If you had a $50k budget for a feature would you use the HVX ?

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FilmBoy77

Veteran
got into an interesting conversation today with a person who is looking to invest in films. this person mentioned an investment of $50k max for a feature.

my question to you is, if someone offered you this amount of money for a feature:

1) what type of feature would you make and with how many locations max?
2) would you use the hvx (and maybe even spend money on a second HVX as a B cam)?
4) would you use an adapter or stock lens?
3) how would you spend the rest of the money in order to get the most out of it?

i've pretty much financed my shorts and the current feature i'm working on with out of pocket cash (and not much), so i'm interested in how a larger portion of money would be spent effectively.
 
if I was going to shoot a "feature", I'd probably want more res. Which means I'd rent the gear. $50k doesn't sound like a lot for a feature. Once you pay talent, crew, rent gear, rent locations (depending on genre), etc. Lots of ways to spend that money.

If you had 10 crew and 10 actors and paid them all $100 a day you'd be dropping $2k a day. Shoot 15 days and you've blown most of your budget before getting any gear.
 
FilmBoy77 said:
1) what type of feature would you make and with how many locations max?
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Heavily character-centered film with the money being spent on some amazing but inexpensive actors

2) would you use the hvx (and maybe even spend money on a second HVX as a B cam)?
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Absolutley I'd use the HVX, but I wouldn't buy one from that budget, I wouldn't buy any gear at all. I'd network with some DVXusers and pay them a few thousand dollars for their labor and the use of all their gear. If you're keeping the shooting schedule under three weeks (and at that budget level, you'd have to), you should be able to get someone with a complete production package willing to cut you a great deal.

Don't spend your production budget on equipment.

4) would you use an adapter or stock lens?
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Depends on the film's aesthetic requirements, but I'd be inclined to use an adapter.

3) how would you spend the rest of the money in order to get the most out of it?
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Shoot in Michigan. Michigan will give you a 40% cash rebate on the budget, so your $50,000 becomes $80,000 in Michigan.
 
1) what type of feature would you make and with how many locations max?
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I would shoot a character centered piece. Trying to get an A-lister or B-lister involved as well on the production. Hold a casting session and pick up a few very good actors. Use as many locations as I can coerce my way onto free or cheap.

2) would you use the hvx (and maybe even spend money on a second HVX as a B cam)?
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I would shoot 16mm since I have immediate access to 16mm cameras, accounts at labs, kodak and fuji. So that will be cheaper than renting a camera. If I was going to be shooting a lot I would use an F35 or F23 depending on the look (and when the 35 is released) If I rented a great Red package, it would cost 600 - 800 dollars a day. I can get 2,800 feet of film or 250 minutes of time. The next day and a half would cover the best light telecine for it color corrected professionally.

4) would you use an adapter or stock lens?
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Since I'd be shooting 16mm, no worries.

3) how would you spend the rest of the money in order to get the most out of it?
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Hire someone to deal with product placement - thus pulling the money for the production up. Also using other money to hire a financial advisor to help boost funds, and then marketing people to get a great press package together.
 
1. Kids movie. And knowing me it would be creepy/scary. No blood. No guts. Pure fun and seat jumpers with comedy mixed in. A multiracial piece hands down. Talking about reviving Goosebumps here.

2. Without a doubt. But to be specific one HVX200A and occasionally a B can for action only. If the budget could afford it RED with hard drives. But without a doubt an HVX200A.

3. Without a single doubt if any sub RED camera were in play. That includes an HPX600.

4. Production value. And good faith money. Best unknown actors I could find and a damned good crew of dvxusers being paid.
 
Shooting a feature in the spring with the 200A.
1080/24p.
No adapter needed, just telephoto and wide aperture. Can shoot shallow DOF all day this way.
 
I meant setting the stock lens at longer settings. Of course there's also the Century 1.6 and 2.0 extenders.
 
you know this got me thinking, what if we used a

century percision optics 2x telephoto converter lens insted of a 35mm adapter with a nikon lens to get that shallow depth of field

has anyone tried this?
 
jimpatro what can you tell me about that experience as compared to the adapter setup with lens

in the neverending search for that depth of field :)

jimpatro said:
I meant setting the stock lens at longer settings. Of course there's also the Century 1.6 and 2.0 extenders.
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Well part of it is that I light in zones. I absolutely try to light foreground separate from background. I light my FG subject with minimal light to open the iris. Once I have proper exposure then I light background. Longer focal lengths of course help to decrease depth of field.

35mm adapters do help to control angle of view but I just don't see that as enough of an advantage. You can always dolly in or out.

In another thread someone asked about shooting on the same project with and without a 35 adapter. It was suggested that since the image without was so crisp it would need to be touched up to match the adapter footage. I'm a bit taken aback.
 
Haven't shot with the converter but you definitely would have to pull way back. Worth it though if you have the room.

About angle of view. If you really think about it, if your BG goes real soft why worry so much about angle of view. Mostly it's about using the 35 adapter for shallow DOF then needing to shoot the whole show with it and wanting specific angle of view on other shots where BG is more crucial.
 
good point, got some projects that are gonna require some shallow depth of field
so I am looking for a nice solution (notice I did't say BEST)

jimpatro said:
Haven't shot with the converter but you definitely would have to pull way back. Worth it though if you have the room.

About angle of view. If you really think about it, if your BG goes real soft why worry so much about angle of view. Mostly it's about using the 35 adapter for shallow DOF then needing to shoot the whole show with it and wanting specific angle of view on other shots where BG is more crucial.
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Use an HVX.

Spend dough on actors and art direction. Forget the Adapter, use the money on a good gaffer and DP. They will do more for you in the long run than an adapter.

ART DIRECTION. ART DIRECTION. LOCATION. 3 locations will probably work. 1 free 2 paid locs.
 
great input

TimurCivan said:
Use an HVX.

Spend dough on actors and art direction. Forget the Adapter, use the money on a good gaffer and DP. They will do more for you in the long run than an adapter.

ART DIRECTION. ART DIRECTION. LOCATION. 3 locations will probably work. 1 free 2 paid locs.
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Write a good script centered around the budget, then re-write that about 5 or 6 (Hundred) times and then think about what camera to use. Remember, crappy script, crappy movie. HVX, EX1, RED, 35mm, 65mm etc... doesn't matter, it's all about the story and how YOU tell it. I remember that in film school there were these kids who had an arri BL3 that they shot their senior project on, it looked great, and sucked, and was boring etc... then there was a kid who shot on a GL1 (stock) and it was gripping. I'm beating this to death but you get my drift.

Oh and make a Zombie movie, I love Zombie movies :Drogar-Happy(DBG):
 
jimpatro said:
...
35mm adapters do help to control angle of view but I just don't see that as enough of an advantage. You can always dolly in or out.
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Dollying in or out does not change the angle of view. Zooming in or out will.

When you dolly in or out you move closer or further away at a constant angle of view.

When you change lenses with an adapter or zoom in or out with your stock lens you change angle of view.

As in the example below, a 24 mm lens will have a different angle of view than a 100mm lens dollied in so the subject is framed up about the same.

Both of these are at the same camera angle, slightly low, but note how in the wide lens her head is pin like and the book shelf tapers up due to the lens while the low angle is almost unnoticeable in the 100mm lens.

Also note the exaggerated size of her hand and it's apparent distance from her head in the wide angle lens.

Lastly note how much more of the background is shown in the 24mm, all of the book case, a black board and a lamp. Because it has a wider ANGLE OF VIEW than the 100mm. Dollying in or out with a longer lens will not get this look i.e., angle of view, and vice versa dollying in or out with a wider lens will not get the same look or angel of view as the 100mm lens

24MM
24mm.jpg


100mm.jpg


This is for a piece about a blind date with a woman with a hand that's alive. We shot this similar framing with the two different lenses to potentially use the long lens for moments when the date is going better or more near the beginning and the wide angle lens for when things are really derailing and the date is taking a nose dive, through out, but maybe more towards the end.
 
Right. But as you place your camera closer or further from the background, you will see more or less of it. We're talking about making do without an adapter. Distance from BG to SUBJECT to CAMERA can be adjusted. A big thing about angle of view is how much BG can we see. Well, that can be adjusted without a 35 adapter.
 
For me its's a significant. Major. much more powerful than controlling the depth of field, story telling advantage. Yeah you can zoom in or out with the stock lens and and move the camera away or closer but you may be severly limited by space and it doesn't seem to be quite the same.

Adapter is less of an expense issue and more of a time issue to me and not even a time issue sometimes depending on who's shooting.
 
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