QuadCam software in conjunction with the Casablanca Solitaire enables up to four cameras to be used at once to record an event, then edited by cutting 'live' between the four picture sources with perfect synchronisation and frame accuracy.
The technique uses the fact that all cameras have an in-built date and time recorder, which although not generally displayed on the image is nevertheless recorded on the tape as a frame accurate signal.
Before a shoot each camera to be used is connected to Casablanca in turn and a record taken of its clock reading. At this point each camera is designated with a number from one to four. In this way Casablanca knows the relative differences between each camera clock.
The event is then shot. The only criterion is that the camera that has been designated number one must run continuously throughout since its output will be used as the background into which the material from all the other cameras will be insert-edited. It is not necessary for the other cameras to run continuously.
At the edit stage the shots from all four cameras are downloaded into Casablanca and trimmed so that the start points are roughly the same. On running the QuadCam software a screen is displayed which has four windows in which the output from each camera is played simultaneously in real time and synchronisation.
The machine finds the right starting point automatically for each camera. Editing is then similar to a 'live mix' situation in a TV studio where the camera director can choose which camera to cut to and when. This procedure can be repeated until the editor is satisfied with the cut of a sequence and, when complete, effects and titles can be added to build up a finished production in less time than it would normally take to edit together a multi camera shoot by other methods.
If you want to know any more about QuadCam and Casablanca Solitaire contact Dave Mitchell at BFVS. He will fill you in ....
Bob Bennett, with thanks to Dave Mitchell, March 2005
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