[MacDV] DV vs. Film

[Danny Grizzle]

On 12/30/02 3:23 AM, "finalcutpro8 at netscape.net" <finalcutpro8 at netscape.net>
wrote:

> I want to produce an independent Film and I am wondering if anyone out there
> has shot on miniDV? Does anyone here have real field experience and can you
> tell me how DV compares in quality to 16MM and 35MM Film?

It doesn't compare very well. HDTV is a far better comparison, but even then
there are substantial differences.

That said, it is common these days for student films and independent
productions to be done in DV. The state-of-the-art is constant evolution.
Here's some orientation:

1) Determine what you mean. Do you intend to release on film? Are we talking
16mm or 35mm prints? Or simply DVD? Face it, blowing DV to film is unlikely
unless you have major funds available and a distribution deal in place.
Yeah, we all know about Blair Witch, and we also know about the guy who won
the lottery.

What you likely mean by "independent film" is something that will go direct
to video release, which works these days even at many film festivals. This
simplifies things considerably. Still, issues involving 24P discussed below
may apply, because many people think that 30i origination (normal NTSC)
looks more "film-like" if it is converted to 24P during post, then back to
30i for release. I'll leave it to you to research pros/cons.

2) PAL format DV (25 fps) has been the preferred origination for independent
film projects. This gets complicated. Are you prepared to purchase PAL DV
cameras and video monitors?

3) Some people have shot with Canon DV cameras - XL1 and G1 - which have a
progressive frame mode. This works out to be 15P... a bastard format that
will be a short-lived, in my opinion.

4) Panasonic has just introduced an under $4,000 24P camera. This is $40,000
or so less than the next lowest cost true 24P camera, along the lines of a
Sony PD150 or Sony XL1 in the Panasonic product offering. 24P is the ideal
video production format for independent film production.

5) As an alternative, you can shoot conventional NTSC DV, normal 30 frames
interlaced, and run the footage through a new, highly publicised software
package, Magic Bullet. This software de-interlaces NTSC and converts it to
24P, plus some other stuff (actually a suite of film-look processes).
Probably not as good as 24P origination, but probably the best alternative
for converting NTSC.

Downside of Magic Bullet: horrible processing times (may stretch to weeks of
CPU time for a feature-length film; more if you convert prior to post,
depending on your shooting ratios). Macintosh only. Runs only under Adobe
After Effects. Price: about $1,000 for lowres (target: TV release), $2000
for hires (target: film release). Info on Magic Bullet is easy to find on
the web. I would start with <http://www.toolfarm.com/>, which links other
reviews.

6) Consider that MiniDV cameras are not a great match for many cinematic
techniques, particularly shallow depth-of-field photography. Small imager
chip sizes mean short normal focal lengths, which play against shallow
depth-of-field, even if your camera operator is skilled enough to manage
lighting and exposure so that the lens iris is wide open.

7) 16:9 widescreen is a major factor in film appearance. Is your camera true
16:9? If widescreen production is important in your work, it is better to
purchase a true 16:9 chip camera. The Sony DSR-500 (now DSR-570) is the
starting point with true 16:9 chips (but it is *not* 24P). If you determine
that you must use a normal 4:3 NTSC chip camera with a false 16:9 mode
(Canon XL1 & Sony PD150 are examples -- along with all MiniDV cameras), then
at least try to get one with a 16:9 viewfinder. For instance, the XL1 (I
don't know about the XL1s) will shoot in 16:9, but the viewfinder is 4:3
squished horizontally. This adds difficulty for your operator, and may lead
to framing errors. For instance, filming at the beach, you would expect the
water line on the horizon to be level. This might be hard to frame without
proper viewfinder (the PD-150 displays 16:9 correctly in the viewfinder and
foldout LCD, BTW).

8) Be aware of gotchas. For instance, the Sony PD150 will do 16:9, and it
will do Progressive scanning. But it won't do them both at the same time.
Canon DV cameras will (see item #3 above for reservations).

Bottom line: know where you are and where you are going. Don't wait until
post to start planning. If you do not have an unlimited budget to buy new
24P DV gear, then plan to use what you have got. From there, determine your
final release target, and work backwards from that (35mm/DVD, etc.), to
connect the dots and determine what outside vendors you will need (film labs
like DuArt).

Danny Grizzle