C100: C100 Narrative anyone?

From my experience, knowing how the noise floor works and how canon Log exposes is it's secret to success. If I know I won't be crushing the blacks and want shadow detail I shoot 640 ISO and below, with the knowledge that I lose highlights.

Also shooting with VIEW ASSIST turned on while in Canon Log. I have a shortcut button set on my camera to turn it on and off. I see people overexpose Canon Log all the time. The filmic roll off comes from under exposing and then pulling the highlights up.


*Maximillion
Footage looks great blown up! We had a sceening of this project which I shot at a theater and it looked great on the big screen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97nmOx52y-s
 
Just shot a short a couple of weeks ago. First time shooting on the C100 vs the RED and have been VERY impressed with the footage, along with the ease of use with the camera during shooting (like one battery lasted all day). Here's a few screen grabs. I shot in Wide DR because I felt this would be more useful than c-log because of the location and shooting using natural light. Although the sky looks kinda blown out, this is mainly due to the rough grade I have on there, but trust me the highlights are all there. Just goes to show how good Wide DR is.

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I really love the composition of the last shot. There were many different colors and textures yet the frame does not look busy. I love how the grey rocks frame and point toward the man on his knees
 
mrl72 said:
Just shot a short a couple of weeks ago. First time shooting on the C100 vs the RED and have been VERY impressed with the footage, along with the ease of use with the camera during shooting (like one battery lasted all day). Here's a few screen grabs. I shot in Wide DR because I felt this would be more useful than c-log because of the location and shooting using natural light. Although the sky looks kinda blown out, this is mainly due to the rough grade I have on there, but trust me the highlights are all there. Just goes to show how good Wide DR is.

ex2.jpg


ex1.jpg


ex3.jpg
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looks awesome, any links to the short pr a few teaser shots?
 
Thanks! Don't have any clips yet as I'm still editing it but I'll post something here in the next few weeks. Not sure if it'll go online or try at some festivals first. But if I can whip up a short clip I will.

Cheers.
 
mrl72 said:
Just shot a short a couple of weeks ago. First time shooting on the C100 vs the RED and have been VERY impressed with the footage, along with the ease of use with the camera during shooting (like one battery lasted all day). Here's a few screen grabs. I shot in Wide DR because I felt this would be more useful than c-log because of the location and shooting using natural light. Although the sky looks kinda blown out, this is mainly due to the rough grade I have on there, but trust me the highlights are all there. Just goes to show how good Wide DR is.
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Great shots, the car interior being my favorite! If you can´t post a trailer yet, maybe write a little more about your setup and why you ended up shooting the C100...?
 
Here's some behind the scenes shots. This was no elaborate setup, especially compared to my other films (which were all shot on the Epic BTW and had 10-20 times the budget). Having just owned (and sold) a RED Scarlet for 3 years I chose the C100 because I personally think the image is better, or at least, more cinematic. It's also easier to shoot with (lighter, quieter, batteries last, like, forever). Sure it has its downfalls (like not being able to see the waveform monitor when the camera is mounted high up) but once you get past the "crap why did I just trade a 4K camera for a HD camera" thoughts that gave me nightmares for the first few weeks, and everyone telling me I was dumb for moving away from 4K, once you start shooting with it that all goes out the window. Most of my crew are RED fanboys and they scoffed at it at first but when they saw the images that shut them up lol.

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Just my opinion of course after shooting with the Scarlet for 3 years. Everyone may see something different in the image. I just believe it looks better, at the same resolution etc.

Shot Prores on the Ninja2 on a 240GB SSD drive which lasted for 2 days without even needing to change it out. Versus my Scarlet which I'd have to dump every couple of hours lol.
 
This is nice stuff.

I'm with you, I love the look of the c100, which can be very creamy and, yes, filmic, even though some guys as you mentioned (aka your crew) poopoo the thing until they see what it can actually do.

It's like the girl who all the boys at school don't take a second look at -- then they see her in summer at the pool. (Please don't anyone take offense at the analogy; it truly isn't meant in a sexist way, and I hope you all get the meaning).

Also, I was wondering about the sky being blown out until you explained. I just shot outside in sun the other day and was stunned when I had a look at the footage later and saw how much latitude the image held. I thought, did someone stuff a different camera inside here somehow; I didn't think it was supposed to be able to do this.

Anyway, the short looks like it's gonna be real pretty.
 
mrl72 said:
Just shot a short a couple of weeks ago. First time shooting on the C100 vs the RED and have been VERY impressed with the footage, along with the ease of use with the camera during shooting (like one battery lasted all day). Here's a few screen grabs. I shot in Wide DR because I felt this would be more useful than c-log because of the location and shooting using natural light. Although the sky looks kinda blown out, this is mainly due to the rough grade I have on there, but trust me the highlights are all there. Just goes to show how good Wide DR is.

ex2.jpg


ex1.jpg


ex3.jpg
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Is that Todd Bruno?
 
Yeah, that's Todd. A good friend and a super talented actor. He was in my last film too. Just a matter of time before he hits it big.
 
I too use the c100 for just about everything, narrative included. way back when BMC1 was supposed to come out, i had it preordered and intended to use on a film noir, all dark stuff run and gun micro budget with a director who loves infinite focus. Thankfully the BMC never made it, and i picked up a C100, couldn't have been happier! The cleaner high iso has been an absolute savior for this particular production where additional resources just weren't there. The AVCHD holds up better than many would expect, but i do really wish the ninja star had been around when we started shooting.

tons of frame grabs from the film, nothing seriously graded, just some contrasty curves

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.637516526275112.1073741826.290985734261528&type=1
 
mrl72 said:
Yeah, that's Todd. A good friend and a super talented actor. He was in my last film too. Just a matter of time before he hits it big.
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I also love the C100. It makes such a beautiful picture. Also, everything I have read agrees with your usage of WideDR vs. C-log. I have been shooting exclusively with WideDR and found it to grade well. I do think that the addition of the Atomos Ninja Blade was worth the $1k though. I went that route and it gives you a little more room to work.
 
Darren Levine said:
I too use the c100 for just about everything, narrative included. way back when BMC1 was supposed to come out, i had it preordered and intended to use on a film noir, all dark stuff run and gun micro budget with a director who loves infinite focus. Thankfully the BMC never made it, and i picked up a C100, couldn't have been happier! The cleaner high iso has been an absolute savior for this particular production where additional resources just weren't there. The AVCHD holds up better than many would expect, but i do really wish the ninja star had been around when we started shooting.

tons of frame grabs from the film, nothing seriously graded, just some contrasty curves

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.637516526275112.1073741826.290985734261528&type=1
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Please don't take offence at this, but those images look very video like and electronic to me (which was the point i was making about the C100 earlier in the thread). And that is how a lot of my own stuff comes out ( I own the camera but use other cameramen).

the stuff shot by mrl72 looks like it could come from a Red. filmic, cinema etc. sharper and more detailed. and convinces me that this little camera can do more.

so whats the technical difference? Lens? Lighting? External Recording? Why does one image look electronic and the other organic?



(BTW Darren I love you reviews, and it was your C100 one that contributed to me buying one...)
 
Snap said:
Please don't take offence at this, but those images look very video like and electronic to me (which was the point i was making about the C100 earlier in the thread). And that is how a lot of my own stuff comes out ( I own the camera but use other cameramen).

the stuff shot by mrl72 looks like it could come from a Red. filmic, cinema etc. sharper and more detailed. and convinces me that this little camera can do more.

so whats the technical difference? Lens? Lighting? External Recording? Why does one image look electronic and the other organic?



(BTW Darren I love you reviews, and it was your C100 one that contributed to me buying one...)
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For me, and for visuals, it's a number of things: Location, wardrobe/makeup, lighting, composition, lens choice, camera movement, grading. I have yet to shoot under artificial lighting with this camera, and I always thought Canon had the best image (coupled with good glass) under natural, soft light. So maybe that's part reason why it could be more filmic.

Here's a pre-graded shot of that same scene inside the truck. For the record this scene was shot with the Rokinon 85mm Cine lens!

Sequence-02.Still048.jpg


Base grade done in Davinci then FilmConvert LUT added with 40% grain final render in Prores Proxy to maintain grain for online. Final grade:

Sequence-02.Still049.jpg
 
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Snap said:
Please don't take offence at this, but those images look very video like and electronic to me (which was the point i was making about the C100 earlier in the thread). And that is how a lot of my own stuff comes out ( I own the camera but use other cameramen).

the stuff shot by mrl72 looks like it could come from a Red. filmic, cinema etc. sharper and more detailed. and convinces me that this little camera can do more.

so whats the technical difference? Lens? Lighting? External Recording? Why does one image look electronic and the other organic?



(BTW Darren I love you reviews, and it was your C100 one that contributed to me buying one...)
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no offense at all. i had no control over the micro budget of that film, which had practically no makeup/art/etc..., let alone help with or sufficient lights, so i do what i can with it.
More importantly, remember i said all those shots are not seriously graded.

glad you enjoy the reviews! reminds me i gotta finish up that GH4 one...
 
I thought your shots looked great Darren. But you can definitely tell the outside shots look better, which to my point above, is where I think this camera shines more.
 
I've been really impressed with Impulz LUTs for the C100. I find they give a nice filmic look. They are quick and easy to apply in FCPx and other NLE's. In saying that I don't shoot narrative at all - primarily interviews and promotional films.
 
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