Camera for First Time Director

I got a used DVX100B a year ago and continue to be blown away by the images it can capture. I started on 35mm still and 8mm/super 8 when I was a kid and picking this camera up has been a breeze. What people here have said about viewers not caring about SD versus HD is true. We care about it-we're the technicals...we're supposed to care about it.

I caught PARANORMAL ACTIVITY a couple of weeks ago and if someone on this site put it up for critiques they'd get ripped to bits. However, that's from a technical perspective. Maybe the filmmakers went out of their way to make it look amateur...maybe they didn't allow themselves to worry about technical details and worried more about telling a story and character development. Either way it connected with people.

I learned it was better that I did some homework (but not obsess about it), made my camera choice and make films. Don't think you can't be 'true to your art' without a certain HD camera or 35mm adaptor or whatever.
 
The two things that stick out to me about this thread are A) as someone mentioned, please, please, please do have someone look over your script. You mentioned that you have a great story, etc -- make sure that you have a great, tightly engineered script. And make sure it's from someone who doesn't have a vested interest in you emotionally but, obviously, who you also trust. Never, ever, ever believe your own eyes or what you yourself are reading on the page. You may very well be creating things that aren't there -- and worse yet you may have things that don't translate to an actor's capability, B) I know you mentioned still pictures and having some experience there, but I think you have to know going in that it will probably take on about 5 years to have a professional understanding of just the basic fundamentals of what you're doing.

I only picked up a video camera for the first time 5 months ago and instead of just going out and shooting a feature or short film, I'm doing a webseries to learn my craft. I've been able to get awesome, real-time feedback from other filmmakers (and my audience) regarding the technical aspects of what I'm doing (as I spent the previous ten years focused SOLEY on writing before ever touching a camera).

So, for instance, after posting my first two episodes I got SO much feedback on the lighting problems, sound problems and the actor's performance problems I was able to go in and start really focusing on those three aspects going into my third shoot (for which the actors and I rehearsed every single day via phone and a couple times in person, as well as me lighting the heck outta that thing and renting higher quality mics -- and going with lavs to boot!)

Without critiques from our peers it is almost impossible for us ourselves to know what we need to improve on and better still HOW we can improve on it.

I think just diving in is always the best way to learn. You find out what you're good at and what you love or hate doing. I just want you to know that if you're just starting out in filmmaking, CHANCES are it will take the fast learner who is vastly creative about 5 years to get to what people would describe here as a "professional" level. I know there are random exceptions to this, but I just don't want you to be frustrated as you start down this new and hugely rewarding path.

And hey -- congratulations! The world can always use a good story from a unique perspective!
 
Richard J. Johnson said:
Just buy what can afford and works best for you. Any of those cameras can be amazing in the right hands. I would go HVX or HPX (used) or 7D personally.

But if money is your main issue then followed by image quality, the 7D seems like your best bang for the buck. You will just need something like a H4N for audio.
Click to expand...
I agree. Buy what you can afford. I'm getting a Canon HF200. The image quality is amazing and better than the DVX100 I used two years ago to shoot my first movie.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top