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What cameras would you use to film pornography?


Harry Weaks

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Wildcard question, when it comes to pornographic content --what cameras would you recommend one use to film it? Would you use to film it? Makes and models? Arri, red, aja cion, or blackmagic cameras? DSLRs? For internet distribution? DVD? TV?

 

I ask this because i never knew what cameras were used to film content I've seen throughout the years, and even though most on here maybe have never filmed it or never would -- those same people probably know what would be used if they were to film it. How would their settings be set? ISOs? F stop? Anything else unmentioned?

 

 

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Exposure settings vary, depending on what you're filming. I think the most logical sense would be to use DSLRs, I think porn watchers don't necessarily want a story, the key thing is to entice visually, and DSLRs are smaller/compact, and you could have more of them running- multiple cameras to maintain better continuity in the editing. I don't see how anyone would want to film porn, what if you accidentally get doused in fluids and contract a disease.... not worth it.

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Why would you think you would need any different sort of cameras from what you would need for any other sort of production?

I remember some posts here from some years back, from a guy who ran a studio that only produced Porn. It all sounded very matter-of-fact, really no different from shooting commercials.

The amusing thing was, they'd just set up the studio with all-Red cameras. There was also a thread about it over on Reduser, which suddenly vanished like a popped soap bubble :rolleyes:

 

I can't find that particular thread, but here's an interesting one from about 8 years ago on a similar topic:

http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=32410

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In the 1970's there was a large number of porn productions which used traditional 35mm film camera techniques. Simultaneously with the demise of the 'other side of the tracks' movie houses, and the growth of the multiplex targeting 'family' or 'youth' markets more narrowly, most of the movie houses that could 'show' X rated films, closed down, and the areas 'gentrified' and made safe for 'suburbanites' wanting a 'safe' slumming entertainment opportunity... and also simultaneous with the growth of home video systems, 'porn' production moved to video within a few years, and using 'as cheap as possible' production.

 

Perhaps "Cafe Flesh"(1982) was the last gasp attempt to make a 'classy' porn film shot on Film... There have been a few films since 2000 that have had explicit unsimulated sex sequences which have played at major fests.

 

"The Brown Bunny"(2003) -- From the wiki shot on 16mm Film film and transferred to 35mm.

"Short Bus"(2006) --- IMDB lists 16mm and several Kodak Vision2 250D 7205 and 500T 7218.

"9 Songs"(2004) -- Shot with a Panasonic DVX100A and transferred 'by hand'(as I recall... ) to film.

 

Were I to shoot a Porn film... I'd use an Alexa... but then I don't even have the budget to hire sex performers to shoot with my eye-Phone...

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I remember some posts here from some years back, from a guy who ran a studio that only produced Porn. It all sounded very matter-of-fact, really no different from shooting commercials.

The amusing thing was, they'd just set up the studio with all-Red cameras. There was also a thread about it over on Reduser, which suddenly vanished like a popped soap bubble :rolleyes:

 

I have read elsewhere that crews that crew for the Chatsworth porn studios, don't like to put such on their resumes. There seems to be the perception that there may be a backlash against people who work, even on the backside of the camera... uh... anyway...

 

There definitely has been a backlash against people who have performed in sex films in the past if they have shown up in non-sex films or commercials.

 

I've not looked at the posting rules here but some fora have explicitly stated 'no mention of porn' in postings.

 

Other than that, I can only conjecture that as a business porn producers use as much as a variety of cameras as they have the budget for... with probably an eye for 'low cost'...

Edited by John E Clark
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I remember being mentioned here and after searching
through the forum it came out it is in the above linked thread.

 

It LOL'd me then, and surely now. :)


I'll just quote K Borowski:

"Some things you don't WANT to see in that sharp of clarity.
Just like "Panorama Blue", the only porno shot on 5-perf. 65mm;
some things just shouldn't be projected 20- feet wide on the big screen like that wink.gif"

...

Someone on that team was forward thinking.

Can you imagine all those subtleties of acting & action,
the richness of skin color, the high-res detail depicting the
era's features like setting, wardrobe and grooming,

scanned in stunning 16k, 24bit per channel HDR for the digital remaster?

 

A "masterpiece" preserved because shot on film.

Now beat that, you "digital" unbelievers!

:)

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Can this thread be locked. We don't need any more of this filth in the world.

 

Thanks.

 

Just your opinion. To others, high art perhaps. If it offends, don't open the thread or just look the other way,

 

While were at it, lets lock all the threads that discuss Rap or hip-hop music videos. Both often have lyrics demeaning to women

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Personally, I've never understood why the various go-pro body mounts haven't been put into greater service on these sorts of productions. That seems the obvious way to get an 'immersive' visual experience.

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They have; I'm sure; but I think the main issue would be the fish-eye lens and the way it mounted may cause someone to get vertigo.

I also think that there may be a bit of-- well-- gratification-- to the filming party to see it on the LCD-Screen.

 

You know, in college, there was a class on film porn-- it was almost always full, so i never got to take it, but from what i heard, much like "terrorist film," it was about how it furthered the industry, and how it evolved and the like.

Though I can't see how sitting in a room with 100 other students looking at.... websites.... could be... ok... thought over. back to coffee.

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Though I can't see how sitting in a room with 100 other students looking at {porn}.... websites.... could be... ok... thought over. back to coffee.

 

In my opinion that is due to the fact that many people in many regards are 'stuck' at the 7th grade 'sex ed class' level of just talking about sex... let alone filming sex for 'art sake'... or even pecuniary reward...

 

The same sort of 'back of the class twitter (actual bird twitter...)' happens when unsuspecting college students are confronted with erotic greek pottery work, or the 'erotic' art of Pompeii or Heracleum... as in 'you mean the romans had these sex pictures on the walls of their homes???'...

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