Mixing Definitions

[JohnNetzlof]

I'm gearing up to film a documentary, which will require multiple cameras (I'm talking like, 5, and I have one currently) so to help combat this problem on a tiny budget I'm pulling in some of my friends with cameras and looking at buying another one or two. But here's my question;

Let's say the documentary's primary camera is 1080i, and the main player's vehicle is wired up with a 1080p camera pointed at his driver's seat, and a standard definition camera is mounted forward to show anything related to where he's headed, or the same sd camera is pointed to his back seat if he brings friends. Would the difference in the picture bother you?

 

[Jamster]

Yes

 

[chilipie]

Maybe, maybe not. If the vast majority of the documentary is shot in HD and there are a few SD shots I probably wouldn't mind. If the finished product is going to SD (for broadcast perhaps) or 720p, then there's less of an issue. I think the problem with mixing pictures from several different cameras is often more to do with colour mis-matches - it'll take a lot of work in post to match the different cameras up. Out of interest, why have you decided you definitely need five cameras?

 

[JohnNetzlof]

That wasn't a definite number really, more of a guess that was more than one, but less than thirty...

I'm finding that 1080p camcorders are becoming available for $150-200 at department stores, so I may just pick up one or two of those for in car cameras.

EDIT: And by the way, I've been using the title card to "Love: A Mental Illness" as my wallpaper. Brilliantly simple and true.

 

[Uranium City]

If the movie is cut right, different cameras wouldn't bother me at all. Different cameras have been used in documentary filmmaking for decades now. Sometimes the difference is enhanced by having each operator shoot in radically different styles. I remember seeing an interview with Oliver Stone on MTV 20 years ago that was done with at least 3 cameras: a standard medium intercut with black and white handheld closeup on his cheek, eyeball and the bridge of his nose, and this was intercut with a third camera capturing both Stone and the other two cameras and operators. (This was a bit much, and I remember not liking this particular use of multi-cam style, but you can get away with it if you cut it right.)