Which HD Cam for which Famous Hollywood Movies

[clive]

Kind of you, but you've really upgraded my understanding of the nuances of camera selection, just through the stuff you've written about pixels. I may have heaps of experience of producing drama... but as we've discussed, it's a combination of creativity and technical knowledge that makes micro-budget film making possible.

Now, a few months ago, my answer to the question that started this thread would have been similar, but less well grounded in an appreciation of both how a camera effects pixel depth and also about how to preserve data in post production workflows. So, in many ways, the stuff I've got from you has given my answer a solid grounding in the realities of production technology.

Now I really, really must go and finish packing...

 

[knightly]

I'll chime in here ( more cheerfully) on the "the camera doesn't matter" camp. Plenty of examples of successful films shot on crappy cameras. Plenty of examples of crappy films shot on amazing cameras. What we are doing is trying to catch lightning in a bottle. The bottle doesn't matter as much as what you do with it.

The camera you use doesn't matter. What you do with it does. What we are doing is story telling as an art. Spend time learning the art and the technical parts will come to you as you need them.

The bottom line for what camera to buy is: Buy the best you can afford. This is the same advice for buying computers, cars, cattle, whatever. If you can afford very little, buy very little (or find someone who has what you need and borrow theirs).

If your goal is to get into filmmaking to make money, you may be looking at the wrong industry. Those success stories are few and far between. This job is about enjoying telling stories and being creative within the confines of the medium of cinema. Approach it this way and it will be personally rewarding, which counts for alot.

If your financial situation is as you describe, I hope you are able to succeed in this endeavor. I've seen lots of successful but poorly made horror, there's always a market for that...in fact there's a huge underground audience for bad horror.

As you are starting out, approach it as a hobby to begin with, just something you like to do for yourself. Visit IMDB.com and you can see what films are made with what formats (not sure it's on a per camera basis, but you can get a list of DV films there).

If you wait 'til 2009, you can get a Red Scarlet for US$3000. Which is about the same price as the JVC110u.

 

[clive]

I know, I know... I said I was going and here I am back again (I'm just like this in the real world as well)

Knightly has given some good advice. However, one of the things a new indie producer often forgets is they don't have to do everything.

Now, one way to make a feature film is to buy a camera, learn how to use it, learn how to edit, learn how to write and at the same time learn how to distribute and market the end product.

This is fine, but all of the skills required to do that take years and years to develop. On average a new writer writes 16 feature length screenplays before they sell their first (Got that from Bill Martell and I may have the figure wrong... but it's about right, sorry Bill )

Cinematography takes about three years to get to the point where you're ready to make a commercial feature film... and editing, well, some people never get that... and those that do it takes at least three years to get good.

Not matter how hard a newcomer works, they can't get good enough at all of these things fast enough to make a fast commercial success.

So, the real trick is to understand what it is that excites you about film making... is it the business, cutting deals... or is it the writing... or maybe it's the camera work. Then concentrate on no more than two of those skill areas and find other people to do the other stuff.

Now, I've been doing this for nearly twelve years now... and I'd almost never shoot my own footage on a feature film... I'd always use someone who is obsessed with camera work. Most indies concentrate on camera work and editing... and although they write, truth is it is the area that almost always let's them down.

I can see you're serious about film making... and therefore I think it's important for you to understand that if you want your first film to be a success, then surround yourself with experts... and concentrate on marketing and distribution.

What I'd be looking for right now, isn't a camera, but for someone who lives near you who already has a camera... is obsessed with their camera... but who can't handle the business side.

 

[directorik]

Can you please send me the link of that topic??

Adeel,

I spent quite a lot of time putting together a list for you and posted in on a
thread YOU started. I'm sad that you did not take the time to read my
original post. And you now want others to look for it and link it so you don't
have to take the time.

 

[ad2478]

First of all thanks oakstreetphotovideo for reply.you just missunderstood my question and that was the reason for our small sort of fight.I was not interested in the cam details just had curious about any movie i know and have been shot on those cams..you can say that was just information for knowledge.

 

[ad2478]

Well knightly as you said

I've seen lots of successful but poorly made horror, there's always a market for that...in fact there's a huge underground audience for bad horror.

this is a shocking news.I use to think we have to be more and more fine with techinical stuff when we go for horror.Can you put some more light to this topic??which countries are the market for it???? and do we have an option of distributors or not??

this is strange to hear that there is a market for bad horror.i simply hate to see bad horror.Dont know how people digest these sort of movies??????????

Can you put some intesne [:d] light on it

 

[ad2478]

DirectorIK now i remmeber which post he is talking about..

i actually thought there is any other special post by you on this topic (on this website) having list of 100s of movies. I never knew he is talking about the post you droped on my thread.I am realy sorry friend for misunderstaning him...i was thinking its a seperate post which you have posted month back or may be years back..i am realy sorry

 

[knightly]

I think the bad horror is mostly a US thing, but here's an example:

http://www.tempevideo.com/
http://www.troma.com/

Horror has a history that forced it to be underground entertainment due to the original rating system which included it in with porn as X rated films. Once Films like "Rosemary's Baby" were shown to be much less bad than porn to the folks who did the ratings, the "R" rating was added for non porn things that most audiences shouldn't watch

Horror went into this category. Its history had cheap equipment adopted early (VHS) of limited quality and limited distribution, but a faithful channel that would buy anything that came out. I've seen (and made) some wonderfully bad horror films. Fake blood and attractive women!

I would still always strive for better and better technical skills when making horror, but the story is more important than the capture technology...or apparently the acting or quality of the effects.

The speed with which these are cranked out doesn't allow for the directors and actors to really get great performances put down. I recently watched horrorvision.com (again) and was surprised to see that the actors were people who I had seen in CSI, Lost, Criminal Minds, Bones, Malcolm in the Middle, Six Feet Under, JAG, Will and Grace, Star Trek, the Sentinel, Babylon 5, Bubba Hotep (Bruce Campbell was in it too ) and many more!

The subpar acting I attribute specifically to the amount of time they have to shoot these movies. They cater to a specific ready made audience waiting to buy whatever comes out in this genre.

I LOVE THESE MOVIES! They don't pretend to be anything they aren't. They make no apologies for their low production values or weak plots that should be put into shorter films. They are pure fun to watch.

 

[ad2478]

Well i use to think that horror is a genre which need high quality equpments along with a script.because horror is something for which you have to make people believe that its real.only then you can make a grip.so story isnt enough, thats what i used to think.
well as you said

I've seen (and made) some wonderfully bad horror films. Fake blood and attractive women!

did they also earned anything on boxoffice?and can i have the names of few please?

you said

but a faithful channel that would buy anything that came out

can you tell me about that proper channel???

I am crazy about zombie movies.But the problem was the makup issue.and now you are saying it has abig market even the technical stuff isnt that grea.(I think makeup issue comes under the technical branch)

Tell me what happened of your horror movies made by you?

 

[knightly]

did they also earned anything on boxoffice?and can i have the names of few please?

can you tell me about that proper channel???

Tell me what happened of your horror movies made by you?

Not a dime, they were made for competitions and learning, they were "Death Bed" and "Curtain Call" Both available for view on my website.

I can't tell you much about the proper channels other than that it has to exist because you can buy bad horror all over the place.

My movies taught us whole bunches about making films in general. Death Bed won an "Official Selection" laurel and was supposed to have garnered an IMDB entry (the festival hosts didn't make good on their promises that the top ten would receive entries - grumble) and last year got another "Official Selection" at the Trader Willy's "Dive In" Theater event.

One or two more showings and I'll resubmit for an IMDB entry.

I'm not at the stage in my film career where I am trying to make money yet, still in training, trying to figure out all this madness. There are so man things that have to be done right to make a film even remotely convincing (not the least of which is getting to the point where you've actually shot it and finished editing) that I don't think My team is quite at the point where we can push into the financing/distribution worries yet. But we're going to get there soon, I have a couple of projects in development for when we arrive at that point.

 

[ad2478]

Well knighty.i hope when you will make any other new horror movie you will let us know...by the way as you said you have a name in horror market..so it only restrcited to your own country or you are known in other countries too????????????? and can you explain in detail that you said

There are so man things that have to be done right to make a film even remotely convincing (not the least of which is getting to the point where you've actually shot it and finished editing)

well tell me one thing other then the good script...does bad make up creates a bad impression on movie??????i saw the movie nightmare man..where the make was horrible...i couldnt get scraed but couldnt stop my self from laughing..so does a bad make up creates abad impression on viewers????

 

[knightly]

I have not pursued any money from any of my projects so far. All of my distribution has been strictly off my website so far. I wish I had made a name for myself in horror, but not quite yet. I really am more of a comedy/drama person anyway.

I don't know about the makeup thing. I'm not a huge fan of horror. I've just seen a bunch of it...and made fun of most of it while watching it. So bad makeup is great for me...it gives me more to pick on, "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (MST3K) style. BTW, Here's what those guys are up to now: http://www.rifftrax.com/ They're from my home state, they're like family...except that I don't actually know them.