Shooting on HDV

Q

quinny

i'm shooting a short in two weeks time... i had an option of two cameras to shoot on, a PD170 and the Sony HDV (Z1 i think, the one with XLR inputs) so i decided to go with the HDV:yes:

anyone got any advise for shooting on this... i have never done anything with it nor has my DOP:no:

mainly with be indoors but will have a few outdoor shots aswell... do you need to light any different or any other things I should know?
 
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Shoot with HDV

I would say shoot with the HDV camera at 1080i...

Shoot interlace,
Use enough light to keep the shutter at 1/60th for NTSC or 1/50 for PAL (you can use the priority mode for this)
Shoot on a tripod or other locked down device. The steadier and smoother the camera work, the more professional it will look.
Don't use fast pans because this is not very film-like and it can cause stuttering motion at 24 fps.

Do not use the fake 24p settings if it has one...

Your best bet is to shoot with the above information in mind, so you can use magic bullet and go to 24p with a film look... 1080i with magic bullet applied is great..... Do not use an filters except maybe a Nd filter. try to keep the glass clean at all times.. I see this all the time. great shots with spots on the lens.. I am guilty myself sometimes....

I hope that helps.......
 
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it might have but i shot it before christmas... shot in ireland so PAL was format used ...didn't have much to do with the camera myself but the results seem amazing even just going by my computer screen!
 
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As always with digital:

Make sure to manage the whites in your frame
Slightly underexpose (although the HDV stuff I've seen seems to deal better with whites)
Use a circular polarizer to help manage reflections and kill off axis light
Keep pure reds at bay
Keep the iris as open as possible (lower f-stop numbers) to keep the depth of field shallower
Light as though you were using film
Remember to white balance often

Above and beyond that, I have no personal experience with HDV cameras...I personally despise interlaced video, defer that choice to what ever processing house you'll use to print to film if you're going that way. Slow fluid movements, weigh down the camera if you can...tighten up the resistance on the tripod if you can. Move the tripod, not the camera to show the depth of the frame. (truck, dolly and crane as opposed to pan and tilt).

Shoot tests! Vary the lighting within the tests to see what looks the best...document what you're testing so you can repeat it.
 
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