DSE

Murf and Tom from Sibson are flying Stealth (Murf is big) and P2, both are kickin' em' out and flying well with smaller, older suits such as the GTI. The P2 has a great amount of range. The TS Tbird is in about the same size class, but IMO, the P2 has more ability/agility. Probably why it's currently the most popular suit in the world. Easy to flock, easy to fly fast, easy acrobatics. Best all-around, IMO.

On June 11/12, Skydive Elsinore is hosting a Wingsuit RW Camp. Coaching from John Hamilton, Ed Pawlowski, Darren Burke, and DSE. There are also other coaches who will be working with the newer groups. The 45.00 registration fee covers Tshirt, goodie bag, video debriefs of jumps, and of course...great coaching. Groups will be broken down by skill levels. Amongst other things, we'll be coaching for: ~Exit types ~Fall rate/Acceleration/Deceleration ~Diving (emphasis on safety) ~Flying Relative/Proximate ~Recovery from instability ~Taking docks ~The WSRW dive pool We expect to offer a very low coachstudent ratio, so come prepared to learn a lot. Most of you know John "Hammo" Hamilton's skills as a coach; he's amongst the best in the world whether we're talking about AirSpeed or IronMan comps. He's also a closet wingsuiter. Most know Ed Pawlowski's skills as an instructor, coach, and wingsuiter. Come prepped to become a much better flyer and competitor!

Kevin will be missed around here at Elsinore. He had some good stories, and always a good laugh at something. He'd comment on my "dress" (wingsuit) from time to time.

Quote The new Sony FS100 is very promising for sure, will be a lot better option than any DSLR. (60p, 4:2:2, 4/3, pro audio, relatively light and small) reply] It's actually 4:4:4 out the pipe now. Coupled with the Gemini...this is a scary tool. Panasonic is already making firmware changes, I believe. Keep in mind, Sony is full 35mm imager; Panasonic 4/3rds is 25% smaller when used in a widescreen config. 60p is the bomb. It's the future. The cadence is as filmic as 24p, and more life-true. http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/24/sonys-nxcam-hd-is-the-nex-fs100-brings-super-35mm-sensor-price/ Here is the NEX FS...it's nice. Not at all heavy. Apple users just don't get that there are options. Every week we struggle with codec or interlacing issues from FCP users, because they don't see the "other side." They blindly accept what Apple throws at them. Every single new feature in FCPX is found in every other NLE, and has been part of that NLE workflow for years. In some cases, more than a decade. But hey...Now Apple has the ability to decode some flavors of AVC (not AVCHD) big whoopie.

Make that bet for 2013, and you've got a deal. 2011 productions for the most part, are already planned, budgeted, and in at least a dozen submissions...already in the can. I don't consider 2011 as part of the "death year." Look...it's silly to believe DSLR will survive. DSLR 2000.00 (of value, T2i doesn't count because no one half serious will shoot without an external/HDMI/SDI monitor) Glass 2000.00 (bottom end of decent, but for sake of argument, we'll go as low as say...500.00?) External monitor-1K (batteries not included) Mounting system (Red Rock, Zacuto, etc0 ( 1200.00-3K Audio package (500.00) (that's a half-ass audio system with no T/C lock) Been super fun watching a couple guys shooting their Eschelon Film Festival (skydiving film fest). They started with just an HDSLR. Didn't take long til they were asking for loaner gear just to get it as good as their HVX200. Sure...better in low light, better DOF, but a bitch to do any production value. Add all that up, and compare it with say, an FS100 with a full-frame sensor vs APSC sensor, a real audio package, broadcast viewfinder, interchangeable lenses, 24p(which no one is really giving two shits about in the production world anymore, 60p is the future), T/C, great form factor (you can actually shoot it without mounting system) and the same everything else you love about your DSLR, at a price of about 5800.00 out the door. Yes, I was indeed at NAB, but if you view my posts on the CreativeCow, you'll see I predicted the death of DSLR back in October. It's not that I don't like DSLR, I've done a lot of training with the format, produced a few shorts with it, done two television spots with it, and produced media for Canon with it. It's a PITA for any real use. It'll always be around as a hobbyist format, just like film still is, just like LP's still are, just like tubes are part of any guitarist's arsenal if he's into the aesthetic. I'm more a diet Dr. Pepper kinda guy...

Somewhat off topics, but.. I respectfully disagree, DSE. I think DSLR film making is growing even more. It's a best way to achieve the big budget film look, for low cost. It’s now commonly used for documentaries, music videos, shorts, TV shows and Indie movies. I was not at NAB, but there seems to be more DSLR accessories than ever before. For artistic skydiving shoots, it’s the best camera choice, IMHO, for under $1000. I am going to throw in micro 4/3 here (Panny GH2), even though technically it’s not a DSLR. They are wonderful flexible, especially with lens choices and profile settings, just as using them for for still pictures. They are the wrong tool for fast turn-around tandem videos, but for someone who wants to take it beyond the ‘comcorder’ look, it’s pretty close to Godsend.

Final Cut Pro X is supposed to have native editing of H.264 clip, which translated to being able to drop 5D/7D/T2i/T3i footage directly into the timeline and be able to preview/edit it realtime without rendering. I have to see it to believe it. http://dslrforvideo.com This would be a prudent approach (seeing is believing). I was @ the release, and while an announcement was made, it was not demonstrated like other features were. Me for one...I'm grateful the DSLR-film craze is about dead. Laszlo...use .mxf as your intermediary format that will read in both Apple and PC systems. You'll need to download the free .mxf plug for FCP/S from www.sony.com/xdcam.

Interesting! This is also a problem I don't see. I'm loading my Storm 150 at 1.5, no hard openings, no stuck sliders. Takes approx 500' to open. A lot of jumps on Spectre's too; Dave hit the description nicely. It opens smoothly and usually on heading, it's a sporty fly at my wingloading. I push the nose in, quarter the slider, and slightly roll the tail. Both wingsuit and non-wingsuit jumps are soft and consistent (for me). If you're in the Elsinore area, I have a couple Storms for demo purposes.

The Storm sounds like it might be nice, but the snappy opening bothers me. I love the soft snivel openings I get with my Spectre and I find the flare sufficient. 1Kplus jumps on Storms...."Snappy openings?" I don't have em'.

Hit up Parachutist (Chris Warnock) for the latest/greatest specs, but a quad core with an AVC decoder on the CPU is by far the best option. Adobe Premiere CS5, Canopus Edius, Sony Vegas, and SpeedEdit all have native AVC decoding. Sony Vegas is the only one that can be automated of all of those. The automated workflow is very popular, and at least 40 DZ's around the world are using the automated workflow.

Freefalle clarified it; you won't be allowing the camera to perform to it's fullest ability. Unfortunately for handcam, high resolution wides (.4 and .3 are horribly large, heavy, and spendy.

something like a military "salad bar" might be very useful. I like the idea, Bill. Easily put on a mudflap or bottom of the three ring, or sleeve that goes on the chest strap?

A few points: There is an LCD back for the GP now, but that won't answer your separate files question. Sony CX series has some small options, CX160 etc, but if you can find a CX 100 or 110...you'll likely be happier due to side load cards vs bottom load cards. Bear in mind that the slow mo on the camera vs doing with a computer is different than you're used to with DV, it's a tad more jerky. Adding a Royal, XSeries, or other SD lens to an HD camera is like putting a silver saddle on a donkey. FWIW, you'll have a faster over all flow with a fast computer vs your linear boards, and you'll have more flexibility for delivery, edit, and storage. That said...make do with whatever you have.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=search_results&search_forum=all&search_string=royalty-free&sb=score&mh=25

What happens if the "non-release skydive" becomes a "have to release one side" due to exit problems? A few years ago, one DZ was doing exactly this, and exactly that occurred. The coach was the one to release, but it just as easily could have been main side releasing. Do you want a coach on someone's first or second skydive? There are many licensed skydivers to work with/learn from that can "play student" for would-be candidates.

I've never seen one of your videos, ever, let alone commented on them to anyone. Must be aliens in your tinfoil hat, buddy. Identify a link to anywhere I've commented on one of your videos. You can't. You call it "creative" and we call it a lie and that's what it is, there is no getting around that.

I'm using a medium sized Wichard swivel snap (similar to an RSL snap). I've added a small strip of pullup cord material to them for ease of opening them. There are a couple in my team room, and of course you know you have access to any of my flags.

Here is a 5 x 3 set up I jump on occasion, but have changed so the top snap goes through the toggle guide. Bottom snap goes through hip ring.

To toss my own 2cents... Candidates should show up to a course knowing how to fly, how to teach (this is what the mandatory Coaching period is intended to assure). The course isn't to teach you to be an instructor. It's to teach techniques that aren't part of the coaching skill set, to augment the (should be) current knowledge of the candidate, and to test the candidate on knowledge and ability. For example, an AFFI candidate should already know precisely how to teach, but rollovers and spinstops aren't part of their skillset, so these are added. If you have the opportunity to learn these skills prior to the course, then you'll certainly be better armed when you challenge the eval jumps. The *worst* candidates (IMO) are those that freefly their asses off, then show up to a coach or AFFI course expecting to learn the requisite belly skills. The more one knows about the SIM, IRM, handsignals, levels, the better the course will go because one can then focus on learning very specific skills.

It's still FCP, just not the studio. The "native AVC" (as seen at NAB) isn't native. It's just another way of bullshitting the world. AVCI is native. IFrame AVC. However, they took flack already, so we'll see what gives. The processors they're using have AVC decoding built into the CPU, so it's stupid to not use that power, IMO. It is a great app for the cost. The list of "new features" is kinda funny, because every single one of em' has been in Vegas since version 2, most of them have been in Premiere for all the CS series, most of them have been in Edius for nearly a decade... They ain't new. Unless you're an ostrich. But...it will surely open a lot of doors for them. And it *is* sexy. http://vimeo.com/22345296

The first step would be to upgrade to a real editing program I'm not sure there are such things as plug-ins for iMovie. There are But Twixtor isn't one of em.

Vegas has VERY good resampling and motion interpolation. But...it's nothing like Twixtor. I have a time-warp tutorial on YouTube on the VASSTTraining channel. Twixtor does not plug into Vegas. AE is the easiest/most common solution.

Good on ya! Head up, knees bent, arched....almost like you're going into an on-knees praying position facing the horizon/skyward. Seen several really slammer openings from people improperly instructed on deployment. Had one student come complete with a minimum of 360 line twists on every jump. Their FFC had taught them to ball up "for a second before deploying."

how small is "nothing huge?" Barracks flag or smaller?