Has anyone on here used the GH1 on a film shoot?
- Thread starter rc444
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Barry_Green
Moderator
Yes, Jack and I did two projects with Vincent Pascoe as DP. The footage is fan-friggin'-tastic. But the camera is limited as compared to a "real" HD video camera. The thing that was killing us was no video output to a monitor, and a big inconvenience was that there's no headphone jack for monitoring audio. And, of course, no zebras, no waveform monitor, etc... but the live histogram was pretty useful for setting exposure so that wasn't actually that much of an inconvenience.
The small size is fantastic, it let us get some shots we never could have gotten any other way. The batteries last forever, and the video quality is simply awesome (when all goes well; of course there's scenarios where the camera can't cope as well too). Overall we were very happy with it; in fact the D.P. liked it so much he bought that camera off Jack right then and there so he could use it on some other jobs he had that week.
Sound was a pain; there's no proper XLR inputs on a GH1, so we ran dual-system on a Zoom H4N and we also piped mics directly into the GH1 using a Beachtek. Certainly not ideal, but it won't kill you, and I preferred the Zoom over the Beachtek, especially because we could play back clips and monitor them in the headphones(!), but using a separate recorder also means you have to slate each take and sync all the audio separately in post. A bit of a hassle, certainly another step backwards from a proper/traditional HD video camera.
Overall, the GH1 was the most videocamera-like of all the DSLRs, so it wasn't too much of a compromise in using it, and the footage looks way better than it has any right to at $1500. Vincent Pascoe did a fantastic job of really making it shine.
The small size is fantastic, it let us get some shots we never could have gotten any other way. The batteries last forever, and the video quality is simply awesome (when all goes well; of course there's scenarios where the camera can't cope as well too). Overall we were very happy with it; in fact the D.P. liked it so much he bought that camera off Jack right then and there so he could use it on some other jobs he had that week.
Sound was a pain; there's no proper XLR inputs on a GH1, so we ran dual-system on a Zoom H4N and we also piped mics directly into the GH1 using a Beachtek. Certainly not ideal, but it won't kill you, and I preferred the Zoom over the Beachtek, especially because we could play back clips and monitor them in the headphones(!), but using a separate recorder also means you have to slate each take and sync all the audio separately in post. A bit of a hassle, certainly another step backwards from a proper/traditional HD video camera.
Overall, the GH1 was the most videocamera-like of all the DSLRs, so it wasn't too much of a compromise in using it, and the footage looks way better than it has any right to at $1500. Vincent Pascoe did a fantastic job of really making it shine.
John Caballero
Veteran
Barry, any chance of looking at any footage from that shoot anywhere?
Barry_Green
Moderator
Now that Jack's got a break from his whirlwind festival tour, I'll see if he can post up something...
John Caballero
Veteran
Thanks Barry, I would love to check it out.
bill totolo
Veteran
Ditto what Barry said. Very happy over all. Great device.
commanderspike
Carbonite Member
As an example, Nightlight was a fantastic use of c-mount lenses and the GH1 in a proper film making environment:
Shows what's possible when we stop pixel peeping
Shows what's possible when we stop pixel peeping
Glenn Przyborski
Member
The GH1 is used in commercial production
The GH1 is used in commercial production
I direct & photograph TV commercials for clients and agencies across the country. In addition to a Sony F900R, I also own and use a GH1 and I just acquired a 7D. I use the DSLR's for action "B-Roll" cutaways...
The GH1 has a poor implementation of the AVCHD codec... but I sincerely believe the images from the camera are both sharper and have less aliasing artifacts than the 7D. It's not mentioned on any of these forums, but the 7D looks great in shallow depth of field situations with a close-up face and a blurred background. But, if you have any sharp horizontal or near horizontal lines in your scene IMHO the 7D's 1080p@24 footage is unusable. Canon has a very good codec implementation and a below average image scaling chipset.
The GH1 has more detail in it's images and only seems to have problems with tightly spaced vertical lines.
On a recent commercial shoot for Boca Raton Community Hospital, I primarily shot with the F900R, but in the clip below, 8 of the scenes were shot on the GH1. I used an Olympus Zuiko 14mm-35mm F2 zoom (which costs more and weighs more than the GH1.)
http://www.przyborski.com/HD_movies/BRCH-Community-960x540_H264.mov
I found the secret to getting the best image from the GH1 is to use a modified version of the "smooth" video setting. I set the contrast to -2, sharpness at 0, color level at 0, and most importantly, noise reduction at -2. Keep the shutter at 1/50. Lowering the contrast to -2 gives more detail in the darker areas of your scene and when combined with the lowest NR setting, the codec seems to perform better.
The GH1 is used in commercial production
I direct & photograph TV commercials for clients and agencies across the country. In addition to a Sony F900R, I also own and use a GH1 and I just acquired a 7D. I use the DSLR's for action "B-Roll" cutaways...
The GH1 has a poor implementation of the AVCHD codec... but I sincerely believe the images from the camera are both sharper and have less aliasing artifacts than the 7D. It's not mentioned on any of these forums, but the 7D looks great in shallow depth of field situations with a close-up face and a blurred background. But, if you have any sharp horizontal or near horizontal lines in your scene IMHO the 7D's 1080p@24 footage is unusable. Canon has a very good codec implementation and a below average image scaling chipset.
The GH1 has more detail in it's images and only seems to have problems with tightly spaced vertical lines.
On a recent commercial shoot for Boca Raton Community Hospital, I primarily shot with the F900R, but in the clip below, 8 of the scenes were shot on the GH1. I used an Olympus Zuiko 14mm-35mm F2 zoom (which costs more and weighs more than the GH1.)
http://www.przyborski.com/HD_movies/BRCH-Community-960x540_H264.mov
I found the secret to getting the best image from the GH1 is to use a modified version of the "smooth" video setting. I set the contrast to -2, sharpness at 0, color level at 0, and most importantly, noise reduction at -2. Keep the shutter at 1/50. Lowering the contrast to -2 gives more detail in the darker areas of your scene and when combined with the lowest NR setting, the codec seems to perform better.
commanderspike
Carbonite Member
Thats good advice. Liking it
7D and 5D can't handle near-horizontal lines very well at all. It's the well known moire problem. GH1 doesn't have this but the codec, like you say, give the GH1 an achilles heel of it's own.
What did you make of the GH1's colour & dynamic range versus 7D? Mine's a bit of a disaster versus 5D.
7D and 5D can't handle near-horizontal lines very well at all. It's the well known moire problem. GH1 doesn't have this but the codec, like you say, give the GH1 an achilles heel of it's own.
What did you make of the GH1's colour & dynamic range versus 7D? Mine's a bit of a disaster versus 5D.
Glenn Przyborski
Member
I looked at the output of both the 7D and GH1 at relatively low ISO settings (400, 200, 100) on a broadcast quality monitor and assuming you set the contrast to -2 as I mentioned above, I didn't see any appreciable difference in dynamic range. Many of the members on this site cherish the idea of shooting at ISO 1200, 3200 and above, but I've never had the need to do so. I don't want to get 7D members on my butt, but others at our edit facility who are used to screening high-end HD, thought the 7D 1080p footage had the sharpness and image quality of 720P, blown up to 1080.
The 7D is probably a better still camera though... but I'm biased toward Canon optics. (Nikon optics are also very good, but the focus barrels turn in the wrong direction.)
Glenn Przyborski
Member
Thanks for your kind comments... The F900R scenes were all shot from a Fisher 10 crab dolly using a Ronford head. All the GH1 scenes were shot hand-held except for the very last scene of the hospital exterior where I mounted my little GH1 on a set of Gitzo sticks.
Several of the shots have ramped speed changes within the scene. I've found that (becuse of the codec) when possible, it's better to do a slow pan with the GH1, then use the new speed tools in FCP7 to quickly change speeds.
Barry_Green
Moderator
Glenn, welcome to the forum, and please continue to share your experiences.
Glenn Przyborski
Member
Night Light is an example of great photography, direction, story telling, editing, mixing, etc. It's amazing to think that it was shot on the tiny GH1. This short film wouldn't been any move visually interesting and entertaining if it had been shot with an F35 or Panavision Genesis. Great Job!As an example, Nightlight was a fantastic use of c-mount lenses and the GH1 in a proper film making environment:
Shows what's possible when we stop pixel peeping
philiplipetz
Veteran
Glenn,
Great stuff!! thanks! Could you tell us if you shot the GH1 at 720p or 1080? Also did you encounter any problems in post matching the two cams? Which was which in the video? Fun to guess. Also I assume that you set up lights for this shoot.
Great stuff!! thanks! Could you tell us if you shot the GH1 at 720p or 1080? Also did you encounter any problems in post matching the two cams? Which was which in the video? Fun to guess. Also I assume that you set up lights for this shoot.
themartist
Active member
As an example, Nightlight was a fantastic use of c-mount lenses and the GH1 in a proper film making environment:
Shows what's possible when we stop pixel peeping
we?
I also used the GH1 as second cam on a shoot and only had to color correct it against the HVX.
Very happy!!!
And I congratulate Solomon Chase and his team for the great lil short movie thats been quoted so many times here! Awesome story with 0 dialogue and well done!!! I really like the film ( no matter what it was shot with!)
Very happy!!!
And I congratulate Solomon Chase and his team for the great lil short movie thats been quoted so many times here! Awesome story with 0 dialogue and well done!!! I really like the film ( no matter what it was shot with!)
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I just gurgeled a bit and found this:
For those not familiar with the hydraulic crab dolly — like everything American — they are a carefully controlled commodity which is only available by lease and never to own, by two manufacturers: Chapman-Leonard who makes the Peewee, Hustler, and Hybrid dolly, and J.L Fischer who makes the Fischer 11, Fischer 10.
These two giants control a monopoly. They only build so many units, so there is no supply, and it creates a demand. No one can own the dolly so there is no way to discount it. Even the rental house has to pay a lease to Chapman or Fischer every month for the privilege of renting the crab dolly to its customers. The design of the hydraulic crab dolly dates back to World War II. Originally manufactured to load bombs into airplanes, are these dolly’s really manufactured by Lockheed-Martin for Hollywood? It’s a conspiracy theory in the making.
Years ago an Italian company reverse engineered the Peewee dolly, rebuilt it with standardized machined parts for mass distribution, and outfitted it with a better hydraulic system. Chapman sued the **** out of them and banned sales in North America, crippling thier revenue and sending them out of business before they could establish a mass-production line and bring the hydraulic crab dolly to people like you and I.
end quote
is this still the situation?
sorry for hijacking...
philiplipetz
Veteran
Here is a beer commercial shot on a GH1, a new one. http://vimeo.com/6979569 Used Canon 50mm f1.4 primarily.
It is clear that with proper light the GH1 works well. From the posts of CommanderSpike, and others, it appears that the GH1 is not so good above ISO400. Which is what Glenn suggested in this thread.
Still fine work. Still waiting to hear from Glenn. He did great stuff.
It is clear that with proper light the GH1 works well. From the posts of CommanderSpike, and others, it appears that the GH1 is not so good above ISO400. Which is what Glenn suggested in this thread.
Still fine work. Still waiting to hear from Glenn. He did great stuff.
Glenn Przyborski
Member
Using GH1 footage in TV spots
Using GH1 footage in TV spots
All the footage was shot 1080P. After using FCP to "Log and Transfer" the GH1's footage to a 1080i timeline. I cut down all the potentially usable scenes, then go back to each edit and make sure the 3-2 cadence is maintained across the cuts. This culled down 1080i footage is exported as a series of 3 to 5 minute 1080i, non-compressed QT movies. I use "Compressor" to remove the 3-2 pulldown and export 23.976fps, ProRes422 HQ movies. This footage is integrated on the timeline with the HDCam's captured 23.976 footage. It sounds more complicated than it is...
We did not use any lighting for the open heart surgery scenes. As far as which scenes were shot with the GH1... The first shot entering the OR... the nurse in the hallway... women at the nurse's station... all 3 shots in the first cath lab sequence... the female intern & swish pan to the young male intern... the African American nurse on the phone... and the closing scene of the hospital building. FYI, the campaign also included 2 other spots which also contain GH1 footage...
http://www.przyborski.com/HD_movies/BRCH-CardioCare-960x540_H264.mov
http://www.przyborski.com/HD_movies/BRCH-CancerCare-960x540_H264.mov
Using GH1 footage in TV spots
Philip... I had a full crew for the Boca Raton Hospital shoot, 6 of the guys are "regulars" on the USA Network show, "Burn Notice" I used 1200 watt Arri HMI's, Kino-Flo 2' and 4' fixtures, with the tubes covered with blue gel, and 2 small 12"x12" LED panels.
All the footage was shot 1080P. After using FCP to "Log and Transfer" the GH1's footage to a 1080i timeline. I cut down all the potentially usable scenes, then go back to each edit and make sure the 3-2 cadence is maintained across the cuts. This culled down 1080i footage is exported as a series of 3 to 5 minute 1080i, non-compressed QT movies. I use "Compressor" to remove the 3-2 pulldown and export 23.976fps, ProRes422 HQ movies. This footage is integrated on the timeline with the HDCam's captured 23.976 footage. It sounds more complicated than it is...
We did not use any lighting for the open heart surgery scenes. As far as which scenes were shot with the GH1... The first shot entering the OR... the nurse in the hallway... women at the nurse's station... all 3 shots in the first cath lab sequence... the female intern & swish pan to the young male intern... the African American nurse on the phone... and the closing scene of the hospital building. FYI, the campaign also included 2 other spots which also contain GH1 footage...
http://www.przyborski.com/HD_movies/BRCH-CardioCare-960x540_H264.mov
http://www.przyborski.com/HD_movies/BRCH-CancerCare-960x540_H264.mov