NAB, which is by all accounts the most important film/video tradeshow of the year, yesterday announced James Cameron as the keynote speaker (along with Avatar cinematographer Vince Pace). Not the keynote speaker: me. I will be at NAB with a press pass, however, trying to cover as much of the expo as possible. It will be my first time at NAB, and truth be told, I'm a bit overwhelmed -- so I'm looking for any reader insights and suggestions. Also, if anyone wants a free pass to the exhibit floor, click the image below and use the code "EM44":
I'm planning on shooting as much video as possible on the expo floor, but here's the thing... a DSLR is really not the best tool for this. The lack of good audio inputs is compounded by the fact that I own fast primes, not a zoom lens, and thus the shallow depth-of-field is better for narrative content than it is for demonstrating gear (while also conducting an interview) as a one-man band. Ideally you'd want a camcorder that:
- is compact and easy to handle
- generates fairly small files (for easy uploading)
- has decent audio inputs (with which to interview folks)
- doesn't need a lot of light (I'll be filming sans additional lights)
Thanks to my partnership with B&H, I can probably get ahold of a video camera on a trial basis as long as it's not too expensive (the Panasonic AF100, for example, would be too expensive). Any suggestions as to a decent video camera? Also, any suggestions from NAB veterans for finding one's way around the numerous floors? Thanks guys, and I hope to see some of you there!
