[Jeff Lester]

This is very true, and a good point! I am mainly doing this as a high school hobby, so I don’t have many SERIOUS projects going on at the moment. Sound is definitely very important, but I’m thinking that my sound setup will just be a boomed shotgun mic, a Zoom H4N, maybe a lavalier mic for my main actor, and probably a studio mic for recording sound effects. For now though, I’m just using a Rode Videomic Pro and doing some foley and sound design with the sound effects that I already have.

I guess the main reason I’d like the 5D is because I’d like a good still AND film camera all in one, I’d like the diversity, and I’d love the weather sealing. I filmed today in the rain and had to have someone hold an umbrella over me the entire time so that I didn’t break my camera!

I have a while to decide, though – I won’t be making any purchases until the end of the summer in late August/early September.

Member of iFrosh

[Jeff Lester]

I would love it, but I can get a used 5D II for like $1700. With the $1,800 saved I could buy an awesome Zeiss/L lens, and we all know that lenses are generally what make a picture good over the camera itself.

I could also just buy a $300 filter for the 5D II to eliminate the moire/aliasing issues.

If I had an extra $2,000, I’d definitely consider it! But I really need to consider what’s more important, and I definitely think having a great set of lenses is much more important than having a killer camera with decent lenses.

Member of iFrosh

[Jeff Lester]

I love the camera, but at the same time, it has no versatility!

I mean, I’m NOT impressed with the still image quality at all. It’s better than what I get on my iPhone but… Here’s an example. I didn’t even know how to use a 5DII, and I took a photo of my friend with one. That took about 30 seconds. I’d need to mess around and tweak my GH2 for ten minutes at least to get a photo of the same quality that the 5D produced in seconds.

The next problem is that the GH2 is not weather sealed, and not being able to shoot in some rain really sucks. I’m always worried that my camera is going to break at any moment.

The awesome things about the GH2, however, are that it’s insanely affordable, has practically no aliasing and moire, and retains incredible detail in video.

I just can’t make up my mind!!! GAHH. I would get a 5D III because it doesn’t really have any aliasing/moire problems and better low light, but I think it would be better to save $1700 and get another nice L lens. I just don’t know what to do…

Member of iFrosh

[Jeff Lester]

Yup! That’s great advice. I’m working on two (possibly three) Public Service Announcements at the moment – I’m doing those for free. I’m thinking that if they turn out good, I’ll use those as my examples in my portfolio to show the local businesses what I am capable of doing.

So, you and Steve don’t think that $1,500 is too much to ask for, even though I’m technically a “newbie” at commercials and I am still in high school? I do know though, for sure, that I can make much better commercials than the cable company and whoever else is producing them. 90% of the gear that I would need to make a quality commercial I already own. The only thing I’m lacking is some lavalier mics, but I’m thinking I could just rent those if I needed them. I could pretty much do everything (pre production, production, and post) by myself, and maybe on the day(s) we film, I could just have a friend hold the boom pole for me.

My main goal is just to get experience and money so that I can make further investments in my video gear!

Thanks for all the helpful info guys.

Cheers,

Jeff

Member of iFrosh

[Jeff Lester]

Okay, awesome. So, I guess I would need to figure this out on my own, but when I ask for $1,500, is that me asking them to give ME $1,500 for making the commercial and they pay other set expenses, like for actors and other things? Or do I take part of the $1,500 they give me and pay an actor to be in the commercial? Haha, sorry for all the questions!

I’ve got one more, too. How do I approach these companies? I have read that local cable networks all over the nation make crappy commercials because they film the thing for free and make their money from the customers paying for airtime.

I just really want this all to go through for me. I am planning on spending pretty much everything I make from film on more film related stuff like gear and production expenses, so it’s not like I’m doing this because I want a new car or something like that!

Again, thanks for all the help Steve. I really appreciate it.

Jeff

Member of iFrosh

[Jeff Lester]

Hey, Steve, thanks for the response!

I have so much more to ask! I have aligned 2 PSAs with the city that I live in to produce. My Video Productions teacher and I are planning it, storyboarding it, filming it, and editing it. For each PSA we do, the city is donating $1,000 to my school. So I’m hoping that if these PSAs are done very well, that’d be an awesome thing to have in my portfolio to show local businesses.

I was thinking of going after bigger businesses, like the hospital, the big investment business in town, plastic surgeons, and the local cinema. Do you think that larger businesses would be willing to pay $1,500 for a comercial? I think that will be my asking price and I think that’s pretty reasonable for a good commercial.

Thanks for all the help Steve 🙂

Jeff

Member of iFrosh

[Jeff Lester]

Okay! Will do. The main reason I want the higher bit rate is not to get a sharper image, it’s just that I want it to be as uncompressed as possible for color grading. I don’t really think the hack makes the camera have more detail, but I do know that it allows you to push your footage a lot further while color grading. What are your thoughts on the 44mbs and 88mbs hacks?

And I’ll take your advice, both of yours, on trying out the stock settings first 🙂

Member of iFrosh

[Jeff Lester]

I use a GH2!

Member of iFrosh

[Jeff Lester]

Star Wars was a low budget film? I did not know that. They used S16. If you want your movie to have no production value, I suppose you could go with the basic handheld shots using the Arri cams right out of the box.

The Digital Bolex is like a gun. You hold it via one pistol grip, which is super awkward. I would prefer buying handle extensions for the BM Cine Camera rather than hold a Digital Bolex. Keep in mind, too, that the Digital Bolex is being made by a very small, un-established company that is getting their funding on KickStarter. Blackmagic is experienced and quite large. Also, the RED Epic and Arri cams are MUCH much larger than the BM Cine Cam in terms of size and weight from what I can see, so you also have the advantage of a compact camera.

But honestly, you seem to have a lot of knowledge. You see how well the Arri works with its included shoulder rig. The RED Epic, Panavison cams, all REDs as a matter of fact, need some sort of after-market rig. As a cinematographer, you don’t see this new cam as being completely revolutionary?

Also, you need to arrange your shoots so that you do have time to spend a few minutes setting up your camera rig and set so that it will meet high expectations. This camera could save you $77k potentially. Wow.

Zacuto is doing a video shootout with a variety of cameras, such as the RED Epic, Arri Alexa, all the way down to the 7D and the GH2 (hacked). I suggest you partake in one of the screenings. It’s basically to show that if you have the right cinematographer, any camera can look excellent. I think you’ll be surprised.

You’ve seen what talented DPs/Cinematographers have done with a GH2 and 5D — Imagine what they could do with a fully-featured cinema cam (even though its awkward shape). Think about it.

Member of iFrosh

[Jeff Lester]

Phil,

I disagree with your points. Plenty of HOLLYWOOD FEATURE FILMS have been shot on Super 16. Hollywood generally uses cameras that cost well over $50,000, and these $50,000 cameras employ a Super 16 sensor. So, no, they are not “way behind the pack”. My GH2’s sensor size is half that of the 5D MK II and it gets nearly just as shallow DoF and low light capabilities. Smaller sensors are not always bad.

You pointed out that it is not designed for handheld use. No way, really? Are RED Epics designed for one to pick it up and shoot away with no rig? Nope! That thing weighs about 30 lbs fully set up and is a very awkward shape for handheld. Are Panavision cameras designed to pick up out of the box and shoot it with just your hands? Nah. Welcome to the world of cinema, feature-capable video cameras. They’re designed to work with a rig, not your bare hands on the camera itself. This camera would mount on a standard DSLR shoulder mount with no problem — a simple, effective way to operate your camera with that handheld look.

Also, it is actually VERY competitive price-wise with modern DSLRs. The new 5D Mk III had super skimpy video upgrades from the Mark II and they upped the price by a thousand bucks to $3,500. If you’re wanting to shoot video, you could go purchase the recently announced Canon 1D-C, a 4K capable DSLR that costs $15,000. You could buy 5 Blackmagic cameras instead of one 1D-C.

LIke we all know, the GH2 is priced very low and is great for a profesional video camera alternative. However, the Blackmagic cinema camera has tons of advantages.

Basically, if you want to shoot with a nice DSLR, you’re gonna want either a 5D Mk II or III or a GH2. Those are really the only two DSLRs that compete with cinema cameras, and the GH2 has many drawbacks. I don’t know why you’re upset with this camera, because it is a new, revolutionary device that will undoubtedly change the world of independent and possibly Hollywood filmmaking. Just saying, you should rethink this camera before you go possibly buy a 5D III for $500 more with 1/3 the features.

– Jeff

Member of iFrosh