As the CEO of Amity Foundation, a nonprofit organization breaking new ground in substance abuse treatment, Rod Mullen doesn’t have a lot of time to dedicate to video production. But that doesn’t stop him from looking for ways to combine two of his passions—the foundation’s mission and photography. “I got involved in video production a few years ago. We were waiting for people to come and tell our story, and I figured we could tell it ourselves,” he explained.

 

Since then, Mullen has developed countless training videos, as well as informational and promotional pieces for funding agencies, prospective residents, and families. Video has become an integral part of communicating the unique experience of Amity Foundation residents. “It’s hard for potential residents to really get a feel of what goes on here just by looking at the web site,” Mullen explained. “So we like them to ‘meet’ some of the people here, and have them listen to real residents’ experiences in their own words.”

 

Panasonic’s handheld HD AG-HVX200 offered an attractive combination of performance, price, and portability—enabling Amity Foundation to benefit from the ultra-sharp, broadcast-quality images of high definition. However, the limited capacity of the camera’s P2 cards was less than desirable for Mullen.

 

“The P2 cards were extremely difficult to use,” he said. “We’re not shooting for broadcast; we typically record longer pieces such as interviews or lectures. Having to exchange cards drove me crazy.”

 

Mullen saw the FS-100 Portable DTE Recorder from Focus Enhancements and instantly knew it would solve his struggles with P2 cards. “I actually purchased the camera before the FS-100 had been released. And as soon as I tried using the P2 cards, I started contacting Focus Enhancements to see when I could get my hands on the FS-100. Let’s just say I was very happy when it was released.”

 

The Focus FS-100 lets Mullen record DVCPRO HD®, DVCPRO® 50, and DVCPRO/DV streams directly from the AG-HVX200 to disk via FireWire. With its 100GB or 160GB hard drive, the Focus FS-100 provides 1.7 to 2.6 hours (model dependent) of DVCPRO HD recording time—at a price that’s far less than the cost of purchasing multiple P2 cards.

 

“I’ve found that the FS-100 is reliable and enjoyable to use,” said Mullen. “I’ve been shooting in 720p and i get 111 minutes of recording time [with the 100GB model]—that’s fantastic.” This extended recording time proves particularly helpful while filming lectures. “If you change tapes or cards in the middle of a lecture, you suddenly find that you’ve missed maybe a minute or two of content,” he explained. “But with the FS-100, I can just let things roll—no more interrupting, no more missing content.”

 

Mullen also enjoys the immediacy of his new workflow. He’s now able to connect the Focus FS-100 to a Macintosh-based editing system and import all files directly into Final Cut Pro—no capturing, file transfer, or file conversion is required. “It’s great to just be able to crank up the computer, import the clips, and in 30 minutes or so, they’re ready to go,” said Mullen. And the Focus FS-100 Portable DTE Recorder also helps Mullen collaborate with colleagues. “For example, just yesterday I interviewed five residents about their experience at the house. And right away I was able to review the interviews with our webmaster. We scrolled through those five clips in ten minutes, instead of dealing with the hassles of rewinding or cueing tape,” he said.

Amity Foundation is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to rehabilitating and restoring personal dignity to the lives of substance abusers and their families, such as addicted mothers and their children, homeless substance abusers, victims of violence, children at high risk of becoming addicted, criminal gang members, and incarcerated substance abusers. Founded in 1969, the Amity Foundation provides an array of services based on the Therapeutic Community model in a variety of physical settings.

www.amityfoundation.com

DOWNLOAD NOW

Weighing about one pound and only 1.5 inches thick, the FS-100 is an HD recorder designed to work with the new Panasonic AG-HVX200 P2 camera, supporting native QuickTime DVCPRO HD, DVCPRO 50, and DVCPRO/DV recording capabilities that allow for direct import of clips into Apple’s Final Cut Pro nonlinear editing application.

 

The FS-100 provides long recording times and improves workflow with Direct To Edit Technology. it can also be used with other Panasonic DVCPRO/DVCPRO 50 and DVCPRO HD devices that have a FireWire port.