Colton Davie

Thanks for the comments. You're probably right about being a little too bright on the key in a few shots. Would you perhaps say this is most evident on the shots of the 2nd guitarist (blonde guy on screen right)? For the camera we used a Canon XL2 with a Redrock M2, using Nikon 28mm, 50mm, and 105mm lenses. The lighting consisted of (2) 1KW halogen worklights shot through a translucent shower curtain as a key, a 500W Omni bounced off an umbrella as fill, a 750W Tota as backlight, and a 250W Pro-Light through Tough Frost or similar diffusion for supplemental key on the drummer and on close-ups. I would have liked to have added a little light to the background to create some interesting reflections/highlights, but we were pretty much using all that our resources would allow. Any other comments would be appreciated.

I would appreciate any critiques on this music video I DP'd and color graded. Thanks. Quicktime (19.0 MB): http://openlightstudios.com/portfolio/Brea...nMusicVideo.mov Windows Media (6.95 MB): http://openlightstudios.com/portfolio/Brea...nMusicVideo.wmv

How low is low light? Would a 500W broad 10 ft away be bright enough as a key?

Thanks for the helpful replies guys. I think I've got it narrowed down to a few choices: Canon 814XL-S - Pros: Good set of features, reliable(? I don't remember reading anything about them breaking down.), low price. Cons: A bit noisy. Nizo 6080 - Pros: Great set of features, quiet. Cons: I have heard a few things about the drive belt having problems, how likely is this? (The drive belt issue makes me want to shy away from the Nizos.), according to this page, the newer 6080s may have inferior lenses compared to other Nizos, is this a significant problem? Also, I don't know what they sell for. Is the 4080 as quiet as the 6080? Beaulieu 4008 S - Pros: Excellent features, particularly serviceable. Cons: More expensive, I have heard that Beaulieus have a certain kind of shutter that is different from most other cameras and causes a strobing effect during motion. Is this the case with this model? The Nikon R10 is also interesting. However, I have not heard much about this brand. Are these assumptions reasonable? Do you have any other suggestions to add? Comments on these cameras? I guess what I'm looking for now is something that I can take with minimun worries and quickly start experimenting with super8, yet I will be able to continue to use as my skills increase. If I really like the format, maybe then I'll start working for a top notch camera. In other words, I don't know yet whether I'll really like super8 and how long I'll stick with it, so I don't want to spend too much. However, I would like to get some decent results while I'm learning. Thanks again for all your help. :)

I am an aspiring filmmaker trying to learn all I need to know. I have been working with DV for a couple years, however, 8mm has caught my attention. I am trying to decide if super 8mm is worth getting into (from what I've read on the internet, it seems great) and, if so, which camera I should invest in. I need your help with the latter. I own and work with a fairly decent set up, at least while I'm learning. A Canon XL1s, Bogen/Manfrotto tripod with 501 head, Azden SGM1X shotgun mic w/ boom, Lowel 3 peice light kit (tota, omni, and pro) as well as a couple other lights, one with a removable softbox, track dolly, etc. I would expect to continue using most of this with 8mm. What I would hope to do with super 8mm is to start with probably a non-sync sound short then start doing some sync sound stuff. So, a fairly quite camera is important. As I have lights, I don't think I'd need any particularly amazing low light capabilities. Size is not really an issue to me. I do want something that is reliable. I probably won't be spending alot of money on lenses, so an interchangeable lens is not important. I would like a good zoom range. A sharp image is important. Variable frame rates, including slow motion, would be a nice option. The ability to lock down the exposure and/or adjust the exposure manually is also important. Finally, I would like to spend under $500 on a camera. I'm kind of leaning towards a Canon 814XL-S. From what I've gathered, the Canon 1014 and 814 are supposed to be pretty good. However, I don't really know much about the other brands. Any suggestions or maybe some pros/cons of different camera models would be really appreciated. Thanks,

Nevermind that part, I found a good thread in the Super8 forum that somewhat answers that.

Thanks alot for the info. So, Super8 is better than video and Super16 is even better than that. Great. That is transfer to video for editing, right? Do you loose much quality when you transfer to video? (Like I said, I'm a newbie to film, so forgive me if I ask any dumb questions ;) ) Also, are there any specific cameras that you would recommend? What exactly should I look for? I would like something that has the option to do manual focus, aperture, etc. Finally, I notice that these are some fairly old cameras, will they mount on a tripod with a screw mount?

I have had quite a bit of experience working with a Canon XL1s MiniDV camera. I am looking forward to a possible upgrade in the future. I have been leaning towards an XL2 ever since it came out. I have always had the idea that film cameras were far too expensive for a beginning movie maker. However, I have read recently on this board that Super 8mm film cameras can be purchased for under $500 and I have also seen 16mm cameras for less than the price of an XL2. Of course, film stock is quite a bit more expensive than MiniDV tapes. So I was wondering, if I was to be creating narratives (as in stories, as opposed to documentaries or home videos) would it be worth it to perhaps move to 8mm or 16mm film? I am a total newbie to film, so here are a few probably very simple questions: I appreciate the aesthetic difference between video and film, the greater tonal range of film, the pleasing frame rate of 24 fps film, etc. However, does super 8mm film really produce a better image than, say, an XL2 when used properly? What about super 16? If you would, could you possibly outline the pros and cons of 8mm, 16mm, and high quality DV? Thank you for your time.