanks for the info. All of our VCRs here have TBCs built in, so I
guess the Personal SFC will work fine. Will using the Personal SFC require
us to unhook our BVE-900 from the VCRs? We don't want to do it unless we
have to. I'll get with the engineers here about the BVE-900 auto animation
mode (if any), but I don't recall seeing anything like that in the setup
stuff for the editor. It could be a software or a hardware upgrade
however.
Thanks again.
–HUT
Mike, ' From my past work with the BVE-900, I seriously doubt if there is
any animation-type features built in. There are a number of inexpensive
and reliable single fram controllers around… Chris
Chris,
Thanks a bunch. Our engineer guys are looking into some options
right now. Do you know if the single frame controllers will work with the
BVE-900 still connected? Or do they use the same port as the editior on
the VCRs?
–HUT
Mike,
Most of them use the serial port on the record deck. I need to get an dA/B
switch for my system, because the controller uses the same port as my edit
controller…
Good Luck, Chris
Howdy Chris,ever find a pic of the Muybridge dude?Hows the tape coming
along? Thanx
Mike, I hope you didn't confuse my last message, I said that your machines
need to have internal TIME CODE CARD. you mentioned a TBC in your last
post, that doesn't usually have anything to do with time code, but perhaps
on your BVU-800s they are installed together as an option.
Frank
Frank,
It seems I confused you with my confusion (whew!). With all of the
yack yack I've had with TBC's lateley, somehow I just stuck that in. Our
BVW-75s have internal time code generators, along with the ability to read
external time code. For the money we paid for these recorders, we better
have gotten everything we could (we have about about 40 of them around
here).
–HUT
Bob buttin' in here..
Frank , will the SFC work with my 7750's?
Bob
Bob, it will if you have the internal time code generator card (which was
an option on that machine), if not you might want to look at a card called
the BCD2000A (about $850) it generates/reads TC and also does single
framing with the Toaster. BTW, looking forward to getting your next tape, I
assume that you have enlisted your friends and associates as the on camera
talents in your last batch of stuff, which one was you?
Frank
Frank, I DO have the VITC cards in my 7750's…sure helps with some of the
quick stuff I do.
About the TALENT…(hehe)…here's the scoop: The check-cashing guy needed
his spot like in 3 days, & I had nowhere to turn.
While driving to the office, for SOME reason, I all of a sudden thought of
a Civic Players group here in town that is comprised of wannabe
actors/actresses. Gave their casting director a call, and within 2 hours
had 6 people call me practically BEGGING to do stuff for FREE!
Nope, not my friends (never saw these folks before). Ever try to get your
friends to do talent? Forget it.
Anyway, got them to come in at 2-hour intervals, make some quickie
backdrops (am going to build some mini-sets soon) and just fed them lines
one at a time to feed back to the camera (Pana 200CLE). Didn't even have
the actual scrips written yet! So I wrote the scripts incorporating some
of their 'reaction-type' responses. Used the same varied aquisition series
for 3-4 different clients. Price was right.
Nope, not me on camera, either. I do the voice-overs, period. Don't need
the publicity in that regard. I also do voice only for a few other clients
(like car dealers) mainly in the same high-tempo 'buy now' type of
delivery. Sells cars.
BTW if I sent you a copy of that Warehouse Sale (for Hippo's), they did
121K in 3 days. (Job security!)
Current projects now include a :30 for a Tropical Plant Liquidation outfit
that sets up in local malls for a week or two, then moves on. Making a
generic spot they can use in several markets, with 2 audio tracks, one
changeable to id the particular sale site (along with keying over the
Mall's location on screen).
Nuff outa me….WHERE'S THAT TAPE??
Bob
Glad to see your so busy! Good thinking to use a local theatre group as a
resource. As far as the tape is concerned, it went out via mail on Monday
of this week, so you should be getting it any minute. I have been talking
to a local cable company about picking up their overflow on
production/voicing/creative, and it looks like there is plenty of
oppourtunity in that arena for people like you and me. Guys/Gals who can
write/produce/voice with quick turnaround seem to be a rare commodity. If
you are interested in persuing it in your market, I would go through the
sales department. Salespeople are usually the ones who complain the most
about production bottlenecks, if their client can't get on the air because
of production delays, they lose commissions. If you got the time, I think
its worth checking out.
Frank