Best way to shoot video for 2 side by side profile images?

[Tommy2013]

Hi all,

A bit of a newbie question, sorry.

I have Premiere and 2 video cameras. I want to record a close up of a smartphone and show it on the right side of the screen, and a "talking head" profile of a person at a desk on the left side of the screen working with the phone (per the clients request), so I can't change the format of the layout.

It seems to make the most sense to video both images in "profile" rather than in landscape format, right? Then rotate them after I put them into Premiere (they come in rotated 90 degrees the wrong way)? Is there any reason that wouldn't make the most sense? The only issue I currently have is that I'm using the HDMI out to monitor my recordings and they are sideways. My problem there is I am using a really large monitor that doesn't rotate, or I'd just put the monitor in profile mode too. I guess it would make sense to get two smaller monitors and put them in profile if I continue to go this route?

Thanks,

Tom

[Cornucopia]

so I can't change the format of the layout.

Sure you can!

I WOULD NOT have shot them in portrait AR (the term I think you MEANT to use, not "profile") rather than landscape AR because they're gonna get resized either way, but with digital tools, it really doesn't matter that much. If the rotate tools that you need aren't available in PPro, pre-load them via AVISynth.

Either way, you'll likely have to crop and/or resize/zoom while compositing them on the screen (PIP or splitscreen, etc). I guess you just found out that with video (unlike photo), one doesn't change the orientation of the sensor without a REAL DAMN GOOD (strong) reason. Like, for example, if you were doing in-store ads that chose to show them vertically (for artistic effect).

No, I would not rotate your monitor, unless your ending image was meant to be portrait AR mode (like the example just mentioned).

Prep the files.

If you are not yet ready for AVISynth, use Virtualdub and create rotated intermediates or something.

Scott

[Tommy2013]

Thanks Scott,

I'm not entirely sure I understood your answer (or if you understood my question, which is likely my fault).

First, I haven't shot anything yet, I'm just working on the setup and plan for the eventual shoot.

Second, the goal is to essentially have two portrait style videos running side by side on the same screen, so if my screen is 1920x1080 I'd eventually have two videos each running side by side (in portrait format) at approximately 960x1080 (not counting any black space between or around the clips for clarity).

Also, when I said "I can't change the format of the layout" I meant the client requested that the final product be the two portrait formatted videos side-by-side.

I'm actually planning on shooting a smartphone on one side and a profile view of a person sitting at a desk manipulating the phone on the other side.

I have two options for shooting the close-up of the phone. One problem is the camera has to be about 6 feet away from the phone, and I am zooming in on the phone with the video camera. If I record in landscape mode, after cropping the sides I lose about 2/3 of the pixels I recorded. If I record with the camera sideways in portrait mode, I don't need to crop anything, as the phone essentially fills up the entire screen. My impression is that I capture more pixels of the camera and have resulting higher quality. The same is more or less the case for the layout of the person at the desk working on the phone. I'm working in a controlled office environment so don't have to deal with major environmental factors that would overly affect the sensor of the camera by being held sideways (I assume at least).

Anyway, in Premiere Pro CS6 I can import the 2 portrait videos and rotate them and place them on either side of the screen and not have to crop or resize much. The other option as I mentioned would involve importing and cropping the sides off both videos.

I'm more or less wondering if there is a huge reason not to shoot sideways in this situation and just rotate the videos after import, especially considering how small the phone is and how much more pixel resolution I can capture shooting this way.

Thanks,

Tom

[Cornucopia]

No, with the exception of not realizing that you hadn't already shot your footage yet, that is exactly what I thought you were talking about.

You can do whatever you want, but like I already said, video cameras (or photo cams in video mode) don't work the same way as photo cams. You could have vertical smear (instead of the usual horizontal) because of using a rolling shutter (which a great many CMOS cams have these days). And this idea that you are capturing "more pixels" is is thinking it only half way through. You still are going to be rotating the videos into their final position (which, if you shot it well, they could already have been in when shot).

It comes down to: what does the least harm and keeps the most resolution?
Best would be to do nothing to the shot in post and keep it as-shot
Next would be to do a simple crop (splitscreen wipe) & overlay (nothing has changed with the remaining pixels).
Next would be shooting at a higher or more optimal resolution/viewpoint and downrezzing and adjusting to the final fit (similar to what you were intending).
Next would be shooting non-optimally and having to resize (up or down), as well as other manipulations like rotation.

I think you liked #3 because you thought it was better than #4. If you PLAN, with luck you could be shooting for #2 instead of #4 and that will make it better than #3.

At least it seems clearer now that you DO have understanding of the rotate facility within PPro. Your first post led me to believe otherwise.
But should never have to be adjusting your monitors to fit the image (with the exceptions that I previously mentioned). Your image is malleable, and the rotated source is transitory - it will soon end up contained within the standard DAR. So don't go to such lengths as rotating your monitors just for that.

Is that clearer to you now?

Scott

[budwzr]

As a still photographer, I do shoot in landscape 3:2 AR because that gives me maximum use of the sensor pixels. So the concept is solid.