Dan Brockett
Forum Replies Created
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I agree Shane. The more films and television programming I shoot on my AG-HPX170, the more I realize that. I shot a feature film last year on the 170 that premiered in Copenhagen at the IMAX Theater last December. It looked really quite great on the curved IMAX screen through their 4K data projector.
Do larger sensor video cams, RED and Alexa look better? Of course, but who cares? The story, writing and acting are so much more important than which stupid format you are using. I also find it interesting that one of my favorite shows ever on television, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, is shot on cheap, way out of date HDV cameras.
Just goes to prove that story trumps all and even the lowliest cameras can produce killer footage if you know what you are doing as a DP and if you have a great editor/colorist at the other end of the pipe. No Reservations took the Emmy for best Cinematography for a non-fiction show in 2009, I love it.
Too many techno nerds in our business that only care about resolution and shooting on the “best” when that really should be about #5 on the list of what makes a compelling film or TV project. Write a great script, pay your actors and crew, great sets, wardrobe, hair, makeup, lighting, cinematography are so much more important than shooting 4K, 35mm film, etc.
Dan
A Producer Who Is Also A DP? Yep, that’s Me.
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Philip:
It only matters if PBS commissions you. Is PBS knocking at your door to commission a series or one off? If you shoot a show on spec on the 370 and PBS is interested, they will purchase it.
Same with all of the cable networks, their tech specs are merely barriers to entry, they all buy programming all of the time that is shot on cameras that spec out lower than their technical requirements. Many Discovery Network programs are shot on out of spec cameras.
I’ve never understood the concern over this, if a cable net or PBS commissions a series or one-off from you, you build camera purchase or rental into the budget and use what they require. If you are hopeful dreamer and hope that a cable net or PBS will purchase whatever programming you are producing, you shoot on whatever you want and if it good enough, they may buy it, regardless of what it was shot on.
I shot two PBS specials in the past two years, both on the Panasonic AG-HPX170, which is technically out of spec for PBS. Both aired on PBS nationally with no rejections and no issues, they looked great. The producer has a connection at a big PBS outlet back east, they buy the shows and air them on their outlet and make them available to all PBS outlets nationally, we were picked up all over the country for the national fundraising drive this year.
99% of people who worry about these specs have little chance of their work ever airing on PBS. If you shoot something on your own and sell it to them, they aren’t going to care what it was shot on. If they commission you, you are required to meet their technical specs. End of story.
Cheers,
Dan
A Producer Who Is Also A DP? Yep, that’s Me.
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Which gamma setting are you using? The gamma setting makes a big difference in perceived noise on the HVX. B-Press is the lowest noise, Cine-Like V and D are the noisiest.
You can see side by side screen caps of each from the HVX200 and the 170 in my article here https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/hpx_170_evolution_brockett.html scroll down to the bottom 1/4 of the article.
Dan
A Producer Who Is Also A DP? Yep, that’s Me.
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I agree, a Source Four/Leko would be ideal for lighting BGs and throwing patterns. The only possible challenge might be that Source Fours/Lekos are relatively huge and heavy if you are a one man band or throwing a small kit together to travel.
Even though your LEDs are most probably daylight balanced, my favorite small and light travel BG light would be an Arri 300 or an Arri 650 Fresnel. Throw a piee of Cinefoil with some holes punched through it and perhaps a colored gel and life will be good. I mix daylight LED and tungsten a lot, it gives your BG light an appealing and instant warmth. Most of the directors I shoot for always want to warm up the BG, so this is an easy and effective way to do so.
Enjoy!
Dan
A Producer Who Is Also A DP? Yep, that’s Me.
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If anyone is truly interested, the editors and compositors can be contacted directly here https://www.motionserved.com/gallery/SURFAHOLICS-Pink-Lady/818429
Dan
A Producer Who Is Also A DP? Yep, that’s Me.
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Mark, wouldn’t you agree though that the band was photographed green/blue screen? A lot of those composite builds look “built” to me, all isolated elements.
I am no compositing artist, but I have produced a lot of VFX and animation and this was no low budget job, top of the line work.
Dan
A Producer Who Is Also A DP? Yep, that’s Me.
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Wow, that’s a pretty cool effect. I would venture a guess that each of the band members was shot multiple times isolated against green screen, the rest is good old compositing using image warp and wrap. The effect does look good and pretty realistic which means that somebody spent some serious time and money to achieve it.
Could be done in AE, probably with some 2.5D or 3D plug-ins, not sure how you could accomplish the meshing and warping effects from within AE as I am not a compositor but perhaps someone who is will chime in here? More likely it was done in Smoke or something like that for expediency but who knows?
As far as the duotone effect that makes the footage look like a tattoo, I would think that de-saturating and applying a duotone filter would get you close, then tweak with some color correction?
Nice stuff, pretty accomplished work.
Dan
A Producer Who Is Also A DP? Yep, that’s Me.
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Wow Gerard, that doc about Oden is amazing, I don’t see how anyone can watch that without shedding a tear. Thanks for posting that.
Dan
A Producer Who Is Also A DP? Yep, that’s Me.
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I know, XDCAM EX for $20k? What are they thinking? Much more talented minds than mine have proven that AVCCAM at 24MBPs looks slightly better than XDCAM EX at 35MBPs. So Panasonic’s $5k digital cine camera will have a slightly better codec than this $20k camera? Weird strategy Sony.
I rarely get stuck on codecs, especially after my experiences with the DSLRs like my 5D MKII, which has a pretty lousy implementation of a “not great” codec, but if I am paying RED One prices, I would expect a 4:2:2 intraframe codec like AVC-I.
But that is just me.
Dan
A Producer Who Is Also A DP? Yep, that’s Me.
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In this economy, my advice to anyone is if what you are using is making you money and suits your clients and working style, why on earth would you indulge in gear lust and buy new toys just because they are new?
The AF-100 will be a really sweet camera, no doubt, but you need to approach your business as a business. If buying one will make you more money or maintain a client or two, it is a good investment. If not, use what you have.
Dan
A Producer Who Is Also A DP? Yep, that’s Me.