CASE STUDY

FS-100 Enables Motionworks to Give Clients the Opportunity for an HD Production at SD Prices


Challenge

Motionworks, a video production company catering to corporate clients, looked to high definition as a way to differentiate themselves from the competition. in particular, the com­pany wanted to make the advantage of high definition video available to their clients at a reasonable cost. They selected Panasonic’s handheld HD AG-HVX200 camera, but found the camera’s P2 memory cards to be prohibitively expensive. They needed to find a more cost-effective recording solution that could enable them to offer high definition without the high price tag.

 

Solution

Motionworks turned to the FS-100 DTE recorder, a portable HD recorder that lets videog­raphers record DVCPro HD, DVCPro 50, and DVCPro/DV streams directly from the HVX200 camera to disk via Firewire. The FS-100 comes standard with a 100 GB hard drive that provides 1.5 hours of DVCPro HD recording time—at a price that’s far less than pur­chasing the camera’s P2 cards.
 
“Until now, filming in HD was very costly, especially for a smaller company like Motion­works,” explained Christopher Hood, Director at Motionworks. “The FS-100 is the first product that, when combined with the HVX200, would give us a complete HD solution at a price we could afford.”
 
Christopher primarily shoots in 1080i DVC Pro HD, then edits in Final Cut Pro. However, he also appreciates the FS-100’s ability to record in other formats. “Sometimes it isn’t pos­sible to shoot HD. The FS-100 allows us to shoot DVCPro50, meaning we can still shoot tapeless and keep the file sizes down,” he explained.
 

Results

The FS-100 gives Motionworks 100 GB of storage at an affordable price, enabling them to differentiate themselves with the client’s ultra-sharp, broadcast-quality images of high definition.
 
And the company also benefits from Focus’ Direct To Edit workflow, especially compared with their previous workflow using Mini-DV tape. Direct To Edit saves significant time in the editing room by eliminating the need to capture tape or transfer files. “it saves us a huge amount of time with logging, because the shots are already logged while on location. This ultimately allows us to hit more deadlines. And because we’re saving time, we can pass along the sav­ings to our clients,” explained Christopher.

Christopher also noticed that DTE had a positive impact on their creativity. “By the time we had digitized the footage, our creativity was gone,” he explained. “we had to sit through all the footage just logging it. Now with the FS-100, we can simply leave it to import and then do a rough cut while we’re reviewing the footage for the very first time.”

In a recent project, they developed a promotional DVD for a tennis product. Motionworks defined a complex structure for this 2-minute promotional piece— following a tennis ball as it was hit up in the air and back down. Each time the ball landed, it was in a different loca­tion and with different people. The join between scenes needed to be seamless to ensure a natural flow and integrity to the structure. By filming with the FS-100, they were able to review, even roughly edit, the clips while still on location. “Having the FS-100 on location meant that we could quickly import all footage into Final Cut Pro during lunch to make sure that the join between scenes worked,” said Christopher. “And if it didn’t work, we could re-shoot that particular section right then. This gave us peace of mind knowing that we had the shot we needed and wouldn’t have to return for any re-shoots.”




About Motionworks

Based in the Midlands, UK, Motionworks Ltd. specializes in training and promotional video for a broad range of corporate clients. They offer clients a single source solution, and single point of contact, from start to finish — including concept, scripting, editing, production, and DVD production/distribution. Motionworks shoots on high-definition digital video that gives clients ultra-sharp, broadcast-quality images.
www.motionw.com

About Focus Enhancements, Inc.


Innovation, efficiency, and superior quality are the foundation on which Focus Enhancements builds its products. A world leader in advanced video production, digital asset management, and digital signage solutions, Focus delivers products that perform superbly day in and day out, and backs them with unparalleled service and support.



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FS-100

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


"I was always interested in purchasing a Direct To Edit product, but I used to consider it a luxury. Now with my Panasonic HVX200, it’s become a necessity. P2 cards are just too expensive for a company of our size."

Christopher Hood, Director, Motionworks Ltd.