Edgar Smith Posted January 6, 2007 Share Posted January 6, 2007 I personally would recommend a dvx100; you can find a used one under 2,000 easy, an A is a little more, and a used B is about 2300-2500, and a new one after the rebate is about 2800. Plus it comes with all sorts of neat goodies; Barry Green's guide in both book and DVD form, Magic Bullet editors software(for adding all sorts of awesome film looks in post) and HD uprezzing software. For me the choice was clear; under 3K you can either get 24p and professional XLR audio or 60i HDV with a consumer miniplug audio system. My 2 choices were a Sony FX-1 with HD (that I couldn't use anyway, my editing system is FCP 4.5 which does not support the HDV format) Or a DVX100B with SD 24 progressive, 1.5 stops more latitude, better low light performance, a gamma and color matrix both shifted to give a more filmlike feel, and a professional XLR audio subsystem. For me, it was a no-brainer. P.S., the company doing the HD upgrades on the DVX is www.reel-stream.com, it gives the DVX a 720p image with uncompressed 4:4:4 color sampling, increases lattitude to approx. 9.5 stops(film is about 11, only about 1.5 more :blink: ) and for students the price is only $2000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Hsieh Posted January 7, 2007 Author Share Posted January 7, 2007 would a dvx100 be better for artsy kind of stuff? I was thinking of cinema/artsy...don't have any examples off the top of my head. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Smith Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 would a dvx100 be better for artsy kind of stuff? I was thinking of cinema/artsy...don't have any examples off the top of my head. Terry Well, that's kind of a vague description, lol :P but basically the DVX was designed to come as close to film as possible for a camera in that price range. In addition to 24p, it also has several gamma and color matrixes to choose from, and a couple of those are tweaked to try to come as close to film as possible. It has an extensive menu that allows you a considerable amount of adjustment as to how the image looks , and a switch for up to 6 different scene file settings so you can switch through multiple saved settings quickly. It also has a mechanically coupled zoom ring that has allowed me to do some crash zooms for a different, neat look in some scenes. It also has a great support community in www.dvxuser.com. Overall, it's a great camcorder at a reasonable price, and I'm very satisfied with mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Hsieh Posted January 7, 2007 Author Share Posted January 7, 2007 what would you price the DVX100 as? What range? I've got an idea from one person and i'd like a second opinion. As a student filmmaker, anything above 2000 is pushing it :( ...so I'm gonna do a LOT of research before i actually get one... Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Smith Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 what would you price the DVX100 as? What range? I've got an idea from one person and i'd like a second opinion. As a student filmmaker, anything above 2000 is pushing it :( ...so I'm gonna do a LOT of research before i actually get one... Terry you can find an original dvx for under 2k easy, an A model should be around the 2k range roughly, and B models run about 2300-2500 generally, or at least how the prices seem to usually break down on www.dvxuser.com . Go to the market place at the bottom of that site, you'll quickly get a good idea what they go for. That's a great support site for that camera, BTW, you can get alot of good info there to help you make up your mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxon Bridge Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 Hey all, So, I've been making amateur films for some time now- I've made some pretty bad things and some not-as-bad-pretty-bad things but the bottom line is that I have NO clue about the movie process. I've kind of decided that I'm not going to flub around like an amateur anymore, however, and that I'd like to get into the more serious side of film-making. However, I'm totally clueless- allow me to elaborate: I wrote my own script but i'm not sure of formatting and everything. I have no clue about lighting. I have no clue about what kinds of cameras I should be looking for to use. I have no clue about HOW to get things like make-up, etc. I have no clue how to secure a filming location such as a city corner, maybe? Do I have to get permission to film there, etc? and I have no clue about what else I have no clue about.... If anyone could elaborate on anything they'd think a first-time movie maker might need, please do so. Hopeless, Terry Highly recommend watching El Mariachi a few times, then listen to Rodriguez's DVD commentary for that movie, then read his book about making the movie, Rebel Without a Crew. There is also a book recently published that my friend wrote, called The Portable Film School, available everywhere. Robert Rodriguez's other DVD commentaries are excellent learning sources too, like Desperado and the Spy Kids movies. Even if you don't like the movies, he really breaks down his process in the special features and commentaries, and it's better than film school. Some filmmaking books are overkill, though. They do not all necessarily stress the right things, in my opinion. Start with these and you'll be in better shape on the directing end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Hsieh Posted January 8, 2007 Author Share Posted January 8, 2007 Okay, how big is too big for a first time project? I'm not sure I know my limits yet, in terms of size....what can you all recommend in terms of length and scope for a first-timer? Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas Jenkins Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 Okay, how big is too big for a first time project? I'm not sure I know my limits yet, in terms of size....what can you all recommend in terms of length and scope for a first-timer? Terry Good question. I don't think anyone can tell anyone what size of a film they SHOULD start with. My advice, from personal experience, is that it's good to get your equilibrium with a short film. It helps you understand IN YOUR OWN HEAD all of the bits and pieces and pitfalls that go into filmmaking. My first film was 7 minutes long. 2nd one was 4 minutes. My latest one was 18 minutes long and it was an undertaking. It was the first time I worked with a DP and just concentrated on Directing/Producing. It was still allot to handle especially with teaching load, classes, and family. After it was over, I was not satisfied with the final piece, BUT I learned SO MUCH about the pitfalls that tripped me up here and there. Now I can approach my next piece (5 page script) with all of this new information at hand and make adjustments. Thus, buy the time I get to making my Thesis, I will have been through the process several times on much smaller pieces. But that's me and just my experience with filmmaking. Hope it's helpfull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Hsieh Posted January 13, 2007 Author Share Posted January 13, 2007 Good question. I don't think anyone can tell anyone what size of a film they SHOULD start with. My advice, from personal experience, is that it's good to get your equilibrium with a short film. It helps you understand IN YOUR OWN HEAD all of the bits and pieces and pitfalls that go into filmmaking. My first film was 7 minutes long. 2nd one was 4 minutes. My latest one was 18 minutes long and it was an undertaking. It was the first time I worked with a DP and just concentrated on Directing/Producing. It was still allot to handle especially with teaching load, classes, and family. After it was over, I was not satisfied with the final piece, BUT I learned SO MUCH about the pitfalls that tripped me up here and there. Now I can approach my next piece (5 page script) with all of this new information at hand and make adjustments. Thus, buy the time I get to making my Thesis, I will have been through the process several times on much smaller pieces. But that's me and just my experience with filmmaking. Hope it's helpfull. Alright so my film has less talking and more showing with the pictures...at least that's what i had in mind when i wrote the script....is this something impossible for an amateur movie maker? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas Jenkins Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 Alright so my film has less talking and more showing with the pictures...at least that's what i had in mind when i wrote the script....is this something impossible for an amateur movie maker? I don't think "impossible" is a good word to use. Nothing is "impossible". Will it be difficult? Maybe, likely. Filmmaking is never easy. Obviously the less dialog you have the less you're going to have to worry about that on the day of shooting. But that means those "pictures" you show have to REALLY tell the story. And that doesn't mean they have to be flashy, rather they have to carry allot of meaning. But that doesn't allow you to neglect sound, the dialog you have, or performance. Unfortunately there's no easy answer to the question. An amateur filmmaker can create something mighty or something disasterous. Time, patience, and focus are the most important ingredients in my opinion. If you take the time to plan your shoot. Have the patience to get the shots and performances you need, and stay focused all the way until release, the odds are in your favor. That doesn't guarantee anything. It just gives you a leg up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhavin Amin Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Your first film will not look as great as you think it will. With shooting comes experience - experience you don't have when shooting your first. After viewing what you shot, you'll realize what could have been done better. For my first video - a scene in the hallway just ended up too dark. There were lights on the ceiling and I thought it would be enough to light up my actors. It looked great on the LCD screen - but when I checked it out on my TV - the lights began pulsing. I then realized they were fluorescent lights and I kicked myself in the butt. Basically, for an 'artsy' video, you can't rely on equipment alone. You have to learn to see and then create your own unique perspective on what you see through film/video. In addition to reading books and these forums, the most benefitial way this can be done is through getting out and shooting. You don't need the best equipment to do this - even a super-8 camera or a friend's camcorder can work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Bill DiPietra Posted January 25, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted January 25, 2007 I made my first 16mm short for $6000. It was based on a short story I'd written in high-school and the script was about 6 pages long. I used my film professor's camera, lights and sound equipment as well as his loft for the set. It took a while to finish but I did it. If it's something you really want to make, it will get made... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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