PRO HD
On location in Lesotho
Filming skills training for World Horse Welfare
It stands to reason that if you are The reason behind my trip was to film it proved to be a true asset. While filming
travelling to a particular place
the work of the World Horse Welfare people treating injured and neglected
for work, it’s vital that the tools
international training team in Lesotho, horses, the camcorder was placed in some
required are fully functional
where they are training local people in the interesting situations and put under stress.
skills and knowledge required to provide The design of the GY-HD101 meant that
and capable of dealing with the
better care and attention to their horses. whether shooting handheld under an injured
environments they will face. This is
As New Media Officer for World Horse horse’s stomach, or tucking it under an arm
especially true the further you travel
Welfare, part of my role involves travelling while filming a saddler delicately stitching,
– so when the details of a filming
to areas where the charity’s international control over the camera and stability were
job in the African Kingdom of teams are working to make a direct impact both comfortably achieved over long periods
Lesotho (a small country landlocked
on the welfare of horses. I film the work of of time. Having a small ‘run and gun’ setup
by South Africa) were finalised,
our staff and trainees, and use this footage also allows a great amount of flexibility; vital
Basil Hayes’s most important
to create communications and marketing when working around nervous animals.
material, as well as general interest pieces,
task was to safeguard the camera
both for use on websites and for output
“the compact nature of the
equipment he would be travelling
onto DVD. This particular film from Lesotho
GY-HD101 was a great bonus”
with. Basil talks to HIGHWAY about
is to be broadcast on specialist Sky
his recent visit.
channel Horse & Country TV later this year.
World Horse Welfare arranges for the
trainee farriers and saddlers to attend
Thankfully, JVC GY-HD101 camcorders field trips to local communities, where
are compact enough to fit into a very nifty local people are invited to bring their horses
(and aircraft hand-luggage-sized) bag made along to be treated by the students. In this
by Petrol Bags. I managed to take the entire situation, there were times when filming
kit in one bag, including camcorder (lens subtlety was required – thankfully, the
attached), batteries, battery charger, matte- compact nature of the GY-HD101 was
box (vital for filming in Africa), tape stock, a great bonus, as it allowed discreet
www.worldhorsewelfare.org
radio/shotgun microphones, cables and filming when circumstances dictated.
accessories. This lot wouldn’t leave my sight!
Filmed on JVC Pro-HD tapes, the footage
The documentary piece, although ultimately quality is sumptuous, with every detail
intended for an SD audience, was filmed accurately recorded with no drop out –
entirely in HDV720p at 25fps. The footage this level of image definition will make for
was all shot in progressive scan mode, a high-quality edited and downconverted
as this would allow the option of easily SD package. And filming in beautiful
changing it to interlaced during post- surroundings with the GY-HD range of
production if required. The manoeuvrability camcorders truly is a pleasure – it’s not
of the GY-HD series of camcorders was every day that you wake to find a praying
one of my main considerations when mantis sat on the bottle of water beside
choosing our film equipment, and in Africa your bed!
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