Timecode Masterclass: How Timecode Works Through Production 

I know this is a big ask but I think it’s a good idea for a future episode. I’d love to see a walkthrough of essential equipment and essential crew for no-budget film makers trying to get into narrative film making for short films. How can you be prepared to shoot with at least two cameras, a reasonable audio setup, and have what you need for interiors, exteriors, and difficult shooting locations all while working with next to no budget?

the video was more about how important timecode is and not how it works ;o;

Thank you so much for backing me up on this subject! :-) So many arrogant newbies think timecode/countdown/2-pop is old school and outdated. It's insane the lack of knowledge some professionals even have when it comes to post-production sound. It's become such a Drag-and-Drop soundpack Generation that completely disregards LUFS as well.

Here’s an idea for a future episode. How does timecode get utilize when you have a small production and a camera like the fx3, fx30 or A7IV OR A7SIII. AND it does not natively support timecode due to the face it has no limo pin so you have to do timecode via recording jack? How do you use lav packs and timecode at the same time? I know this is a loaded question but that’ll make for a great videos and it’ll answer my question. I hope this is chosen.

Great explanation! Thanks!

What an awesome episode. Love getting in depth with timecode. Something that could go hand in hand would be an episode on IFB/IEM systems while on small and large sets. I know there are so many combos and I really wanna know how to implement them outside of budget cringing industry standard.

Question / Video idea: Comparing lavalier mic with boom mic. Differences and strengths!

Thanks for the Video. But I have still what's the benefits of a Timecode Slade.

What about for those of us that don't use production cameras and maybe use something more like a GoPro and DSLR camera ? I don't have a production house to edit so I've been working on audio sync.... There's no producer, director, audio guy - Its just me but would love to have an easier way to sync different cameras.

Sounds all cool, but my Sony FX6 does not sync properly with the TC1. It is close but the five cameras are all off timecode by 5 to 10 frames. Not found a solution yet.

How important is a digital slate versus the old school clap or wooden slate? Can you show us how to work the digital slate?

Thanks Very interesting Just didn't get the last words about different signals of starting shooting... Starting rolling... Sync signals And what are the nemes of the programs for... Loggers ? ,Script superwisers ? Assistance ? How do the all get correct timecode automatically ? For the notes... And changes thy have to fill

When will the TC-SL1 TIMECODE SLATE be available for purchase, Deity? You’ve removed the ability to order it from your website, and vendors don’t have an available ETA for it either…

Does Diety offer, or will offer, a software tool to read timecode audio for applications like Adobe Premiere Pro that do not read time code audio? I'm thinking of something like the app provided by Tentacle for their Sync products.

Can you timecode macros?! Like_-- say i hit play on a song i want to perform and record, can i record a macro of camera transitions with timecode. So when blackmagic sees the time again….. it will play the macro!? Thanks I am an electronic musician that has automated light shows through midi time code, and the computer that create that time code can send STPENTEP Tico

very vague from technical pov, nothing about how timecode data actually pair with audio files from shoot to post, i assume still need 788T

Hi!!! So you guys sponsor VO Artists?

Cool, but I'm still waiting on my B&H backorder.

is there a way to place files on order by when they were shot . like lets say I record a 10 second clip and then 5 seconds later I record another 10 second clip, when I place them on the timeline I would like to have that 5 second gap on the timeline not the clips sidebyside

Thank you so much for this! Could you make a video of running different sound on set? From beginner set ups to a pro set up possibly?

is there a device which can do something like "timecode notes" during the recording? Like during interview note parts which i like which i dont like, mispronounced etc.

I always thought timecode was just the length of the video so when I saw it in Resolve it just confused me but not I know

Thanks for this awesome episode! Maybe next topic could be all the different connectors used in audio/video production… Beside jacks and xlr there’s a world of different standards!

What is the difference between a Sound Mixer and a Sound Recordist?

If you have a recorder that Generates time code like the mixpre 10ii can the TC-1 copy that code to send to the cameras

Robinson Robert Martinez Timothy Robinson George

Does she say "Fangulo" at the minutes 4.30?

I’d love to know how to put timecode on audio recorders that don’t have internal timecode.

Super helpful. I have a hard time wrapping my head around timecode and each episode gives me more clarity.

Hi. Is any way to sync my zoom recorders by deity tc-1?

A future episode: “What are the three best options for a college student filmmaker?” “Which of the three gives you the most bang for your buck?”

The audio sync feels a few milliseconds off at the start of the vid :)

Stoked to find out the R7 has timecode, hoping to start using it soon

You can't get anything done fast with a crap mouse like the red ball.

How would one decide what time code system to use? There are a few out there such as Diety's, Tentacle Sync, Atomos and Ambient.

You should talk about gain staging for you next episode. Great insight BTW!

How do I set time code for 3 x Sony A7S III and Zoom H6?

shoot a short and show how time code is used to speed up the editing process.

I completely get the idea of timecode. Where the confusion creeps in, is related to the devices. How many generators do I need! One for each camera? One for each transmitter/receiver? Deity has a brand new line with built in timecode, how does that factor in? The idea that timecode is a reference point that syncs up video and audio is not hard to grasp. Where I get confused is, where timecode needs to be generated by third party device, or is built in (like with the new Deity Theos system).I really need diagrams and a detailed understanding of different timecode situations. What timecode does is relatively simple. How timecode is implemented, what, when, where, why, seems like endless options for decisions and choices. I have the Deity interview kit, pocket connect and interested in the new Theos system. How does timecode integrate with all the different possibilities?

When working at Charter Cable, we had 4hr recordings of LTC so we could shoot more multicam projects at once (only had one ‘house clock’) So if you can’t afford your own LTC generator, a recording fed thru a mixer to multiple cameras can do the trick. Ain’t perfect but beats the pants off waveform sync.

I would love to see a ’day in the life of a ...’ (fill in boom-op/soundmixer/pa...) so we can see the whole process of a day of shooting at a film-set, commercial, ... thanks !

i still don't understand lol. you should teach how to do it on a dslr :)

Very interesting when we shoot in NYC we don't use a time code bix nor time code slate just a normal clap board old school style because of the type of budget but at the end of the day it all comes into play in post production. We keep audio/video logs which helps the editing process and the production gets done. We use DSLR camaras on location which don't carry a built in time code bnc input but my Zoom F4 field recorder definitely has both sync ports in the case we use a pro camara with the addition feature then were good to go in sync.

Really good video - although no mention of recording TC as an audio channel onto cameras (e.g. many DSLRs) that don't support timecode as metadata. It seems that not all audio editing software is able to easily convert TC-as-audio to TC-as-metadata.

Another request: I received my 3 part TC-1 set yesterday and while testing it, it turned out that its not possible to "update timecode from audio" with a wav file from my zoom H6 in Davinci Resolve. Would be very usefull to have a video on how to adres this problem.

What happened to the Deity Uni-Mic?

Hey Deity, is it possible to run the TC-1 into a D4 Mini (connected to a mirrorless camera), so that the cam has slightly better scratch audio vs the onboard TC-1 scratch mic? Or will this break the LTC from the TC-1?

Awesome & Thanks :)

I just picked up 2 sets of the TC-1 Kit 3 Pack, which now gives me 6 of these bad boys for my future projects. Yes, it is more than I need at any one time, but it is always good to have redundancy. In case anyone is interested... the factory foam cutouts that came with the 3 pack manufactures box, pulls out and fits perfectly into 1/2 of a Nanuk 909 hard case. So now all 6 of my TC-1's have the perfect storage solution and includes space for all the cables. Yay!!

Can you do a segment on audio redundancy for production sound! I would love to know what a small production would consider reasonable. Extra recorder? Extra mics? Extra Lavs? I guess im also curious what is standard on big productions too. You previous interviews with sound mixers hinted at redundancy but several didn’t explicitly describe theirs.

This is so "boring" but so cool to see at the same time! Really appreciated covering all stages of production and when you need to bring it up or it can be used to your advantage.

I know when it comes to recording audio we have a few different options for data storage. What are the pros and cons of recording to your camera, or a separate recorder and syncing up in post. Are there difference in sound quality and, or ease of work flow? Why should we choose one approach over another and are there other alternatives to consider? Thank you

Thanks for the content. So useful. Do you guys have any plan on releasing your own software to reinterpret/covert video with timecode signal?

How many channels of audio do you think you need for a documentary film?

Thanks for this. Can you show the difference in camera's without a timecode input and how they sync up in post?

Very interesting. Which cameras support time code? Where do I connect that to box?

Can you use a tentacle time code box with a Deity Smart Slate?

masterclass :-D

This was exactly the kind of video I was wanting!! Perfect timing.

Is there a way to do this without timecode boxes?

I think a great episode topic would be about including your sound mixer in the location scouting process. Explain things sound mixers look and listen for at each location and what things they can prep to make each space sound as clean as possible.

Woah! Great episode. And definitely did not expect the ending. Thank you for the episode and thank you for the VLav. A question. If I have a single camera, two lavs, a boom and a recorder, only the camera and the recorder will need timecode boxes, right?

Great ❤

Hi Andrew. How do we mix different manufacturers’ time code boxes with Diety?

Great video. Can you do a 101 Episode on how to record wilds tracks and foley, on set. Thanks!

great job.....thanks a million 👍

What about a sound 101 on cable management?

do Deity devices have timecode in them, for example would lavalier have its own timecode? Or only the recorder itself?

Great, thanks for sharing!

Does each day of shooting have its own daily timecode? Or is there one master timecode that spans across all days of shooting? And if each day is separate, who logs and controls the timecode?

Just started using timecode it has made life so much easier

Who typically determines what time your timecode should start? (ie starting at 00, 1 hour, or time of day?

kuuul

Great job!!

Watched a few minutes of this. Then stopped because you weren’t getting on with using the equipment. Didn’t need to be entertained, needed facts.

Great video! I'd love to see a followup further exploring embedded timecode track and metadata header versus BITC display and how that all communicates in post with digital video and proxy creation.

Thanks Andrew, great video. This is going to make my life much easier once I get it down. I'm up a running with four TC-1 boxes. Guess I need one more soon for a spare. I'd love to see a blow by blow of a 2 or three camera production from soup to nuts. Pre-pro... production (drill down to different cameras)... ingest... post (Resolve, Premiere, Avid). Also a shout out to David in support for setting me straight. Thanks again.