Spike lee Has a Mini Dv project coming Out?

Joseph Nesbitt · October 2, 2007

I can't remember where I heard it, but as far as I can remember the project was coming up, or at least announced. Unfortunatly he has two projects coming out so I don't know which one is the one shot on mini dv. Can anyone verify this, or at least find out what camera's the movie will be shot on, I'm curoius to see how it is done, does anyone else know of any projects of this kind elsewhere?

A. Whitehouse · October 2, 2007

I can't remember where I heard it, but as far as I can remember the project was coming up, or at least announced. Unfortunatly he has two projects coming out so I don't know which one is the one shot on mini dv. Can anyone verify this, or at least find out what camera's the movie will be shot on, I'm curoius to see how it is done, does anyone else know of any projects of this kind elsewhere?

Spike Lee has made mini dv films before, two from memory. There are plenty of other mini dv features if that is what you were asking? Or were you looking for upcoming mini dv productions?

Tom Lowe · October 2, 2007

Why on earth are major directors like Lee and David Lynch still shooting on mini DV? Haven't they ever heard of the HVX-200, for example?

Joseph Nesbitt · October 2, 2007

Sorry A. Whitehouse, I was looking for upcoming projects that will be on the big screen as well as previous, I didn't know that big screen directors did this, let alone made features out of this Tom said David Lynch does it too, I personally think It's cool that they are doing something outside the norm. What are the names of some of these features, are they any good, it would be helpful to check out how they look, to see them in coparison with what i have on my camcorder, cinematography wise.

Zamir Merali · October 2, 2007

David Lynch recently made an experimental type movie on mini-dv called Inland Empire. You can get it on amazon easily. He says the main reason why he liked the format for this movie was because he could shoot quickly. Artistically he said that he like the way that there was room for the imagination to fill in parts because the mini-dv camera doesn't put everything up on screen. Inland Empire is a three hour experimental type film with large sections involving his actors in rabbit suits dancing around with lumberjacks thrown in. (just a warning).

Tom Lowe · October 2, 2007

My point is not against small, handheld digital video cameras, my point is that when Lynch was shooting Inland Empire, a lot of far superior and easier to use prosumer HD cameras were available. The HVX-200, for example, or JVC's similar 720p camera, would have given Lynch a far superior image to mini DV.

Adrian Sierkowski · October 2, 2007

True that the prosumer HDs would've given more image, but it seems, from the post before yours, that Lynch chose is aesthetically. But i'm not (nor would I want to be) in his mind, so I can't tell you exactly why he'd've chosen a format over b.

Freya Black · October 2, 2007

True that the prosumer HDs would've given more image, but it seems, from the post before yours, that Lynch chose is aesthetically. But i'm not (nor would I want to be) in his mind, so I can't tell you exactly why he'd've chosen a format over b.

I think that when David Lynch actually started shooting Inland Empire, the current crop of HD cameras hadn't arrived yet. He was working on it for a few years. However there were a number of (in my opinion) better S.D. cameras available than the PD-150!!! So I was still suprised that he used this very old camera. I suspect that he may have had a PD-150 for some time however as he did a number of short Mini DV projects before Inland Empire (Rabbits, Darkened Room etc).

Having said all this, David Lynch is on record as saying that he actually liked the nasty look that Mini DV produced and the PD-150 seems to be prone to some strange colour fringing that you can even see on the small screen. I notice that the titles for Inland Empire have very exagerated fringing around them too, (created artificially) so maybe this is a message that he liked this look. I thought the film looked kind of horrible on the big screen but having watched it again on DVD, it looks a lot better. It still looks a little soft on the small screen however which I can't quite account for but I actually quite liked the way it looked on DVD, which is where most people will see it anyway I guess.

Although I personally dislike the PD-150, as I don't like the look on the video's I have shot with it, it does have a lot of advantages. It has balanced XLR's for the audio with phantom power too so you can get the sound directly into your camera. The form factor is wonderful. When David talks about working fast, this could be a big part of it, it's really easy to handle, which is why it became the camera of choice for porn films. When I used a canon XL1s, I was shaking for a good 10 minutes later but the PD-150 is light and easy. It's also a very standard camera which is widely available. David Lynch is seen using a number of them on the DVD.

I guess he could just think the look suits what he was doing. Different video cameras have different looks and it can be a choice just like film stocks. I like to use a fisher price pxl2000 for instance, so I can't talk really about someone who chooses to use a PD-150. It's all personal choice.

love

Freya

Brad Grimmett · October 2, 2007

my point is that when Lynch was shooting Inland Empire, a lot of far superior and easier to use prosumer HD cameras were available. The HVX-200, for example, or JVC's similar 720p camera, would have given Lynch a far superior image to mini DV.

He has said that he was shooting stuff for his website with that camera and as he shot more and more footage he decided to turn it into a feature. It wouldn't have made much sense to reshoot everything on a different format I don't think.

I believe he's also said that he loves mini-dv so much that he's going to shoot on that format from now on. It's surprising to hear that, but he's the artist....