Cameras: News and Updates

Ohio's Act 1 Video Production Company Handles International Assignments with Panasonic P2 HD Camcorders

By Staff
posted Sep 21, 2009, 20:56

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Back home in Columbus, AG-HPX170 mounted on remote-controlled helicopter weathers 100 foot drop and replays the crash video.

(Secaucus, NJ) Act 1 (Westerville, OH), a video production company that undertakes diverse international assignments for major corporations and agricultural manufacturing companies, recently transitioned to tapeless high-definition acquisition with the purchase of four Panasonic P2 HD camcorders.

Remote-controlled helicopter camera setup with AG-HPX170 P2 HD handheld.
This remote-controlled helicopter camera setup uses an AG-HPX170 P2 HD handheld. Photo courtesy of Act 1.

Based on the positive experience of colleagues in the Columbus, OH broadcasting community who were shooting in P2, Act 1 owner Steve Brandenburg purchased two AG-HPX500 P2 HD shoulder-mounted camcorders in 2008 and an AG-HVX200 P2 HD handheld camcorder shortly thereafter. When Brandenburg lost his usual source of a helicopter to shoot aerial videos, essential for Act 1’s agricultural assignments, he decided to acquire his own remote-controlled helicopter and outfit it with an AG-HPX170 P2 HD handheld.


Side view of camera chopper. Photo courtesy of Act 1.

Brandenburg also owns two AJ-HPM110 P2 Mobile HD recorder/players, and an AJ-PCD20P five-slot memory drive.

The HPX500s are Brandenburg’s main production cameras, supplemented by the HVX200 for handheld work and special shots. The camcorders have provided stellar support at national sales meetings, on international shoots, and on local assignments for Ohio State University and others, but the most dramatic proof of the value of solid-state recording has been provided by the HPX170.


In this type of aerial work, a pilot flies the helicopter remotely, and the on-board camcorder transmits to goggles worn by Brandenburg, who can then control the camera. Photo courtesy of Act 1.

“We chose the HPX170 to mount to the remote-controlled helicopter because, minus the tape drive, it’s that much lighter than the HVX200,” Brandenburg said. “The pilot and I had several test runs before our ‘maiden voyage,’ an aerial shoot of tractors in a field for an agriculture manufacturer.”

“While the helicopter was in a hover, we experienced a complete rotor shaft failure,” Brandenburg recounted. “The craft shook so violently that it disintegrated into three pieces and fell 100 feet to the ground. Because I had the goggles on, I didn’t see what was happening, but everything suddenly went fuzzy.”

“Needless to say, the pilot and I had a quiet ride back to the office,” he continued. “We were very disappointed. Regarding the HPX170, there was a hole where the eyepiece fits into the body, the camcorder was covered in dirt and the battery was bounced back.

“But amazingly, when we arrived, I flipped out the viewfinder and was able to watch a replay of the entire accident. The footage looks great. In fact, we’ve been so busy since last April, when this happened, that I haven’t even bothered to fully repair the HPX170, but have simply kept it in our camera rotation, where it is performing perfectly.”


The chopper falls and breaks, but the footage looks great, and the camera survives. Photo courtesy of Act 1.

Brandenburg shoots exclusively in HD, and depending upon the nature of an assignment, shoots either 720p/24-fps or 1080i/60-fps. He edits on both Avid Media Composer and Final Cut Pro. He invested in multiple 32GB P2 cards, and chooses to download footage either at the end of the day or the conclusion of a shoot.

“Shooting in P2 really spoils you, especially in terms of the incredible amount of time saved in the edit suite,” Brandenburg said. “That means less expense for clients and a huge production advantage for me. I am so addicted to the time-efficiencies that, when in one instance we hired local crews in Europe who were shooting on tape, I brought along our HPM110 P2 Mobiles and ran a record to them so I could bypass digitizing before editing.”

“The P2 HD camcorders have been rock-solid and dependable,” he added, “never more so than on the day the HPX170 fell to earth!”

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About the AG-HPX170

The AG-HPX170 is an ultra-mobile P2 HD handheld camcorder featuring full, 4:2:2 independent frame production quality HD and solid-state recording. Building on the AG-HVX200 series’ phenomenal success, the lighter HPX170 is fully solid state (no DV mechanism), and comes with a host of enhancements including a new 1/3" progressive 3-CCD imager system, wider Leica Dicomar 13X lens, an HD-SDI interface, metadata input and management, and a 5-year limited warranty (with registration). The HPX170 has two P2 card slots and records in 20 HD and SD formats - from 1080i, 1080p, 720p to 480i. Its newly enhanced 1/3" progressive 16:9 3-CCD imager delivers an excellent signal-to-noise ratio, lower noise/smear, and exceptional low-light performance. High-end features like Dynamic Range Stretch (DRS) allow for better control over highlights and shadows in run and gun situations. For more information on the HPX170, visit www.panasonic.com/P2HD.

About Panasonic Broadcast

Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast and professional video products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a Unit of Panasonic Corporation of North America. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC) and the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. For more information on Panasonic Broadcast products, visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast.