16X9 in camera-resolution-color correction-sound

M

mabel

New member
Hello:
I am about to shot a short and have 3 questions:
1. We want a widescreen format (1.85) . My DP assures me that the best route is to shoot with the 16X9 option in the DVX100a camera(which I know it isn't the real thing, instead masks the lines on top and bottom), then using a 16X9 monitor during shooting he would mask the monitor screen to shoot for the intended 1.85 aspect ratio. The idea is that I would get this final 1.85 aspect ratio during post.
One of the reasons why we can't use an adapter is because we want several tight, telephoto shots which can't be done with an adapter. Additionally, an adapter would make the shots softer than want we want.

Question: Is there any issue with loosing those lines of resolution at the production stage? How does this affect the post process? We are doing the 24p advanced mode. The final product is DVD, however, I want to keep the option of printing to film so I would be editing it at 24 fps ( I mean 23.98).

2. The short is highly stilyzed with a palette that would need a lot of color correction in order to achieve the desired look. Since our budget for art department is very small, some of the locations have a bit of the colors that we want already but not quiet exactly. What I think I can do is to have my DP shot with his gels,etc, with that in mind and achieve a partial look at the production stage. Then, in post I would push what he acquired and color corrected to create the final look targeting blacks, mids or highlights.
Questions:
a) Is it a good approach? Have you experienced a similar process and what cautionary tales do you have to share with me?
b) Is it best to bring a hardware waveform monitor or run FCP's waveform monitor via firewire to the DVX100a? Which one is easier to set up during production? Which one is more high maintainance? I know I need to keep whites and blacks legal, an important requirement during color correction

3.Sound: What sound speed is recommended as I am going to edit in 23.98? My sound engineer would be running a double system. One is to a Protools rack.

Thanks in advanced,
Mabel Valdiviezo
director.editor
haikufilms@aol.com
 
Hi Mabel and welcome

I'll adress the first one and let others chime in as I am not entirely sure of those (experience)

You say you will not be using an adapter. My advice is to shoot 4:3.

In shooting 4:3 you save yourself going into post and have the ability to 'Pan/Crop' your footage whether it be 16:9, 1:85 or 2:35. You'll be glad you did.
 
I read somewhere that you should shoot without any filters and do everything in post. Is this true?
What would be the quality of the same effect using filters attached to your lenses versus filters done in post?

All the best

Fidel.
 
I say USE FILTERS where you can; using a filter to get the truest image going into post. If you are sure about the look you are after and decide upon a Chocolate, Tobacco, Coral or Black Pro-Mist for example; you might pigeon hole yourself with an original true image that is already 'corrected' but that definately would be a stylistic choice made hopefully early on.

The only filters I use are: Hoya Sky, ND Grad and a polorizer (and every blue moon a Soft Effects).
 
Mabel, you should check out Barry Green's DVD. It will give you all the information you need.

I usually always shoot Widescreen. I basically shoot regular 4.3 and mask it off with some clear tape. Then in post we would clip it off. Plus I have the old DVX which dosen't do true 16x9. Try PMing Barry Green and ask him for a discount on his DVD.

If you're not certain of the look you want, then I would advise you to shoot your images as clean as possible. Another words, shoot it without using any special filters, ND, promist, etc. This gives you the option in post to change the desired look.

hope some of what i said helps. good luck.
 
another thing you might try, this really depends on what your final output will be, but you could use the Anamorphic for longer shots, and then for more telephoto shots don't use it. The wide shots are where there is going to be a noticable difference. For closeups, the difference between having the adapter and not, is hardly noticeable, except for the shallower DoF that can be achieved without the adapter. This is my advice, that, and since you are shooting DV, try and get the look as close as you can without additional color corrections. This requires more work and tests in the pre-production stages, but your final product will look better and be less stressful in the end.
 
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