1CCD Filmmaking....

T

The Young Guy

Carbonite Member
Hey Guys,

I wanted your opinion on somthing. Do you think good films can be shot with 1ccd cameras? I have a JVC GR-DVM90 and was just wondering if i could make a good looking film with it. :)
 
Depends on what you mean :). You can make a great movie on any camera. A 1CCD camera won't have the image quality a higher end camera will but in the right hands it can look alright. It's more about your skill than the camera.
 
I made my first films on a Canon zr-20, which is a 1/4" 1 ccd camera. The stories were pretty good, and on at least one of them, I paid more attention to lighting and sound. So the final product wasn't bad. So yes, you can make good films on a 1 ccd camera. But there is a caveat. Don't ever believe that a good story or good acting is enough. If the technical aspect of the film (be it the lighting, continuity, sound, image quality) jars the suspension of disbelief of the viewer, you have missed the mark.

Now don't get me wrong. I have missed the mark in some way on every film I have ever shot (even with a DVX, crew of six, pro actors, good audio and lighting gear). I'm not trying to discourage you from making movies with a 1ccd camera. In fact, more people should probably spend time learning how to use a camera (any camera) to tell a good story, before they pop down almost 4K for what is nothing more than an effective tool. Most "filmmakers" think that good gear can compensate for talent, craft, research, experience and hard work. They are wrong. So yes, an understanding of HOW to shoot a film is more important than WHAT you shoot it on. I'm sure the Barrys, Hudson, TC, Pookie and Walter Graff (among others) would shoot a better looking film with my little Canon than I would with any piece of hardware in the world. You can gain a chunk of that experience and knowledge by shooting a lot of films with your home video camera. I recommend it. If you learn from a film, it is never a failure.

But don't ever believe that a good story is enough to make a good film. I used to think that. I was wrong. A good story is like a good idea: it's a place to start, not a place to end
 
vjbrennan said:
In fact, more people should probably spend time learning how to use a camera (any camera) to tell a good story, before they pop down almost 4K for what is nothing more than an effective tool.
Click to expand...


This saysi t all. The DVX is nothing more than a paintbrush, it all depends on whose hands it's in.

You hand me a paintbrush I'll drop it and use my fingers, spread a lot of feces around and make crap every single time. Hand it to disjecta, he'll make something really beautiful.

You can make a movie on any camera, it just comes down to maintaining the suspension of belief for your audience.
 
Just as owning a pencil doesn't make you a writer... owning a hammer doesn't make you a carpenter... owning a toilet doesn't mean you're the ****. :grin:
 
Well thanks guys! I have had this 1ccd JVC of mine for about 4 years now and never used it for a film, just non-filmmaking things like family events and things of that nature.

Also i wanted to point out that I make Experimental/Art type films! Anything but Narative.
 
If you have a decent editing program, you can color correct the images and clean them up. If you already have a cam, just experiment with it and see what happens. Make your experimental film. See how it comes out. I'm sure that you could make a decent film out of it. Then in post, you can make it look even better. Good luck!
 
Yea,

I have a Powermac G5 Dual 2.0 with 23in Cinema HD Display with Final Cut Pro HD and DVD Studio Pro 3 and Adobe Photoshop CS. I have been into Filmmaking for 3 years i just had never used this camera for any filmmaking type things. I usually rent a DVX100A when i have the money to do so. I LOVE THAT CAMERA!
 
If you see Lost in La Mancha, Terry Gilliam is always holding a tiny JVC camcorder like the DVM90. He uses it to film rehearsals, location scouting and behind the scenes stuff. And they keep cutting to what he shot. Of course, it was blown up to 35mm and shown in theatres!
 


this was shot on 1 chip.

its a documentary about David Simons, an artist. its on a TRV 70 in 30 P.....

slight cc
 
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