WATCH A SUPERWIDE 2 MINUTE VIDEO SHOT USING THE Z1

Rich Steel · November 24, 2005

Hi Folks,

Just uploaded a recent project I shot for a client. Using the Sony Z1 (PAL) and was graded in post. Apologies for the size of the file (65Mb) but the quicktime codec retains the image quality really well. Almost forgot to say that the movie is presented in a seriously SUPERWIDE aspect, so when I was framing shots I had to remind myself the director was only interested in 1/3 of the image.

Not overly impressed with the grading but thats the feel the director wanted.

Anyways, go to the the link below and click on the recent projects page.

Comments and feedback always welcome.

www.steadicams.com

I'm the one in the red jacket.......doing my cameo appearance.

One last thing, the movie was shown on a giant 60ft wide screen and took over 36 hours to render the grading.

Mr. Macgregor · November 28, 2005

Where is the link?

November 28, 2005

Where is the link?

http://homepage.mac.com/richardsteel/stead...age1/page1.html

Jeremy · November 28, 2005

I haven't been very impressed with the Z1; the limitless depth of field still drives me crazy! That being said, this is a good-looking piece, and you were able to create some really fine looking images.

Elhanan Matos · December 1, 2005

Looks great! I think the grading is fine as well... I just don't understand why it took so long to render?

Matt Lazzarini · December 1, 2005

Very nice, congrats. I recently shot a music video with the Z1 in similar circumstances (all day ext). How did you get it so wide? Mini35? And what were the post effects in regards to it being so wide?

Landon D. Parks · December 2, 2005

The mini35 does not, for the most part, change the aspect ratio of the image, unless you use an Anamorphic 35mm lense? This wide crop was prolly done in post, not on the camera.

Matt Lazzarini · December 2, 2005

The mini35 does not, for the most part, change the aspect ratio of the image, unless you use an Anamorphic 35mm lense? This wide crop was prolly done in post, not on the camera.

I was thinking more along the lines of the focal length of the lens; I doubt even the wide angle attachment could capture that much area.

Rich Steel · December 3, 2005

Didn't use any wide angle adaptors. The crop was done in post. Basically taking 1 third of the image available. I had to remember this when I was setting up the shots, didn't bother masking the LCD. Post grading was done using Final Cut Pro's colour correction tool and the infamous Magic Bullit. Finally the motion texting was done in After Effects.

During the camera tests we decided not to move the camera (pans or tilts) for the actual shoot as the HDV Codec sucks big time when you have any camera movement (motion artifacts etc etc etc).

Just to give you an idea of how bad the latitude on this camcorder is.......there was a couple of shots where I had to use a 1.2 ND Grad just to get a properly exposed image, thats a whole 4 stops.

Thanks for all the comments.

Trevor Greenfield · December 4, 2005

During the camera tests we decided not to move the camera (pans or tilts) for the actual shoot as the HDV Codec sucks big time when you have any camera movement (motion artifacts etc etc etc).

Just to give you an idea of how bad the latitude on this camcorder is.......there was a couple of shots where I had to use a 1.2 ND Grad just to get a properly exposed image, thats a whole 4 stops.

Thanks for all the comments.

Can you elaborate on how the HDV codec sucks besides occasional artifacts?

And if you wanted higher latitude than the Z1 for you project, which camera would you have shot with that would have given you such and how does it compare costwise?

And also, are you saying you using a 1.2 ND filter during sunny exteriors is a bad thing?

Thanks

Rich Steel · December 4, 2005

The HDV Footage tests made the CG Guy get grey hair as soon as we started moving the camera. I don't know all the technicalitys of why I just know he had an absolute nightmare with any moving footage and I saw some of the artifacting he was talking about on a 30" HD Monitor.

Ideally I would have liked to have shot super16mm but the budget wasn't there so there has to be major compromises all round. We hired the Z1 kit for around £150 (GBP) per day for 5 days. I'm not saying I'd rush out and buy one but cost for cost the Z1 held its corner.

As for the 1.2 ND Filters being used. I'm not saying anything about using them as a bad thing what I am saying is that the Z1 has serious latitude problems and it wasn't even a sunny day. Now if I was shooting on anything else Digital whether it be a PD150 or Varicam I can guarantee I wouldn't need to use a 1.2 just to get some detail in an overcast sky.

Cheers

David Mullen ASC · December 4, 2005

An overall ND has no affect on latitude, just exposure, so the fact that you needed a heavier one with the Sony Z1 just means it is more sensitive to light, not that it has less exposure latitude, just like when you use a 500 ASA film outdoors instead of a 100 ASA film -- the fact that you need to use a heavier ND filter does mean that the 500 ASA film has less latitude, only that it is more sensitive.

Now if you said it took a heavier ND GRAD filter to darken a sky to a level that the camera could record detail in those bright areas, compared to other cameras, that would be a sign that it has less latitude.