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Shooting a Movie/Flim on DigiBeta Format


Murtaza Niaz

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Hi,

 

I think all of you must have already guessed the 'Lame Questions' coming your way in this post. :D

 

Situation at my end is that we are a group of friends and we have this amazing idea/story for a movie/film and like many others we are short on funds. Infact we`ll be investing ourselves in this movie.

 

I want to know if we Shoot whole movie/film on DigiBeta format - what are the following steps to get the Film Like Feel and what if later somehow we are able to arrange display on BIG SCREEN (Cinema) what impact DigiBeta format would have ??

 

I hope my question is clear - since this is my first post and I am not aware of alot of technical details related to this matter, I am hoping to get a bit details simple to understand guidance and suggestions.

 

Thanks,

Murzie

 

 

P.S. - are there any movies shot on DigiBeta Format ??? and is DigiBeta ' SD ' format ?

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Films have been shot on DigiBeta, but perhaps not as commonly as on DV. Perhaps this due to its mainstream TV tag and also the lower cost ediiting programs were set up more for DV as against Digibeta. On a low budget film the cost difference does add up, although there was an element of fashion as well.

 

Yes, it is a SD format, so perhaps it would be worthwhile also checking out the cost of shooting with some HD cameras. The EX3 seems to offer the best bang for bucks and has been used as second camera on some high end TV dramas.

 

On Digibeta, the DVW970, which shoots progressive frames would be the way to go, unless you happen to access to a Digibeta camera. However, you do need to cost out the extras like a player transfer to your NLE etc., which may be an issue on a low budget.

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DigiBeta can look good even shown at 28 - 37 foot wide images digitally in a cinema with proper hardware and image scaling. I was the Technical Director for the Miami International Film Festival which ended about two weeks ago. 25% of images shown where DigiBeta...7%HDCAM...3%DVCAM...3%DVD (seven foot screen)...the remainder was 35mm film. Ironically our opening film was a 35mm print made from an HDCAM origination source...on a 40 foot screen, the producer and director said it was the best presentation they have seen of their show.

 

DigiBeta is "mature" but can be a good start.

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  • 4 months later...

Video has strong points and weak points relative to film, as you've probably read ad nauseum here. As for Beta this or digi that, I don't care too much - they all work OK (and digi Beta is better than most). The main issue I would concern myself with is gaining control over lighting, i.e. maintaining a low enough contrast ratio to avoid blowing out the highlights. Daytime skies, for instance, blow out very easily with any video format. If you need to shoot outside, try to plan your shots around early morning or late afternoon/evening, and don't shoot into the sun. Use plenty of reflectors and fill light on your talent to avoid black shadows. And for gosh sakes, get a decent boom operator that can hit his marks and not drop the mic into the shot.

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