Shooting HD and 16mm

[lucas Loureiro]

A director I am working with right now is convinced he wants a particular effect.

He wants to shoot a scene in HD video, edit, project the scene and shoot that

projection with 16mm or super 8. He tells me it should give this eerie out of focus

coming into focus effect

I have never expermented with this and would like to know if anyone has.

Also if anyone has any ideas of getting that feeling with different effects (netting, Vaseline,

Tilt lenses) please let me know.

Edited November 22, 2006 by lucas Loureiro

[Phil Aupperle]

Lots of factors there, which could be cool or could be crap. I'd try shooting it in HD and then see if you could get the effect you want in After Effects before spending a ton of money on a film experiment. That way you can play with it and tweak it until it looks the way you want. You might even discover something cooler along the way. My .02.

[Mike Panczenko]

This sounds like something that would be done for an instillation piece or some other kind of "avant garde" art, as opposed to narrative work. You will have to sync the super 8 or 16mm camera to the video projection, and you still, I think, will be unhappy with the results. I'm sure you have seen in movies shots of televisions or digital projections, and unless it is motivated- a character watching tv and then cutting to a CU- I think it will be needlessly amateur looking, and, if just a scene mixed with "normally" shot footage, which is what it sounds like he plans it to be, it will probably be jarring and annoying.

[Jonathan Bowerbank]

Will the 16mm footage then be telecined, or what's the workflow like?

 

If the entire film is being shot HD, then you might as well just work with the HD footage in editing and apply any filters in post that'll give you that effect. Sounds like your director is just trying to complicate things when there's a much easier way to do it...and it's your job to figure out that easier way.

 

good luck!

[Martin Yernazian]

I believe that as a cinematographer, you should assist your director and trust him on his decisions, Now if you feel insecure about what he wants, just let him know and research toghether... for what you are saying I did some experimenations like that before with various formats, shooting 16 will the best option... but again we ( including yourself) don't know what the director wants.

 

Wish you luck

 

and if you want to experiemnt you should do some shoots to a screen with a digital 24p cam

 

Best

[Phil Savoie]

I can offer nothing and have no experience doing what you propose. However at the risk of stating the obvious I would shoot extensive tests of all the options. Working on tape, with immediate image feedback is brilliant for testing. And as Phil suggested you may find you can get just the look you both seek via a computer. These days relatively inexpensive plug-ins can produce amazing results. I find one of the most satisfying aspects of our craft is that of discovery. What you are doing is exciting and intriguing. It would be useful, if your agreeable, to would post the results of your work .

 

Good luck with the shoot

 

 

Cheers,

 

Phil