I'm looking at running some 30 second ad spots on TV. I'm considering investing in DV equipment and shooting them myself. But, it looks like most TV stations use Beta. Could they use DV footage that I produce instead?

I'm now in the process of calling around to the production divisions of the TV stations to try to get more info on this. Any advice from theforum will be appreciated.

-- R. Holmes (achillesg@hotmail.com), February 11, 2000

Answers

Hi, R. Holmes, regarding your question, I live in Miami, and I have shot ceveral comercials on my XL1, and all the clients seem pleased by it, I have never had a complaint from any TV station about the format, the only thing is that If you handle the DV footage digital all the way, meaning, digitazing via firewire and doing all the editing non linear, and then downloading all to Beta tape, or DVCPRO. They would never know the difference. Also the quality of the camera that you are shooting with determines your overall video quality.

One more thing, try filming, with the aproach, you would have as for a professional comercial, put up some lights, and dont think that it is going to look better because it is DV, and the chips are more sensitive. Nothing beats good lighting.

Also I have done a couple of assignments for the travel channel and ESPN, and they dont mind you working on DV, the also like that the costs go down a bit because of the format, but the quality for them is almost the same.

Hope all my blah, blah, blah helps

Angel

-- Angel Hepburn (chito16@hotmail.com), February 29, 2000.