Museums are a blast!
In Miami they are.
The Miami Museum of Science and Industry had their annual Big Bang fundraiser last Friday. I went because Afrobeta was playing there along with a few other bands.
I got there too early, still not sure about times-and-distances, but that gave me a chance to shoot this short clip to show you how the Sony XR500V Handycam handled the low light, high contrast situation outside. [52 sec.]
http://www.veoh.com/videos/v1927974243XER8zPThe action was definitely on inside, starting in the lobby and continuing with DJs, Dancing Girls and Vampires sprinkled all over the place. [1 min. 36 sec.]
http://www.veoh.com/videos/v192754328BmYpBThBut the real action for me was Afrobeta with Cristy Amador and Tony Smurphoio getting it on. Cristy had the flu but I’ve had my flu shot so I got my hug again :-). [6 min. 17 sec.] [Click on the YouTube logo to watch the clips in HD]
The audience got it on, too. [3 min. 48 sec.]
Loved it all!
And just to catch up, I’ll mention that I took a few tours earlier in the month. The bus tour of Miami was really nothing – one of the four stops was a grocey store. The boat tour of Biscayne Bay was a nice afternoon on the water but I could have done without the dialog about the mansions and who used to live there. And the evening South Beach Art Deco architectural walking tour didn’t hold a candle to the Chicago River architectural boat tour, in fact I had more fun while I was waiting for the tour to start: [1 min. 10 sec.]
http://www.veoh.com/videos/v19280723ycwJDy62But man, did I love that night at the museum!
Vaya con gusto, muchachos y muchachas.
sounds great! wow, I can’t believe how good that camera is in low lighting. Now THAT’S what I need to film my dj’ing stuff. Look at how mine turn out in low lighting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=honrx1YuOJw
That’s me dj’ing last week.
I like the electronic music that girl is singing to…not bad! Reminds me very much of our Seattle scene.
YouTube is being retarded right now, so you might have to look at that link later.
Liked the feel of the place – is it a regular gig for you? And if it is, I’d be willing to let them fly me out there one weekend a month or so to do their videos :-)
The museum was set up very much like your venue, with spots on performers, a few bright wall panels here and there, and pits of darkness eveywhere else. This probably shows up most in the “DJs, Dancing Girls and Vampires” clip. The camera does an incredible job of boosting the lows and compressing the range of values.
I did quite a bit of research on this after the nighttime George Thorogood show in Chicago (on YouTube). That one was pretty much like your clip and I didn’t like it at all, at all because I really wanted to see the detail in the shadows (in that case, three young ladies dancing right next to me).
The Sony XR500V was the clear winner. It has a 240 gig hard drive, with a 500 gig version available, and records in HD video. Combine all that with the built-in image stabilization and there just wasn’t anything like it for the price – I totally love it.
PS: Afrobeta may be about to release a CD – they’re turning into quite the local group, may go past that with a bit of luck.
Now I have to learn how to stay awake until 4 in the morning so I can go to some of their normal gigs, which usually don’t start until my bedtime :-)
Now THAT’s a museum trip! And I’ve got your secret to stay awake … just develop a taste for Cuban coffee. You’re in the right spot for it. ;)
You’re right about the coffee – a cortadito or two and I’d be flying!
And you and Jeff would have wigged out at the museum. It was kind of like Navy Pier and Ravinia and a nightclub rolled into one – incredible! Maybe we can find a Christmas party like this – I’ll keep my eyes peeled.