Remote shooting is a must these days. However, up to this point, it has been difficult and substandard. Without spending huge amounts of money, having a remote camera in a far-away place—with complete control of the settings on the other side—required an operator. With the innovation of tethering, in coordination with services like Google Remote Desktop, you can now have complete camera control using a camera across the country
The difficulty of shooting remotely
Preview
Conducting an interview or shoot over the internet is not a simple task. In the past, this was a webcam over a video call at best. However, there are many limitations to a video call.
Starting off, it’s difficult to do without dropped frames. The inability to see every frame can lead to issues with the capture. Dropped frames in the final output is not acceptable.
Next, when viewing the shot over a video call, there will be detail loss from the heavy compression needed for the platform. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, to see if the shot is sharp and properly lit.
Lastly, video calls are not known for having best-synced audio. If you can’t monitor the audio in real-time, mistakes will be made. Through it all, even though you might be able to see your shot, you won’t be able to change any settings without the help of an on-location camera operator. This requires time to address any issues with the shot and the audio with the camera operator.
Control of exposure
Any shot that is not properly exposed can’t be accepted as professional work. When on location, one could have a field monitor up to make sure the camera operator is exposing the shot as desired. This takes time to get it dialed in and will require you to have trust in the capability of the operator to get right. You won’t be able to make this judgment yourself.
If the shot will be mixed with others within the final product, it’s best practice to unify the look from shot to shot from others in the production. It is difficult to verify this unity in color over multiple cameras and or setups when not physically present.
Other on-location needs
There are many things to control when shooting, most of which are subjective and should be made deliberately. What frame rate to shoot in, what the white balance is and even where lights are located are key to the best final product. When shooting remotely, you will need to rely on those in the room to make these changes to settings and set-up. This kind of good communication takes time.
LUMIX Tether App
With the LUMIX Tether for Multicam App, you can control all camera functions you would be able to do in person over the computer. Using the LUMIX BGH1, you can apply settings across multiple cameras to unify the look of many cameras at once. The settings can even be copied and pasted on to all BGH1’s connected. The BGH1 can also be powered and connected with Power over ethernet (POE+)
When using a service like Google Remote Desktop, users can take complete control over the BGH1 and LUMIX Tether for Multicam software via the Remote Desktop interface. Remote desktop control will not only allow full, low latency access to the camera menus and settings for camera control, but will also enable remote operators to manage recording storage location, remote audio switchers and offers immediate control over the host system for troubleshooting.
Flexibility is key when trying to get the right composition. Once you have your framing, the LUMIX Tether app gives all controls a cinematographer needs and they can easily be changed over the internet. LUMIX has a wide range of cameras that support the LUMIX tether standard app, from the GH5, GH5S, S1, S1R, and S1H. With the BGH1 being the camera that uses the LUMIX Tether for Multicam app.
Going the distance
Getting the shot right can be difficult, even when in the room with the camera. Trying to get the shot the way you need it to be remotely has been, up to now, either impossible or at minimum very expensive. But, through the LUMIX tether app, you can have the highest quality (local) capture through complete control of the camera. Click on the link to learn more about LUMIX and the LUMIX Tether App.
