Film Look

robertwerden

robertwerden

Well-known member
I tried searching the words film look and was amazed not to find a topic with that title.

Ive been shooting all day attempting to get the "film Look"

Everything I shoot looks like video to me.

I set the camera to film cam at 24 fps.
What is the secret to get the look of film?

If someone has a setting they can tell me about it would be much appreciated.
 
The single biggest way to make video look like film is to light like you would for film. What everyone is eluding to, is that it really has nothing to do with the camera at all!

- Mikko
 
Sorry man, we're just razzing you. Because it takes a lot more than that to get a "film look." For instance, it takes skills in lighting and composition. In fact, these two things alone will get you closer to what you think of as a film look than 24P will.
 
robertwerden said:
I guess I took the hvx marketing material to literally then.
Click to expand...

As a camera, the HVX does much better than any of the other similarly priced HD camcorders at acheiving a film-like look. But it's just a camera. Filmmakers do a lot more than point cameras at something and shoot. Lighting, set design, lens settings/choices, costumes, camera movement, composition...even "stuff in the air" (smoke, rain, dust, lens flares etc. - Ridley Scott is a master at this)...all these are crucial to the result.

So...it's an *art*, ya know? You'll get the look you want if you put in the time to learn what you need to do aside from owning an HVX to get it.

Pretty soon I bet you'll find yourself having as much fun the rest of us have had in the hunt for that great cinematic look. Best of luck in your efforts.
 
Also . . .

Don't confuse the "film look" with "cinematic."

Poorly-shot film looks an awful lot like poorly-shot HVX material.

If you want the look of the movies, then you have to shoot like the movies. Otherwise, you get more or less the look of film shot the same way you're using the HVX.
 
You know, in my mind I knew the film look was not just in the camera before I bought the camera. When I started playing with the hvx and saw how many amazing features it had, I figured there was a magic button in one of the menus to make me a pro.
I was on the hunt for the "no need to go to film school button"

I have lots to learn. The best thing I guess is in my mind I can picture what I want to see on screen. I just now need to learn and try until I get it right.
 
Robert,
the best advice I can offer you is the following:

Shoot alot. Shoot alot and watch your footage, then watch it again. Then set it down for a week and watch it again. Look at everything, break down what it is that looks like "the film look" to you.

Cinematographers use moving images to convey story and emotion, the methods they use to do this has evolved over the years into what cinema is today. The look of a 180d shutter at 24fps with its slight motion blurs is much more filmic than the "video" 60i look. Camera Placement and appropriate movement (whether its a pan/tilt, a dolly, jib, or handheld), Lighting (quality, quantity, and ratios), and Color (saturation, temperature, contrasts) are all part of this language.

What you need to do is break each element down and master them. Then learn how to use them all together (this can take a lifetime) to tell your story in the most effective way possible.

Most people say Film Look, but what they really mean is that professional look, in other words movies that have high production value. This is achieved not just in camera or in the lighting, but in the set design; $100 smartly spent in art direction can make a movie look like it has 5x the budget.

Keep all this in mind as you use your wonderful new camera, and remember that the camera is an important part of a production, but in the end, its probably one of the least important. A good DP with a good lighting package can never be replaced by a good camera.

Have fun discovering the HVX200 and remember to not just shoot often, but to be a critic of your work. You don't learn simply by shooting, but by careful observation of every project. Try to plan ahead as much as possible, as pre-production is the most critical time for any project.

Good luck,
 
robertwerden said:
You know, in my mind I knew the film look was not just in the camera before I bought the camera. When I started playing with the hvx and saw how many amazing features it had, I figured there was a magic button in one of the menus to make me a pro.
I was on the hunt for the "no need to go to film school button"

I have lots to learn. The best thing I guess is in my mind I can picture what I want to see on screen. I just now need to learn and try until I get it right.
Click to expand...

And don't worry. Once you start getting into the things people here have said, the HVX does indeed perform like a champ. You can get amazing images out of it, and it will take you quite some time to grow into it and exhaust its capabilities. Have fun!
 
robertwerden said:
You know, in my mind I knew the film look was not just in the camera before I bought the camera. When I started playing with the hvx and saw how many amazing features it had, I figured there was a magic button in one of the menus to make me a pro.
I was on the hunt for the "no need to go to film school button"

I have lots to learn. The best thing I guess is in my mind I can picture what I want to see on screen. I just now need to learn and try until I get it right.
Click to expand...

50% of cinematography, is having a tight relationship with the set designer/art department, and location managers.....
 
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