Why does the HVX look so dim on the Big Screen?

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Indyreel

Well-known member
I just saw the new indie film "Pilgrim's Progress" at a film festival. It was shot on an HVX200 24PN. It had a legitimate "movie" look and feel, but it was dim on screen. Even the scenes shot outside in sunny daylight, had a dimness to them. Almost like you were wearing a slight shade of sunglasses while watching the movie.

What is this from? Is this just how the HVX200 looks on the big screen? Is there any way to prevent this?
 
It wasn't the projector. I saw it on another screen the next night, the same screen where another movie (shot on a Varicam) looked clear and bright.
 
Well it isn't the HVX. There's a number of things it could be, probably caused by improper settings when they put it on the tape for the festival or something along that line.
 
Nick, you sound confident. Have you seen any HVX movies on the big screen? If so, did they look anywhere near the quality of something filmed on a Varicam, or 35MM?
 
Your question is about the movie looking dim. Obviously the HVX doesn't come close the quality of the Varicam or 35mm. That wasn't the question.
 
Let me ask more accurately. Have you ever seen an HVX movie on the big screen. If so, did it look dim, compared to, say a Varicam?
 
Yes I've seen an HVX movie on the big screen. It didn't look dim, but I haven't seen a Varicam on the same screen, so I don't know for sure, but I bet that the reason it was dim was because of operator error somewhere down the line, not the HVX's fault. I've never seen "Pilgrim's Progress" though.
 
Unfortunatetly, just because someone can use an HVX doesn't mean they can use it to the best it is capable of. You can't count on what you see from someone else right off. If you get a chance, Email the DP or Produce and ask how long the DP worked with the HVX before they went out to shoot.

Just as Cloverfield and other movies are terrible examples of the HVX on the big screen, I imagine this one could be "alright" but mishandled.

I HAVE seen HVX footage on a huge screen, m2 footage, and it was far from dim.
 
i just saw a film shot 90% on varicam and one scene shot on an HVX and the two integrated pretty well. i doubt anyone noticed. as for the brightness thing, i expect the filmmakers were not looking at a waveform monitor when they corrected the footage.

here's a thread on it with frame grabs. they do look a little dim to me. on a waveform they would probably be topping out at 80 ire.

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=64588
 
picture3jd3.jpg
 
Kholi said:
Unfortunatetly, just because someone can use an HVX doesn't mean they can use it to the best it is capable of. You can't count on what you see from someone else right off. If you get a chance, Email the DP or Produce and ask how long the DP worked with the HVX before they went out to shoot.

Just as Cloverfield and other movies are terrible examples of the HVX on the big screen, I imagine this one could be "alright" but mishandled.

I HAVE seen HVX footage on a huge screen, m2 footage, and it was far from dim.
Click to expand...

Or maybe ask the DP or the director if they were going for a dim look for artistic reasons.
Seems to me it would be more of an artistic decision before it was anyones "fault". I'll bet a varicam can be made to look pretty dim is so desired.
 
Any camera can get poor results. One needs to know what to do with one's tools.

Maybe the filmmakers wanted that look, too. It's very trendy nowadays to use unconventional looks. "Ocean's Thirteen" (Steven Soderburgh) was so dark and backlit it drove me nuts.
 
For what it's worth, the last several Hollywood movies I've seen in theaters looked pretty freakin' dim. I have no doubt it was incompetent projector handling.

(Reason #234-AZ why I rarely see movies in the theater anymore.)
 
I recently saw "Rainbow around the sun" at SXSW and it was shot on HVX. It was not dim and very vibrant in places. The alamo drafthouse in Austin has lots of experience with indie films so their projectionists are fairly capable i would guess, but as far as hvx on the big screen, it looked great to me. - could have used a 35mm adapter but all things considered.
 
More than likely it is the projectionist. If the other film that you saw was transferred to film then it will natural (not dim). If the HVX film was projected using a DVD and not film, it will look more dim or brighter, unless the projectionist set the projector to the movie. I have seen this happen at lot of film festivals.
 
It's likely it is the projector. We just recently did a screening at a big theater and it was unwatchable because of darkness. They were using the projector they use for commercials before the film. We went back once they had their real DLP projector up and running and the difference was night and day. With that being said, I've seen people edit/shoot before with their LCD monitors cranked up to maximum brightness and then they wonder why things look too dark projected or on DVD.
 
I deal with this each and everytime my church projects my HVX footage. Their projector just doesn't have the lumens and it's too far away from the screen. The high key stuff translates barely but it if's more subtle and or contrasty then it just goes to that gray mud indistinguisable footage.


I'd say it was probably part of the nature of the piece and coupled with the projector. I bet the other stuff that looked good was high key stuff.. maybe a comedy and that would resolve better on a screen than something say.. a moody indoor drama.
 
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