A. A fair question, but it’s kind of like asking a real estate agent how much

a house would cost – it depends on the level of sophistication you intend to achieve.

In the case of video, ask yourself the following:

- Is the project intended for a broadcast or non-broadcast application?

- Who is the intended audience?

- What would it take to impress my audience?

- What measure of profitability do I expect as a result of using video to promote my message.

- On what scale do I intend to distribute?

Our baseline rate is around $900. per finished minute for productions shot locally on Betacam or DV and posted on the DVCAM format. This represents a very simple project that would accommodate a low production budget for a non-broadcast client. However, this per minute cost easily climbs as production value or travel is added.

Typically, for a higher-end non-broadcast video or one slated for regional or national broadcast, we generally quote $1,100. per finished minute as a starting point. This rate will quickly climb as the bells and whistles are added. Just give us a call - we will accommodate you.

Q. How can we make our next production look like film?

A. By shooting on film.

Now, if we were producing with 24p high definition, we could make your project look very much like 35mm motion picture film. However, we can imitate some of the film looks by shooting on Betacam SP or DVCAM.

How?

By employing the techniques of the film industry, we can create moods and textures in subtle ways. We can use soft lighting, selective focus, dolly moves, filters to pull detail out of the darkest shadows, using silks for close-ups in harsh daylight, balancing to warm cards and using skin detail parameters on our D-30 camera.

All this takes time and an extra body or two on the set, but the results can be stunning – even with video.

Q. Is DVCAM mastering going to be good enough for my video?

A. That depends on how you intend to use your video. For most non-broadcast applications where there is only a modicum of titling and effects, shooting on Betacam or DVCAM and mastering on the DVCAM format is hard to beat in terms of cost and quality.

On the other hand, if you intend to include a substantial amount of compositing, etc, with eventual delivery to broadcast, we would suggest editing with minimal compression and master to DigiBeta or DVC50.

Q. Why not shoot my project on a PD-150 or XL-1 mini-dv camcorder?

Those cameras are a lot smaller and cheaper to produce with.

A. If only we could! Fact is, as cool as those little cams are, they don’t exhibit the same quality of a full sized Betacam or full sized DVCAM. Unfortunately, they don’t have the exposure latitude that is required for high-end work.

However, when we’re shooting in tight quarters like airplane cockpits or on the deck of a sailboat, they are truly lifesavers. If your project is intended for a non-broadcast application, then the PD-150 or XL1 begins to make sense.

If we were trying to sneak Geraldo Rivera into a Taliban camp undercover (and leave him there), then yes, we would use a mini-dv just to pull out some useable video.

In fact we did just that with Diane Sawyer in 1997, when we shot her visit to North Korea for ABC’s Primetime. It was an undercover situation shot on VX-1000’s. However, aesthetically, the dv footage just didn’t cut well with the supplemented Betacam material included in the eventual ABC News broadcast, but we did get the story and it was aired nationally.

Other important differences are the 1/3” CCD’s in the smaller dv cams vs. the 2/3” chips in the Betacam.

And let’s not forget about the lens. This is where the picture begins. You can’t match up a plastic or consumer grade camcorder lens with a five to eighteen thousand dollar broadcast lens. We use a Fujinon Pegasus 9-126mm lens and an ultra-wide angle Fujinon 4.8 – 48mm broadcast lens.

Q. You guys talk about film style production, all we want is a video that won’t cost us an arm and a leg. Can you produce a simple video without having all the C-stands, electrical cables and grips playing hacky-sack on the set?

A. You bet. One of our specialties is shifting into the “run & gun” mode.

We’ve done that in places like Mogadishu, Kosovo, Ramallah, Siberia and Bentonville, Arkansas! However, flak jackets and gas masks were optional in Bentonville.

Ayala Productions Inc.

worldwide broadcast video services

(405) 473-9354

mailto:sailokc@juno.com