ACM CERTIFICATION STUDY GUIDE Sony FS-700 PURPOSE PURPOSE

This Study Guide was created to help ACM students to prepare for the SONY FS700Certification exam, which is necessary to reserve and use the SONY FS-700equipment, specifically for class projects. This Study Guide provides all essential information on the proper handling and use of the SONY FS-700equipment, including an explanation of contents, procedures to demonstrate, and required features and techniques to know. The complete manual can be found at: http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/mkt-cinematography/mkt-cinematographyvideo/product-PMWF3K/ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REQUENTLY

ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. When is the ACM Media Center open? A. The ACM Media Center in KHET 201 is open Monday – Friday from 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM unless otherwise posted. (Modified hours will be posted for holidays and special circumstances.) Q. Do I get to practice on the equipment before I take the certification exam? A. Yes, you may attend “Open House Practice Sessions” before certification. However you must wait one day after an Open House session to take the Certification exam. During the “Open House” practice session not only will you be able to get hands-on practice in setting up and “striking” the SONY FS-700remote equipment, but also a chance to ask the ACM Media Center staff any questions you might have regarding the equipment and/or the certification process. (Look for the “Open House/Certification” schedule sheet at the ACM Media Center Front Desk). Q. How do I sign up to take the certification exam? A. You may reserve time to take your certification exam with an ACM Media Center Staff member or via phone. The certification exam takes 1 full hour to complete. You must wait one day after attending an Open House session before taking the Certification Exam. (Look for the “Open House/Certification Sign-Up Sheet” at the ACM Media Center Front Desk). Q. Can I reserve a camera without being “Certified” first? A. Sorry, you must have successfully completed the Certification Exam before making any reservations for the SONY FS-700Remote Equipment. . . NO EXCEPTIONS. Q. Do I need to make reservations in order to use the SONY FS-700 Remote Equipment? A. Yes, before checking out the equipment, you MUST make reservations with the ACM Media Center Staff at least 24-hours in advance, otherwise the ACM Media Center Management and Staff reserves the right to refuse service to the student(s). Reservations are made on a “first come, first serve basis,” in person or via the phone, unless otherwise noted by Professor or by ACM Media Center Manager due to scheduling conflicts. To prevent such scheduling conflicts, please ask for assistance at the front desk to make your reservations. Students may be assigned a maximum time that he/she may use the SONY FS-700Remote Equipment. This allotment will be based on the needs of the entire class each semester. Q. When are the Remote Equipment Check-In / Out times? A. All equipment can be utilized by certified students and can be checked in/out during the following times: - All check-ins between: 8:30 am – 10:00 am M-F - All check-outs between 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm with a prior 24-hour reservation - Checkouts with no reservations are not recommended however, if equipment is available it may be checked out after 4:30 pm only. NO EXCEPTIONS. Revised 2/13

A grace period of 15 minutes will be given for all Check-Ins and Check-Outs. After the 15 minute grace period, if equipment is neither returned or picked up, a penalty mark will be given to the student reserving or returning the equipment. For check-outs, after the 15 minute grace period, you will forfeit your reservation and equipment will become available to standby students on a first-come-first-serve basis. NOTE: The student who checks the equipment out is fully responsible for the equipment and must be present to check the equipment back in. Remember, you must be certified to reserve, check-out, use, and check-in the SONY FS-700Equipment, otherwise, the appropriate student(s) will receive a NO SHOW Penalty.*

Q. What if I can’t make it during the time we made our reservation? A. If, for any reason you are unable to keep your reservation, you must call or leave a message (voice mail) at the ACM Media Center Front Desk, 956-0750 to cancel: 1. By 9:00 AM on the day equipment is reserved. Failure to cancel your reservation will result in a NO SHOW Penalty.* "SAFETY PRINCIPLES OF THE ACM MEDIA CENTER 1. Never force anything! If something you are attempting to do requires any amount of excessive force, STOP and review your methods. 2. Never over tighten! This may cause the stripping of threads and/or encourage the use of excessive force that can damage the equipment. 3. Never leave the equipment unattended! Camera and other video equipment are prime targets for theft. 4. Never leave the camera equipment exposed to any heat source! (E.g. - in the trunk of a vehicle. Make sure to remove the videotape from the camera before transporting.) 5. Never take the ACM Media Center equipment to the beach or near shorelines! Sand and salt air/spray can clog and damage the sensitive equipment. 6. Never use equipment in “risky” environments**! (E.g. - any type of airborne devices or locations including airplanes, helicopters, skateboards, motorcycles, rollerblades, etc., night time shoots in low lit and/or unsafe areas, and “remote” areas which require transport of equipment over rough terrain). 7. Never touch or attempt to clean the lens or the viewfinder lens! There is a high probability of scratching and permanently damaging the lens without the proper cleaning materials. The viewfinder lens has a special coating on the top of it. Use only the lens cloth and the lens solution provided. If you cannot get the lens clean the Media Lab Staff will clean the lens for you. 8. Never aim the viewfinder or LCD screen directly at a strong light source! This will cause permanent damage to the viewfinder. (E.g. - the sun, lamp, or its reflection from an object. 9. Never point a laser into the lens or point the lens into direct sunlight! This will Damage the

CCD’s 10. Never use equipment near magnetic fields! Using near magnetic fields can cause distortion to images 11. Never leave SD cards out! They should either be in the camera, the recorder, a laptop, or their

case

12. Never Store camera in case with battery, tape or card in the camera! Battery will lose life, a tape can become slack and ruin heads and a card may be damaged. _____________________________ * Student(s) will be given the graces of two (2) “NO SHOW” penalties. Once a student receives a third (3) NO SHOW, that student will lose his/her privileges, at the discretion of the ACM Media Center Director, and/or have points deducted from his/her final grade which will be decided by the Instructor. ** “Risky” environments are defined as, but not limited to, situations and/or locations, which present potential hazards to personal and/or equipment safety. Determination of “risky” locations shall be at the sole discretion of the ACM Media Center Director.

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REQUIRED INFORMATION FOR CERTIFICATION

1. Recite the “Safety Principles” of the ACM Media Center. 2. Identify and locate the following items:

Numerically label the following Tripod Parts: 1. Pan & Tilt Head 2. Head Lock 3. Leg 4. Leg extensions 5. Leg extension lock 6. Pan handle 7. Spreaders 8. Pan & Tilt drag 9. Camera Plate 10. Weight spring 11. Plate lock 12. Plate release 13. Level bubble 14. Tilt lock 15. Pan lock

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Answer the following Camera related questions: Setting Up the Sachtler Tripod A. Demonstrate how to properly extend the tripod legs. Unlock the leg extension lock. Extend the leg to the desired length. B. Demonstrate how set up the tripod and adjust the head so that the head is level. Adjust the tripod head by loosening the head lock until the bubble in the level indicator is in the center. C. Demonstrate how to mount the camera on the tripod. Before mounting the camera to the tripod, make sure that the tilt lock and pan lock are locked and all leg extensions are secured so that the tripod does not move or collapse when mounting the camcorder. D. Demonstrate safety procedure. Always double check tripod stability prior to mounting the camcorder. IMPORTANT NOTE: To avoid potential accidents with tipping the tripod over, never leave the camcorder unattended, especially when tripod head (tilt lock) is in an unlocked position. ALWAYS BE AWARE OF THE STATUS OF THE TRIPOD! To avoid damage to the tripod head, never force a pan or tilt when the tripod head is in a locked position. This will cause permanent damage to the tripod head! Setting Up the SONY FS-700 A. Demonstrate how to safely mount and release the SONY FS-700 to the tripod head. Unlock the plate lock knob(turn it two times), push in on the wedge plate release button. Remove the wedge plate and screw it onto the bottom of the camera. From the side of the tripod, tilt the camera wedge plate onto the tripod head. Lock the plate lock knob. Carefully check that the camera is securely mounted to the tripod. To remove the camera, Unlock the plate lock, hold the camera and with you other hand push in on the camera plate release. Then tilt and lift the camera. IMPORTANT NOTE: The Pan Lock should always remain unlocked after the camera is secured to the tripod head to prevent the accidental tipping over of the tripod if the pan-handle is pushed. B. Demonstrate how to attach the AC power adapter and/or install and eject battery power. Lift the viewfinder. Push the battery-type connector on the DC cable straight in, and slide it downward until it clicks into position. Connect the AC cable to a power strip or the wall. Turn on the camera by on the power switch on the left side of the camera. To install a battery, insert the battery pack with the arrow mark on the battery pack facing to the right. Slide the battery pack to the right until it is locked or you hear a "click"sound.* To remove the battery, turn the camera on its left side, while pressing the Batt. Release button. Then slide the battery up and pull it out.

CAUTION: If the battery pack is removed during recording or playback, the data could become damaged. * When using a battery, the camera will automatically shut off after being in pause or “standby-mode” for more than 5 minutes.

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“Striking” / Packing the SONY FS-700 and Sachtler Tripod A. Demonstrate how to “strike” the SONY FS-700Camcorder unit. • all items must be neatly packed in its proper location B. Demonstrate how to “strike” the Sachtler tripod. • tripod legs should be retracted and locked • Pan handle attached to tripod leg Revised 2/13

Helpful Tips for “Professional Quality” Video 1. Always shoot your footage with at least 5 seconds of “lead” time (e.g. record for 5 seconds) before you call action. You need this “pad” footage for editing purposes. The same principle applies to the end of each take, which requires that you continue to record an extra 5 seconds at the end of the action before stopping the tape. 2. Adjust the viewfinder correctly before you start shooting. If the viewfinder is blurry, check to see if it is focused. The viewfinder has its own separate focus, which might change from one operator to another. 3. Make sure that cables are not in high traffic areas where they might cause someone to trip. Use Gaffers tape to secure cables whenever necessary. Set up cables nicely by removing any knots and kinks. When “striking” the equipment, coil all cables neatly (“over/under”). Handle all equipment with care. 4. Use a tripod whenever possible! This is especially important for close-ups and establishing shots. 5. Avoid unnecessary zooms! If you use the zoom lens, make sure the move is initiated with purpose (e.g. - to reveal a “No Trespass” sign, slowly zooming into a close-up when the subject is explaining something intimate or important, etc.). 6. Use “motivated” pans, tilts. Again, the camera move should be initiated for a reason . Have a “complete start and finish” for each move.

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