720p on theatre screen??

H

hoodeu

Member
We have this little project going on and we would like to rent a local independent theatre to project it for the premiere. I'd shot 1080p but I need the slowmotion that 60fps at 720p gives me. So i'm wondering how it's going to look considering we're shooting with the 7D, the HVX200 and the HMC150.

I understand the limitations of the cameras and that it won't look like the last Hollywood super-production but, if everything is shot properly, is it gonna be watchable? Is it worth doing or would we be wasting our money?

If it helps, screen would either be 28'x38' or 24'x32'

Thanks
 
Depending on the projector, if everything is shot, lit and graded well it will look as good or better than Hollywood stuff.

If there's some weird artifacting or something from the 7D - that I can't speak to. But I've seen a variety of panny cams projected on the big screen.


I've seen my 1080P stuff projected from a high quality file on a multiplex screen and it looked great.

I was also in a shorts block where everything was presented from 720p files via apple TV tech at the ANGELIKA in Dallas (huge multiplex) and from iTunes at the AMC Palace (also huge multiplex) in Ft Worth.

The shorts blocks looked phenomenal and depending on the lighting and grading, as good or better than Hollywood stuff. I'd go with 1080 whenever possible, but 720 on a good projector looks fantastic. Even SD stuff on a good projector will look very good.

In the scenario where we were projected from 1080 files the other shorts were a few Panny + adapter combos, an EX1 a 16mm and RED.

If you "A" "B"ed the Red you'd notice a quality difference, but the other's were not lacking at all. The worst looking one I think was the 16mm.

Films are usually nowhere near 4K resolution by the time they get to a movie theater.
 
Thanks for the input Jack, that's exactly what I was looking for!

You say I should stick to 1080p whenever possible but since I'll be shooting at 1080p24 for main footage and 720p60 for slowmo (with the 7D) do you think I should downrez to 720p or uprez to 1080? I'm going for 720 because I have the impression that the slow-motion will "accentuate" the apparence of resolution loss in the slowed footage. Am I right?
 
There may be something to that but really no no one will ever notice it. I have slow mo shots in my 10824p stuff that was shot 720 and it cuts fine. The slow mo is enough of a different look that if there is a resolution loss you don't notice.

Also - I have a 46" LCD HD television and I find that it's a pretty good indicator of what my stuff will look like projected. It's a little sharper and a little more contrasty on the TV with more flaws. I'd say, for me, it goes like this.

21" LCD 1080 computer monitor = sharpest, noisiest, most flaws
46" LCD 1080 HD TV = middle sharpeness, noise, flaws
Big screen on GOOD projector = a little less sharp (but not where you'd think about it unless you were consciously making comparisons), less noise, less flaws

Remember in each of these examples, as the screen gets bigger you get further away. Also remember that an LCD computer monitor is not optimized to treat a video image well. So every wart is there.

At Austin Film Festival one of my screenings was in a little place called THE HIDEOUT. A Small like 50 seat room with probably an SD projector. Everything looked like 60i video, contrasty blown out crap. Including the 16mm footy. Including the RED footy. The second screening was at the ALAMO DRAFT HOUSE on a huge screen and they all looked great.

So if it's a good place with a nice Sony 2k projector or something you will be fine.

So I'd play it on the biggest HD television you can find before hand. Calibrate it as best you can. Turn sharpening down or off. Turn off any ridiculous contrast enhancements and play.
 
I'd do 1080. FCP upscaling is decent. You might get slightly better results with INSTANT HD.
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The only caveats to that, I would say, is if your project is something like 60% or more 720, then might as well do 720. OR - if there are weird artifacts from the 7D (hopefully you didn't shoot 720 on the 7D did you?).

As much as I can reassure you about projecting in 720, start at 1080 if you can. Even when going down to SD DVD starting with higher resolution can make difference and make the media hold up better for DVD or projection or whatever.
 
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