Film School
Formatting 101: The Basics
Video Coordinator, University of Oregon©
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I started
in 1992 as graduate assistant in the football video department
at the University of Illinois. Prior to that I had no idea what
went in to preparing for a football game. In 1996, I became the
video coordinator here at the University of Oregon where I have
spent the last seven seasons. Aside from trying to explain to my
friends what I actually do, and convince my Mom and Dad that I
can make a living watching college football games every fall Saturday;
the biggest challenge of this position is staying on top of today’s
ever-changing world of technology.
“Today I would estimate that 98 percent of
the Division I schools across the country now have some type of
non-linear or digital system where the video library
resides on computer hard drives instead of tape.” - Steve
Pohl
In the late 1980s there was a breakthrough from 16mm film to
VHS video. It was a step that eliminated the developing process,
providing
immediate feedback from
the camera to the VCR. Could it get any better then this? Many, including myself
could not comprehend what was around the corner. By the early 90’s the
video industry began taking the content on that VHS tape, digitizing it, and
turning the video into a computer file that could be accessed as easily as double
clicking a mouse.
Before You Buy:
6 Questions You Must Ask Yourself
Before Purchasing A Video System:
1. How will this system be used?
2. Will you be Digitizing specific plays onto your computer as you watch
the tape? Typically this is a starting point for each coach to learn
how to use their computer.
3. Will you digitize entire games? This involves more responsibilities.
Some one to transfer the games to a harddrive, then individually mark each
play, as well as add data to those plays to preform sorts and stats.
4. What will you achieve by using this system?
5. What is the potential for growth?
6. What changes must be made from what we have now to accommodate this
system? (i.e. projection units, VCRs, DVD , room space, etc.) |
Ahead of us was a new frontier. Like many of you, I had had no
formal computer training. My comfort zone rested within simple
word processing and of course,
computer games. My background was in elementary education; and my only concern
at the time was figuring out which detergent worked best to remove finger paint.
How computers worked or why it didn’t work, made little difference to
me. Terms like non-linear, compression ratios, TCP/IP, raid, ram and rom were
a foreign
language. All I wanted to do was check my email and read the jokes my buddies
were sending me. My point is, I have been there and have experienced the frustration
that is inherent to choosing a digital video system. Honestly, it becomes a
leap of faith. In the following paragraphs I hope to provide some insight as
to where
to start in choosing an editing system for your program. I hope my experience
working with coaches and applying their needs to the technology available will
assist you in learning about the industry and eventually making a decision.
Today I would estimate that 98 percent of the Division I schools across the
country now have some type of non-linear or digital system where the video
library resides
on computer hard drives instead of tape. These systems have replaced VCR’s
to the point where coaches can view cut-ups, self scout or opponent scout,
via a network server on their personal computer or even laptop. Surprisingly
enough
however, this type of technology is not limited to NFL or Divisipn I institutions.
Just as the price of the consumer VCR or DVD player has decreased over the
last decade, so has the price of digital technology. The key is getting started.
Every year we have a high school coach’s clinic and the question I am asked
most frequently is what format or which system is best. That’s a pretty
broad question. What I try do is find out what they want out of their system.
I ask them the same questions I asked my coaching staff almost five years ago
before we purchased our first digital system. What day-to-day routines would
you like to do with a digital system that you currently are not doing? What
features would you expect to see? How will this technology enhance your program?
The general
response I received from coaches was in regards to capturing or digitizing
video and making edits or cut-ups.
A few years ago I may have scratched my head trying to figure out the best answer.
Since that time I have recognized an important feature in the technology market.
As technology grows the price of hardware and component products decreases. For
example, last season our department began archiving games on DVDs. When I looked
into prices of DVD-RAM the price was around $34 per disc. Twelve weeks later
I purchased the same DVD-RAMS for under $12 each. In 1998, computer storage for
our system was limited to 9 GB per drive. Today, the same size hard drive can
hold 120 GB for about the same price. Gone are the days where NFL and Division
I schools were the only ones who could afford this technology. This means that
not only can larger budgets buy more technology, but smaller budgets can now
enter the market.
The bulk of the expense of the digital systems used today by NFL and Division
I schools lies within the software development. Companies that provide the software
used by these NFL, Division I, and Division II schools can be found on the Collegiate
Sports Video Association Web site (www.csva.com). You will also find that many
of these same companies also offer low-end solutions for smaller budgets. It
can be overwhelming for an institution to determine the best starting point.
Deciding which digital format alone can be a headache. Digital formats like Mpeg
1, Mpeg 2, Motion JPEG and AVI all pose certain advantages and limitations. Many
need specific software for digitizing and viewing. In turn that software needs
to be compatible with your computers processing power and storage capacity. Even
as the video coordinator, I get lost in the dialogue of compression ratios vs.
quality and all the technological jargon associated with determining which format
is the best solution. From experience I have found the DV format is bridging
the gap between high and low-end video formats and has proven to me to be an
ideal starting point.
DV is a format that is considerably low in price and high on quality. It was
designed as a “consumer” format for those who had an itch to produce
their own movies on their home Macintosh or PC. Due to its popular cost-to-quality
ratio, it has become popular even in the professional market as well. Here
at the University of Oregon all of our sports depend on the DV format in some
shape
or form. It is an accepted format with companies like Sony and Panasonic to
name a few. Both companies offer their own brand of DV whether it is DVCam
by Sony
or DVCPro by Panasonic. Both are compatible with digital DV editing systems.
As with any product there are always pros and cons, but I believe for institutions
wanting to take that first step towards a digital solution, DV still remains
the front runner. The drawback to DV is the amount of storage per hour of video.
As a comparison, our department uses MPEG 2 as our digital format only because
after a full season of self-scout games, opponent games and practices, we tend
to eat up a significant amount of storage space. One game on each side of the
ball (offense, defense, special teams) has a typical running time of 35 minutes,
which turns into 1.5 GB of storage each. In the DV world that same 35 minutes
of storage may take up as much as 5 GB almost three times as much space. But
the DV format is flexible using a device popular among all DV compatible components
called Firewire. Firewire, also known as a 1394 cable, can connect multiple DV
components including cameras and digital storage. For example, using a DV camera,
Firewire can be connected from the camera to the computer to transfer its content
to the hard drive of the computer. Should you run out of storage space on your
computer, external Firewire storage can be added. Typical DV cameras range from
$500-$10,000 and external storage, typically 80 GB up to 120 GB, can cost $200-$400
depending on size. In addition, many of these components can be swapped and interchanged
between coaches and computers. Another advantage in Firewire storage is the ability
to connect Firewire hard drives together increasing your storage capacity from
year to year.
The most important component that enables all the devices to work fluidly together
is the purchase of your computer. I hesitate to compare and contrast the different
platforms. At this point it really becomes more of a personnel preference choosing
between a PC or a Macintosh platform. On the Macintosh side I would recommend
the iBook because of the integrated DV plug-and-play components. On the PC side
I recommend using Microsoft XP because of its ability to encompass multiple DV
devices. However, as I mentioned earlier some of the companies on the CSVA Web
site may have software for only one platform or the other. If you feel down the
road you would like to integrate sophisticated software in the future, it may
be worth consulting one of the representatives to help you plan ahead.
In conclusion, before you start the decision making process consider your objectives.
What do you want your digital system to do? What goals will it accomplish now,
and what do you want it to accomplish in a few years? Start small and as you
see a need, address it, whether it is purchasing additional storage devices or
upgrading your computers. I believe the DV format provides a simple and affordable
solution for those starting down the digital path. The DV technology is available
today the most important step is to determine how to make it work for you tomorrow.
Steve Pohl is in his seventh season as Oregon’s director of video services
after serving in the same capacity as a graduate assistant at the University
of Illinois for the previous three years. He was elected to a two-year term president
of the Collegiate Sports Video Association (CSVA) in May of 2002.
Digital Download - 304 Pages of Football Forms for the Winning Coach
