Film Look...

P

Paul Kramm.net

Active member
OK....I'm looking for that film look on my HPX500.
This is where i'm starting from:
720p 24pn with 180 degree shutter with the scine file D.

what can i do to give it more of that film look...maybe filters?


thanks, Paul
 
it will have nothing to do with filters, its all lighting. If you dont have filmick lighting its not going to matter what settings you have on your camera.
 
Giuseppe is, of course, correct, it is about 90% lighting, blocking and camera movement.

But if you just want to add film flaws like gate weave grain and messing with the gamma, Magic Bullet is great for adding those film characteristics (really shortcomings).

Dan
 
Cranky said:
A third thread in three days? Not counting the older ones...
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Really.....in three days
Why so "Cranky"....

so then.......how about the shutter, is 180 degree good for that film feel.
or no shutter? 24fps? blacks set at?

Thanks, Paul

PS.......don't be so "Cranky"....lol
 
It's not just in the lighting, it's also in the colors/color correction. Go on vimeo and check out some color correction reels where they show the before/after. In my opinion the only way to truly get around that video look is with color correction.
 
And its not just color correction. It's about set and costume design. It's amazing how much easier it is to light when you have spent a lot of time on your design first.
 
William_Robinette said:
And its not just color correction. It's about set and costume design. It's amazing how much easier it is to light when you have spent a lot of time on your design first.
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Are you a set designer? Everyone will say you need what they do. In a minute a make-up artist will come in and say better hair and make-up. Which is actually true also. However I think color correction is the big key you're looking for. Video footage tends to look dreary and flat and a little grey. To get those colors to pop, become saturated, have a softness, that's color correction.
 
redtrain said:
However I think color correction is the big key you're looking for. Video footage tends to look dreary and flat and a little grey. To get those colors to pop, become saturated, have a softness, that's color correction.
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Not in Saving Private Ryan and any war film I can name. Color correction helps, but all the color grading in the world doesn't do anything if all you have to work with is a blank white wall. Well shot footage needs very little color grading.
 
i believe it still comes down to basic composure of the shot and lighting... and color correction is part of it, but even un-colorcorrected film still looks like film. so thats not it. If everything is flat and dull thats what you get... compose your shots well and it will look cinematic, theres really no other way around it.
 
I work with film and digital and even in the best of circumstances, I notice a difference depending on the settings of the camera. No matter what, even the crappiest images on film have a different look than those images on digital. You can debate all you want about what gives the best film look, and obviously great everything will make it look great, and thus like a professional 'film'. This is obvious, but to get the setting to mimic film is something on it's own, not just making it look like a 'film', but rather to make it look like film stock shot with a film camera.

Yes it is about lighting and color more than anything, especially to crush those blacks, since digital has such a low latitude of light, these are some of the most important elements.

But, in terms of settings, 180 degrees, 24p is a good start, which is what standard film cameras shoot at. Not sure what blacks, I've just done it by eye, using a cinelike setting, crushing the blacks a bit (but that can be done in post for more control).

How are the HPX lenses? A 35mm adapter helps a lot, because film usually uses long lenses that crush the DOF compared to usual digital cameras. A short DOF really gives off a film feel (even though sometimes long DOF is used in film, but I never like that and feel it's a bit bland especially with digital). I think adapters also give a bit of that grain, but not too sure how that works. Not sure if they would have and adapter for the HPX.
 
Paul Kramm.net said:
OK....I'm looking for that film look on my HPX500.
This is where i'm starting from:
720p 24pn with 180 degree shutter with the scine file D.

what can i do to give it more of that film look...maybe filters?


thanks, Paul
Click to expand...


Scene file D gives you a low contrast images storing higher dynamic range.. its good if you have a good grading maniplulation and knowlage or if you gave a grader understands this game.. i used similar color/gamma profiles in different cameras including hvx200, 7D, 5D and Nikon D5000.. and you'll be surprised if told you that I have matched all the footage from these four cameras together in one film that most people doesn't know what kind of medium (film or digital) is used to shoot this film.. for hvx200 is used cinelike D and some extra pushing in the blacks (the results was noisy but I think it might give you better results with the hpx500).. for 7D and 5D MKII I used marvel cine Picture style.. for Nikon D5000 all adjustments done manually..
most images went to my post very low contrast.. and thus have a huge dynamic range to work with in post.. you need good post tools and good noise reduction tool.. for me it was fun.. but it took a lot of time doing it and a lot of time waiting the machine to render.. but I loved the results..
in the end pushing camera settings to increase possible captured DR is always giving you a good chance to recover in post...
also decreasing DR using lighting in your scene or using low contrast filters also helps a lot in getting less errors.. but don't over do it..
if you have some more budget.. do a film transfer.. it solve 40% of how film looks..
DOF and 3D lighting are aesthetics of film medium.. using it needs extra tools.. but in the end its more about creative decesions.. there is scenes that needs to be flat and long DOF..

Mo
 
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