incredibly stupid questions

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BillyDkid

Okay guys, first, I know nothing, so I have some very basic questions. I appreciate your input. My only experience with film making involves making silent 16 mm movies with a friend of mine 30 years ago that were used during intermission at the dinner theatre where I was employed at the time. My desire now is to purchase a prosumer camcorder - probably the Panasonic Pro AG-DVX100B which is so widely popular - and to try to make my own movies, something I have longed to do for a long ass time. Now, mind you, I am almost 55 years old and I am not going back to school. So I have some very basic questions about using video. Please be patient.

Now, both the image and the sound are recorded on magnetic tape (or a disk or whatever the format). How then does one go about editing the sound and the image independently of each other? Is it analogous to multitracking on an audio recorder? Can you layer the sound on top of other sound? How is the sound edited independent of the image with which it is linked? The Panasonic has XLR inputs so you can hook up good remote microphones, but suppose you want to rerecord some dialog without recording over ambient sound you want to keep?

I have read that the Panasonic does not have interchangeable lenses. Is this a serious drawback if I want to produce (keep dreaming BDK) a professional looking movie? Also, is this camera so complex in its many features that an old imbecile such as myself will never be able to grasp its basic functions? Also, can I ignore all the editing features of the camera and do all the editing with the software? If I wanted it to look as film like as possible is this something I should try to achieve in the shooting or is this better done in the editing. I will probably have a bunch more question, but that is enough for now. I appreciate your input and any insight you may have and nice to meet you all. BDK
 
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How is the sound edited independent of the image with which it is linked?
Click to expand...

When the footage is imported onto your harddrive, the audio & video are combined in one file.

However, when that footage is placed into your editing software, video gets placed on a video track and audio gets placed on an audio track. Here you can unlink them, if you want to.

You can also have multiple video & audio layers, for adding additional sound effects, music, video overlays, whatever. (Well, basic stuff like the free Windows Movie Maker is limited... most other editing software is very flexible).
 
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BillyDkid said:
Now, both the image and the sound are recorded on magnetic tape (or a disk or whatever the format). How then does one go about editing the sound and the image independently of each other? Is it analogous to multitracking on an audio recorder? Can you layer the sound on top of other sound? How is the sound edited independent of the image with which it is linked? The Panasonic has XLR inputs so you can hook up good remote microphones, but suppose you want to rerecord some dialog without recording over ambient sound you want to keep?
Click to expand...
On a Mac you will be using either iMovie or Final Cut. With both
you can not only separate the audio from the video but you can
add hundreds of tracks of audio.

If you want to record dialogue with little or no ambient sound
you will attach the mic to a boom pole, get it as close to the
actors as you can and record. Then you will use a separate
track of audio and record the ambient sound. You will place
each track of audio in the "timeline" and adjust the volume
until you are happy.

Sounds confusing here, but as soon as you work with either
iMovie or Final Cut you will see how easy it is.

I have read that the Panasonic does not have interchangeable lenses. Is this a serious drawback if I want to produce (keep dreaming BDK) a professional looking movie?
Click to expand...
Many movies have been made with video cameras with fixed
lens. Movies that were released in theaters like:
Baghead, Panasonic AG-HVX200
Cloverfield, Panasonic AG-HVX200
Inland Empire, Sony PD-150
Open Water, Sony PD-150
28 Days Later, Canon XL-1S
Pieces of April, Sony PD-150
Bamboozled, Sony VX 1000 PAL
Dancer In The Dark, Sony PD 100 & Sony DXC D30WS PAL
Full Frontal, Canon XL1s PAL
Time Code, Sony DSR-1
Supersize Me, Sony PD150

Rent a few of them to see if they have the professional look
you're after.

Also, can I ignore all the editing features of the camera and do all the editing with the software?
Click to expand...
Cameras do not have editing features. You will do all the editing using
the editing software on a computer.
If I wanted it to look as film like as possible is this something I should try to achieve in the shooting or is this better done in the editing.
Click to expand...
This is something that we all learned through trial and error. I'm
from the old school - I grew up shooting on film. So I achieve
the look I want during shooting with lights, gels and lenses. Many
of the younger people here do just about everything in post on
their computer.

My suggestion is to not spend any time trying to make video look
as much like film as possible. Video can look really good.
 
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