Getting that "film" look

[Bruce Greene]

I'm about to shoot a very independent film for an old friend. We don't have the money on this one to shoot in 35mm, but my friend is rather nervous that digital capture will look like video. I've shown him stuff that I've shot on my Varicam, but he's afraid it "looks like video!".

 

Well, enough is enough so I suggested a game: Video or not video?

 

I played an old sample reel because it was made up of about 50% digital and 50% film. For each clip I asked "video or not video?"

 

He had one advantage: He'd directed two of the films in the clips and knew how we shot them. He got those correct:)

 

For the rest...he identified only two clips correctly. One from 16mm film and one from a Sony f-900. And he identified 35mm clips as video and Varicam clips as film. Overall, he was wrong about 85% of the time.

 

I know this doesn't answer the question of how to get digital capture to look like film capture, but I think it puts the whole conversation into some perspective.

 

And, the game shows that I must know the "secret" recipe that was originally asked here...or I'm really good at making 35mm film look like video!

[Bob Hayes]

It used to take a lot of people with decent technical knowledge and a reasonable amount of money to make even a bad film. Now anyone can make a bad film.

[Saul Rodgar]

Well lit and color corrected HD can pass as film, as Bruce suggests. Trouble is most neophytes out there believe it is a matter of just using an HD camera and / or 35 mm adapter to turn video-looking video into film-looking video.

 

What the video camera manufacturers are selling is the concept that anyone can become a great filmmaker by virtue of buying or using an HD camera. Never mind the countless days and nights the real cinematographers have patiently spent polishing their craft, etc.

 

So you get kids still in high school calling themselves DP's and directors and angling for a Hollywood career, straight outta high school! Or better yet, angling to overthrow Hollywood so indies can take over. The king is dead! Long live the king! Who needs f-ing film? My video camera killed film!!!! No offense to anyone, but things aren't that easy for anyone, at least they shouldn't.

 

That is the real appeal of HD cameras, particularly Red. If one can pony up $20 K for (body only) camera, now you too can make films just like the Hollywood pros!!!

 

The craft is being lost in the mad rush to become a top filmmaker by way of a camera purchase.

Edited October 22, 2008 by Saul Rodgar

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Save the money, meet a producer, get them drunk, get them to sign a right of first refusal agreement. . . .problem solved...now we all can buy our way into the industry!

 

Granted, though, it is important, and wise, along the way to invest on equipment. But it'll not be a prosumer HD camera... and it'll cost you a lot of ching to really get yourself outfitted to work on a shoot.

[Bruce Greene]

Well lit and color corrected HD can pass as film, as Bruce suggests. Trouble is most neophytes out there believe it is a matter of just using an HD camera and / or 35 mm adapter to turn video-looking video into film-looking video.

 

You know, I've never used one of the 35mm adapters for a feature as it's just too limiting for me. I sure don't think that's the key to make "video look like film". Art direction, acting, script, costumes, lighting, editing and especially sound design go a long way to making digital capture look like a MOVIE.

 

I don't spend $12 to see a film, I spend $12 to see a movie.

[Richard Kelly]

I agree completely, if there are any keys to making a good movie I would start with story, screenplay then acting, sound and finally camera format and photography. A 35mm adapter is just a tool I use to achieve a shallow depth of field, when I desire one. I think digital video and NLE is giving everyone the opportunity to experiment with filmmaking just like paint and brushes, chisels and hammers, throw away cameras and guitars and drum sets have allowed others to try their art. Most find out very quickly that it isn't as easy as it looks. Until recently, only a select few have been allowed to try their hand at filmmaking. The hordes of young Spielbergs and Rodriguez's will mostly fall by the wayside with the thousands of Elvis's, Britneys and other idols. Heck, I made lots of bad 16mm short films before digital video allowed me to make bad feature length films. Now I can even make a bad movie with a nice shallow depth of field. :)

[Saul Rodgar]

You know, I've never used one of the 35mm adapters for a feature as it's just too limiting for me. I sure don't think that's the key to make "video look like film". Art direction, acting, script, costumes, lighting, editing and especially sound design go a long way to making digital capture look like a MOVIE.

 

I don't spend $12 to see a film, I spend $12 to see a movie.

 

Amen, brother, amen.

[Adam Paul]

I'm also of the notion that film is film. But digital can look darned close and even indistinguishable depending on who is watching. I will bet nobody in the theater who's not an industry professional and maybe not even some of them will be able to tell this is digital: http://movies.apple.com/movies/paramount/t...tlr1_h1080p.mov

It looks so beautiful.

So who cares?