Shooting Super-16mm On A Low Budget - Page 1
| Author: | Jack |
| Date: | Sun, 02/04/2006 - 11:32 |
| Category: | Filmmaking > Cinematography |
This article will first look at some of the reasons for shooting on film and will then go on to consider cost effective ways of shooting on super-16mm.
Why shoot on film instead of video?
A 16mm camera out on location
Shooting on 16 or 35mm film still has several important advantages over shooting on a digital format. For starters, cast and crew generally think a film shoot is more desirable than a video shoot. Of course, there are reasons why this belief might be irrational but nevertheless, the "shooting on film is just cooler and more pro" attitude does prevail. As such, you may find it easier to attract cast and crew if you're shooting on 16 or 35mm film.
Frame rate
It's much easier to shoot at high frame rates on film than on tape. For example, the Arri SR2 can shoot at up to 75fps and the SR2 high-speed can manage 150fps whilst the VariCam HD camera and the HVX-200 top-out at 60fps.
Exposed and developed s16mm film
Latitude
Most film stocks capture a wider dynamic range than most tape formats. In other words, film finds details in the shadows and highlights where a digital format would find just black or white. "Dynamic range" and "latitude" are virtually synonymous except that "dynamic range" is a term more often found in the video world whereas "latitude" is preferred in the film world.
An exaggerated illustration of latitude. The image on the right has a wider dynamic range than the image on the left. Notice how the image on the right shows detail in the highlights and shadows. For example, compare the neck of the guitar in the two images. Notice how it's almost all white in the left image whilst you can just about make out the strings on the right image
Histogram. The red section of the histogram shows the dynamic-range-reduced image whilst the entire histogram shows the normal (right) image
Lenses and follow focus
It's easier and cheaper to get decent lenses and a follow focus supplied with a film camera than with a digital camera. A follow focus and lens box consisting of several beautiful prime lenses and a good zoom is pretty standard for a film camera kit but is a large added cost for most "prosumer" video cameras (and, of course, many prosumer video cameras don't have interchangeable lenses).
Why should you care? Well, lenses are the very first image manipulation step in your workflow. If your lenses are of poor quality or your focus is out then you're stuck with poor quality images for ever (unless you re-shoot).
That illusive "film look"
Some people prefer the "look" of film. It's hard to objectively describe why. It's probably got something to do with the latitude, grain structure, the colour rendition and the fact that most of us grew up in a film-dominated world and have come to love the look of film.
Keep your post options open
Finally, film is probably the most "post-agnostic" format. In other words, shooting on film leaves your post-production options open. You could telecine your rushes in standard definition or high definition and you could grade from the negative or from tape. For example, if your budget is low then you could telecine, edit and grade in standard definition and then, once the film is "finished" you could try to secure some more funding for a high-definition scan and finish. Super-16mm records enough information to make even a 2k scan worth considering.
Choose your origination format carefully
However, it must be stressed that different projects will require different formats. Super-16mm is especially suited to drama and music videos but wouldn't be suited to, for example, a low-budget documentary. Having said that, there are plenty of music videos and drama films that suit tape not because of budgetary concerns but because of aesthetic or post-production reasons.
The bottom line is that it's impossible to say "format X is best, no matter what the project". The decision of which format to shoot on must be taken after detailed discussions between the filmmakers. It's counter productive to walk into a project with irrational beliefs like "my project must be shot on 35mm" or "I've heard a lot about HDV, let's shoot on the Z1".
