I'm dp'ing 26 episodes of a new teen action show-will air on one of the Nickelodeon channels next winter. Super low budget (all things relative) and we're shooting it anamorphic. It's in the science fiction genre, so yeah, think big flares. This is a dedicated two camera shoot, originally Red Epic and Red MX, but we just canned the MX in favor of an FS100. In the next day we'll decide the fate of the Epic- depends on green screen comparisons. I'll present a detailed explanation of this mid-production switch on my blog if anyone is curious. karlkimdp.tumbler.com
Anamorphic FS100 Rig
- Thread starter klk
- Start date
Kyle McConaghy
Well-known member
Very cool! Congrats. I'll definitely be interested to read your experiences. What made you choose the fs100 over the red. Will the rs be your b cam?
Postmaster
Dark Side of the Camera
Color me green of envy 
So cool, can't wait to see some footy.
Frank
So cool, can't wait to see some footy.
Frank
robmneilson
Veteran
Wow, that's amazing. Good luck with the show. What lens set will you be carrying?
MadMonkFish
Well-known member
Just read your blog
It seems that the RED route wasn't really the best one (with your small crew) and the fact you didn't get a lot of things you requested (ie a decent amount of SSD's to cycle though the day and to your DIT etc).
Anamorphic also seems to be an odd choice. Don't get me wrong, I love Ana (have a set of Lomo's, rear zoom etc) but I presume it'll be delivered 16X9 (full) not with bars etc... any reason you didn't go spherical, as it would have alleviated a lot of your problems (as you'd probably have ended up not shooting RED).
Personally, I like the Epic's DR, but it does need some light. It's not really guerrilla style... so it just doesn't seem a good choice.
But, looks like you've made the choice to switch that'll be best for the production... how is the switch being seen? (as the post chain will change radically half way through).
Rob - he's using his own Cineovison set.
It seems that the RED route wasn't really the best one (with your small crew) and the fact you didn't get a lot of things you requested (ie a decent amount of SSD's to cycle though the day and to your DIT etc).
Anamorphic also seems to be an odd choice. Don't get me wrong, I love Ana (have a set of Lomo's, rear zoom etc) but I presume it'll be delivered 16X9 (full) not with bars etc... any reason you didn't go spherical, as it would have alleviated a lot of your problems (as you'd probably have ended up not shooting RED).
Personally, I like the Epic's DR, but it does need some light. It's not really guerrilla style... so it just doesn't seem a good choice.
But, looks like you've made the choice to switch that'll be best for the production... how is the switch being seen? (as the post chain will change radically half way through).
Rob - he's using his own Cineovison set.
David W. Jones
Veteran
I don't remember the FS100 having an Ana mode like the epic. Are you shooting 2x?
In preproduction I had a bit of a blowup with the producers about camera choice, as they made it without my input. Red was not high on my list. For our shoot I was pushing for a pair of Sony F3s, as we were not shooting anamorphic initially. Many still feel Reds are a step upwards, but it's really about the right tool for the job, all things considered, and I don't feel Reds are ideal for lean, understaffed low budget productions. Reds are however one of the cheapest anamorphic solutions.
Anamorphics can help a low budget show. If the location is dull, the art direction not quite ready, anamorphic flares and wonkiness and shallow dof can help compensate and even add an element of "cool."
The FS100 does not have an anamorphic mode. You lose tons of horizontal resolution- I didn't do the calculation but it feels like 1Kx1080 in 16x9 format. The trade off here is that we gain 2-3 stops of speed over the Red MX, and this translates to a sharper image from my older anamorphic primes. They are Cineovisions, open to a T1.4, however they are not really usable until T2 and performance above a T2.8 is noticeable. So it is always a compromise when you have to cobble together a camera and lens package, especially one that has to survive a 130 day shooting schedule.
For a wide option and longer lenses I have an eclectic collection, more or less chosen to blend in with the anamorphics. Namely a pristine Cooke 18/T1.7 Speed Panchro, a Jupiter 180/2.8 and Canon 300/2.8 and Canon 600/5.6. We did shoot a scene with the 600- outdoors on the street of course. I also have a Zeiss 120/2.8, but this lens does not blend in with other lenses. Too sharp and contrasty.
Anamorphics can help a low budget show. If the location is dull, the art direction not quite ready, anamorphic flares and wonkiness and shallow dof can help compensate and even add an element of "cool."
The FS100 does not have an anamorphic mode. You lose tons of horizontal resolution- I didn't do the calculation but it feels like 1Kx1080 in 16x9 format. The trade off here is that we gain 2-3 stops of speed over the Red MX, and this translates to a sharper image from my older anamorphic primes. They are Cineovisions, open to a T1.4, however they are not really usable until T2 and performance above a T2.8 is noticeable. So it is always a compromise when you have to cobble together a camera and lens package, especially one that has to survive a 130 day shooting schedule.
For a wide option and longer lenses I have an eclectic collection, more or less chosen to blend in with the anamorphics. Namely a pristine Cooke 18/T1.7 Speed Panchro, a Jupiter 180/2.8 and Canon 300/2.8 and Canon 600/5.6. We did shoot a scene with the 600- outdoors on the street of course. I also have a Zeiss 120/2.8, but this lens does not blend in with other lenses. Too sharp and contrasty.
Current title is "Alien Dawn." Original title was "Black Dawn" but there are some copyright issues, or a web series with the same title. It's teens on skateboards saving the world from aliens and all. Lots of CGI as you can imagine.
I was worried about getting past QC when we first considered the FS100, but the director, who has directed/edited 11 features, tv pilots and commercials, was confident the FS100 acquisition will pass QC. We shot the pilot in 2010 on a hacked GH1 and Canon 5D, and the creators, network and financiers are well aware the budget they're giving us will dictate gorilla techniques, including acquisition format. It was/is on post-production to approve the mid-season camera change.
I was worried about getting past QC when we first considered the FS100, but the director, who has directed/edited 11 features, tv pilots and commercials, was confident the FS100 acquisition will pass QC. We shot the pilot in 2010 on a hacked GH1 and Canon 5D, and the creators, network and financiers are well aware the budget they're giving us will dictate gorilla techniques, including acquisition format. It was/is on post-production to approve the mid-season camera change.
David W. Jones
Veteran
I wish you luck with the project! And know how tough it is with shrinking budgets.
All the Best!
Dave
All the Best!
Dave