The low light Miami Vice (2007) look. is this possible with HVX?

Richard J. Johnson

Richard J. Johnson

Joystick Member
I was wondering can you achieve this look with an HVX or HPX170? Mann used this look on Collateral as well. I know I can't afford the cameras he used but I want to shoot some night scenes emulating the look. Any ideas?
 
It's been a while since I watched the behind the scenes stuff about that movie but I think it was shot on either a grass valley viper or sony 900. Both cameras are going to see into the shadows at night that the hvx will never come close to.
 
Just crank the gain up to +12 db and there you go. That's basically what Mann did, wide open iris with a healthy dose of gain just so he can see. His camera is a good deal more sensitive in low light so you'll need more light just to get (somewhat) usable footage.

I'll say that I think this is a bad idea. Grainy low light shots are only a "style" if you're a famous director working with big stars. When you're an unknown working with a prosumer camera the same thing comes across as a mistake.
 
With an HVX, you will never get usable footage with +12 gain. That might work for Mann and his cameras, but not the HVX.
 
It's questionable how "usable" Mann's footage was to start with. I watched Miama Vice and turned it off immediately when it got to the first grainy night scene because I couldn't stomach it anymore. Looks like crap.
 
Huy Vu said:
It's questionable how "usable" Mann's footage was to start with. I watched Miama Vice and turned it off immediately when it got to the first grainy night scene because I couldn't stomach it anymore. Looks like crap.
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I think it looks beautiful. Some people hate it, some love it. I have no idea why it connects with me. I really think I am the only one besides Mann who loves the look. I get my HPX or the HVX in the fall. But I am going to try what you did Gage. thanks for the pics and the link.
 
I think it looks beautiful. Some people hate it, some love it. I have no idea why it connects with me. I really think I am the only one besides Mann who loves the look.
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I think it is beautiful as well.


But I am going to try what you did Gage.
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but make sure you get out there and PRACTICE and TEST and see what you are going to get well ahead of actual scheduled shooting. Never go into a shoot surprised. (Well, something will always be F*d up. Go in with as little surprise as possible.)
 
Sorry... what is the DVX-LEX? LEX?

With the DVX, I shot everything on the stock f6 scene file. I did extensive test and that's what worked best. I kept the same scene file through all shooting on the feature. For this low light stuff, I kicked the gain up to the middle position. I know the settings can be changed, but whatever the STOCK middle setting was. Maybe +6. (I dont have my DVX anymore so I cant check.)

What the heck is a LEX?

jpgkaQkwk31iM.jpg
 
Paul Cameron (DP Collateral) gave a really good master class seminar at Cinegear where he showed how he used highpressure sodium and mercury vapor lights in jem balls to augment ext night urban shooting. Someone was taping it, but I don't know who...



Click thru for link to small review (at end of page)
 
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filthrich said:
I think it looks beautiful. Some people hate it, some love it. I have no idea why it connects with me. I really think I am the only one besides Mann who loves the look. I get my HPX or the HVX in the fall. But I am going to try what you did Gage. thanks for the pics and the link.
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I don't mind 'grainy' in the case of film. But for some reason the structure of 'digital' noise out of sensors, really doesn't give me a pleasant visual effect.

I've tried a few experiements with adding in 'grain noise' via AE or the like, to see if that can cover the digital noise... the problem was the long render times. But I think it would cover the digital noise problem to some degree.

I think this works if the shots are intended to be interpreted as 'you are there' type. Definitely not the whole movie...
 
Here's the American Cinematographer article on Collateral, including talk of the low light and boosting gain.

http://www.theasc.com/magazine/aug04/collateral/page1.html

Interesting. I knew Dion Beebe had DP'ed the bulk of Collateral so I always though of it as his show. But considering Cameron shot/lit the first 3 weeks, I guess he's mostly responsible for the lighting. (And dont misunderstand - I'm not taking anything away from Mann or Beebe.)
 
I don't mind 'grainy' in the case of film. But for some reason the structure of 'digital' noise out of sensors, really doesn't give me a pleasant visual effect.
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No, digital noise is not quite the same as film grain, but it's what we have. You can live with it, touch it up, try to remove it, or shoot film. And I will take a "grainy" digital image over a butter smooth digital image any day. (just not TOO grainy.)
 
GageFX said:
Sorry... what is the DVX-LEX? LEX?

With the DVX, I shot everything on the stock f6 scene file. I did extensive test and that's what worked best. I kept the same scene file through all shooting on the feature. For this low light stuff, I kicked the gain up to the middle position. I know the settings can be changed, but whatever the STOCK middle setting was. Maybe +6. (I dont have my DVX anymore so I cant check.)

What the heck is a LEX?

jpgkaQkwk31iM.jpg
Click to expand...
Funny:) Bald white guys scare my daughter. She thinks they are monsters. It is the funniest thing in the world. She will take off running.
 
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