Barry_Green
Moderator
More...
"A Verse Before Dying" - AF-100 Western Short
- Thread starter Stephen Mick
- Start date
I appreciate the photos... 
Barry_Green
Moderator
Gotta love that 7-14 lens on 7mm... :evil:
Matt Gottshalk
Resident Preditor
Stephen Mick
Totally Usable
First day down, three more to go.
To say our crew is awesome would be an understatement. Our cast delivered the goods today, that's for sure. On more than one occasion I felt the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
Then I realized it was just Caffesse looking over my shoulder, undressing the AF-100 with his eyes.
To say our crew is awesome would be an understatement. Our cast delivered the goods today, that's for sure. On more than one occasion I felt the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
Then I realized it was just Caffesse looking over my shoulder, undressing the AF-100 with his eyes.
Looking good. Cant wait to see it.
mikkowilson
Steadi-Guru
So while Photoshop is processing my set photos from day one so I can post a couple before bed...
Let me say that it as an honor and a pleasure to be a part of the awesomest film crew there is.
It's been a long day, and I haven't had a chance to review it all; but the footage we looked at tonight on a laptop here at base-camp looked incredible. The tonality, the dynamic range, the bokeh; all beautiful stuff. Hard to believe that it's coming out of a $5,000 camera. If I just saw the footage, I'd probably guess a number with another 0 on there. In the all important "image quality" question; "Does it deliver?". The answer is clear as day: Hell yeah.
Quality is *not* an issue with this camera.
But; I'm not the DP, I'm a Steadicam operator. My job is to operate the camera; not to make it take pretty pictures... So for me a big question is usability.
I shoot video for a living. I'm spend hours a week shooting video; mostly TV news (if you've done it, you know what the pace can be like, "time" is something you simply don't get).
Working with the AF100 is easy.
In fact, I didn't really see what the big deal was with the operation benefits. Because I simply treated it like every other video camera. If I needed bars, there's a button. Composite video out to my Steadicam? RCA. Done. HD-SDI out to the director's monitor? Done. Audio level check. On-screen meter. Focus assist? Sure, used it all the time.
It was a very bright sunny day today. However a lot of the shooting was done inside. Going back and forth; I automatically reached up and spun the ND wheel on the front of the camera "where it should be!" and added or reduced ND as necessary.
Iris was interesting; some lenses I used the electronic iris control on the camera, other lenses I simply rotated the iris ring on the lens. And that's what really started to sink in the way that operating this camera is different: You can run it and use it as a video camera; but you can also set the back end and then use the lens like you would on any still camera. Of course when we threw the PL lenses on there; then it was simply just like any film camera I've shot with .. except with all the features of a regular video camera in the back. Like Waveform monitor. The ability to look at the waveform live in the camera as you adjust it is indispensable when you have so much dynamic range and such a large pool of lenses to choose from.
One Steadicam shot today (the first Steadicam shot with an AF100) involved a long slow "dolly" in a field.
So there we are, out in the field, My AC, Barry, and Myself. No one else. The gear is all a way away by the cars out of shot. It's bright sunny day with a clear sky. And we are shooting 60fps. So a quick rotation of the ND wheel and I was close; then I fired up the Waveform monitor in camera and dialed in iris so the sky was just pushing 95%. The image looked great. Of course my AC was watching the whole time on a wireless monitor fed right from the camera as Barry carried a scavenged peice of plywood to block the little lens flair we could see on the little HD monitor. After the take, we simply re-played the clip back (with the slow-motion) there in camera - and on my AC's monitor.
The shot was very challenging; but the equipment helped in very possible way I could wish it to.
And I think that's where the really big difference plays out with the AF100: It just works, the way it's supposed to. No compromises.
Another little example. Our audio guy had to step a little too far from the camera today .. but the camera has regular standard XLR inputs & 3.5mm headphone out .. so we were using a regular audio snake; so someone just reached out and split the quick disconnect before the camera was in danger of being pulled over. Again; not a major thing ... but because the camera works like every other professional production camera out there; we could use the right professional tools to get the job done properly and safely.
Oh yeah, like every other professional production camera; except for the picture - which is far above most.
After spending one day on set with a couple of them; I kinda have to agree with Barry's initial statement on the AF100 as a low-cost digital cinema camera: "Game Over".
Photos to follow...
- Mikko
Let me say that it as an honor and a pleasure to be a part of the awesomest film crew there is.
It's been a long day, and I haven't had a chance to review it all; but the footage we looked at tonight on a laptop here at base-camp looked incredible. The tonality, the dynamic range, the bokeh; all beautiful stuff. Hard to believe that it's coming out of a $5,000 camera. If I just saw the footage, I'd probably guess a number with another 0 on there. In the all important "image quality" question; "Does it deliver?". The answer is clear as day: Hell yeah.
Quality is *not* an issue with this camera.
But; I'm not the DP, I'm a Steadicam operator. My job is to operate the camera; not to make it take pretty pictures... So for me a big question is usability.
I shoot video for a living. I'm spend hours a week shooting video; mostly TV news (if you've done it, you know what the pace can be like, "time" is something you simply don't get).
Working with the AF100 is easy.
In fact, I didn't really see what the big deal was with the operation benefits. Because I simply treated it like every other video camera. If I needed bars, there's a button. Composite video out to my Steadicam? RCA. Done. HD-SDI out to the director's monitor? Done. Audio level check. On-screen meter. Focus assist? Sure, used it all the time.
It was a very bright sunny day today. However a lot of the shooting was done inside. Going back and forth; I automatically reached up and spun the ND wheel on the front of the camera "where it should be!" and added or reduced ND as necessary.
Iris was interesting; some lenses I used the electronic iris control on the camera, other lenses I simply rotated the iris ring on the lens. And that's what really started to sink in the way that operating this camera is different: You can run it and use it as a video camera; but you can also set the back end and then use the lens like you would on any still camera. Of course when we threw the PL lenses on there; then it was simply just like any film camera I've shot with .. except with all the features of a regular video camera in the back. Like Waveform monitor. The ability to look at the waveform live in the camera as you adjust it is indispensable when you have so much dynamic range and such a large pool of lenses to choose from.
One Steadicam shot today (the first Steadicam shot with an AF100) involved a long slow "dolly" in a field.
So there we are, out in the field, My AC, Barry, and Myself. No one else. The gear is all a way away by the cars out of shot. It's bright sunny day with a clear sky. And we are shooting 60fps. So a quick rotation of the ND wheel and I was close; then I fired up the Waveform monitor in camera and dialed in iris so the sky was just pushing 95%. The image looked great. Of course my AC was watching the whole time on a wireless monitor fed right from the camera as Barry carried a scavenged peice of plywood to block the little lens flair we could see on the little HD monitor. After the take, we simply re-played the clip back (with the slow-motion) there in camera - and on my AC's monitor.
The shot was very challenging; but the equipment helped in very possible way I could wish it to.
And I think that's where the really big difference plays out with the AF100: It just works, the way it's supposed to. No compromises.
Another little example. Our audio guy had to step a little too far from the camera today .. but the camera has regular standard XLR inputs & 3.5mm headphone out .. so we were using a regular audio snake; so someone just reached out and split the quick disconnect before the camera was in danger of being pulled over. Again; not a major thing ... but because the camera works like every other professional production camera out there; we could use the right professional tools to get the job done properly and safely.
Oh yeah, like every other professional production camera; except for the picture - which is far above most.
After spending one day on set with a couple of them; I kinda have to agree with Barry's initial statement on the AF100 as a low-cost digital cinema camera: "Game Over".
Photos to follow...
- Mikko
mikkowilson
Steadi-Guru
Some of my photos from Day 1 on "Verse":
Morning roll out to set & camera prep, first shots, first Steadicam flight, followed by the first Merlin flight...
- Mikko
Morning roll out to set & camera prep, first shots, first Steadicam flight, followed by the first Merlin flight...
- Mikko
mikkowilson
Steadi-Guru
More misc. production shots from Day 1 ...
- Mikko
- Mikko
mikkowilson
Steadi-Guru
And a few more...
That's all for tonight. Wake up is in 4 hours.
- Mikko
That's all for tonight. Wake up is in 4 hours.
- Mikko
alpi69
Veteran
rofl
Alpha Beta Omega
Veteran
Very interesting project and I bet you have loads of fun shooting it How many days of shooting and post production?
How many days of shooting and post production?
Chris Messineo
Veteran
This is truly inspiring. Thanks for sharing all the details. I love it.
Luis Caffesse
Admin
Very interesting project and I bet you have loads of fun shooting it
4 Day shoot.
Post production.... we'll let you know when the shoot is over, right now I can only think about the next 72 hours.
Getting ready to leave for set here in a minute.
Stu Siegal
Well-known member
Great post, Mikko, these are the kinds of things people should have been talking about all along. Your post is a great summary of why I don't own a DSLR, and why I can't wait for my AF100. I think it's going to be an extremely versatile cam, moreso than even some of it's strongest proponents have given it credit for. I'm assuming this is a Panasonic-commissioned project, and congrats to them for doing it right. Can't wait to see the results.