Best possible "film look" you can achieve with DVX100a and magic bullet

tq248

Carbonite Member
Hello all! I just recently bought a DVx100A and magic bullet software. I seen on another post a list of different scene settings from EyeBite. I chose Scene Setting # 5 and then recorded my friend tattooing someone. After i shot it i edited the footage on Sony Vegas and applied the Black diffusion effect from magic bullet. The footage looks ok but more like a documentary. My question is whats the best possible solution for achieving a film look with the tools that i have (DVX/maigc bullet). I dont have a 35mm adapter just yet and i know about the technique in which you can achieve DOF by zooming in as much as you can and adjusting the focus. The clip i shot and edited is 26MB so i dont know how to put it on this site but ive provided a link to a lesser quality version of the clip:

http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/chunhefnerf163/?action=view&current=GrinsTattsVid.flv

Any advice will be greatly appreciated
 
t looked like a documentary, instead of cinematic, because of the lighting.

The DVX gives you two very important aspects of looking like film -- the frame rate, and the progressive (whole picture). But that's only a component -- in order for it to look like what you see in the movies, you have to shoot cinematically, and probably the biggest part of that is how it's lit.

Learn as much as you can about cinematographic lighting and it'll be a big step toward achieving what you want. :beer:
 
I thought the lighting was actually pretty cool. I think the thing that made it look doco to me was the camerawork: handheld, pretty shaky, moving around, not classic cinematic angles and compositions.

As mentioned, you have the frame rate and the progressive footage. Make sure you are using the normal shutter speed 1/48. Try to use the ND filters and lighting to get the iris to around F2.8. Turn down the Detail settings in the scene file to take the digital edge off the picture. Watch film to learn the classic cinematic camera angles and compositions. Arrange the talent and the camera so there is depth in the scene and depth in the lighting. A dolly/jib shot would really raise the production value. Keep the shots nice and tight, wider shots are tend to always look like video.

BTW, black diffusion is my favorite as well. Even just a touch, like a 1.0, really alters the look into something more organic.
 
I know nothing about lighting but is there any quick tips you can give me for lighting, and where i can get some cheap lighting fixtures(around the $200 range) One of my goals is to shoot and edit a music video for a good friend of mine who might sign with Fat Joe and his Terror Squad imprint.
 
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