GH2 How I busted Zacuto's mystery ...

I'm not familiar enough with the other cameras to spot their respective subtleties. I'm comfortable guessing that D is the iPhone and G is the 7D. The resolution difference is apparent full screen, and G has the Canon contrasy color look...though that could be done in post I suppose.

The only one that caught my eye as far as GH2 subtleties was B, which had the shimmering look on the patterned black and white shirt (girl in the back) during camera movement. I've seen that happen with patterns a lot on my GH2 footage. I've only used the lumix lenses though. I'm not sure if it appears with other lenses.
 
yoclay said:
The only thing this shootout really proves (and what I think is their point), is that if you light and shoot in a manner optimized for the camera you are working with, the camera is virtually a non-issue today. That said, I think it is very healthy to ask us to look at what we like image wise without the expectations and prejudices we automatically bring to the table surrounding a cameras name or price. Playing detective to "figure it out" based on any other peripheral information is really a bit silly and beside the point in this regard.
Well, whatever. To each his own.
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Thank you, finally someone gets it. Bruce said exactly what you are saying. Why do you think our special guests being interviewed are talking about talent, light, collaboration and giving their advice to you. They are telling you that the camera is not that important in the total equation. Do you think if I gave a 7D to Janusz that he wouldn't make stellar images with it. Moreover, tell an incredible story with it. Of course he would and we all know it. He'd probably bring a DIT who would help help light for that camera but the end (collaborative) result would be amazing. The test is the fun part, if anyone of you get's too interested in it, then I know that I have failed to get my message across to you. Let's start talking about how to light for a GH2, or lighting in general. Interviewing, editing, story, the real stuff that makes the difference between something that looks good and something that is marketable and sellable. Steve Weiss
 
Gary Huff said:
That depends. I think his images wouldn't look too nice projected here at one of the local Alamo Drafthouses in Sony 4k.
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first off, there are very few 4K theater in 2012, additionally, I'm not sure that many of you realize that this is a business!!! That's why it's called the movie business. Do you think that Janusz ability to tell a story with his cinematography would make Hollywood one dollar less if it looked slightly different then the best camera out there projected in 4K? No. Again, he would probably not want to use a GH2 because it does not have all the creature comforts of a RED or Alexa but for one of use here on the blog it gives us hope that if we have any talent, an excellent story, directing acting, sound, and lastly camera. To maybe create something that is marketable and sellable. Who cares if it looks a hair better in a 4K theater. See the movie the Celebration which was shot on a Sony $500 camera years ago, the film is amazing and after 2 seconds of watching it they grab you and you don't know that the picture sucks and that was in SD mini-dv. LETS START TALKING ABOUT THE REAL STUFF: story, directing, acting, sound, editing & camera. Because that is the order of importance.
 
I'm not so certain about very few, one of the largest theaters here in Toronto is completely 4k projectors. Oh and the only theater I watch movies in now... unless the movie I want to see is only playing in "select theaters"

Of course character pacing lighting and just general storytelling are incredibly important but that's kind of obvious, it's like saying to a photographer that you have to have a composition and interesting subjects for good pictures, you can't just shoot a blank wall... we all know it or should.

I could write a story with a stick in dirt, that doesn't mean I will or argue that it doesn't matter what I write my story with because it does. Not saying I need a titanium pen with a laser guider and eye level, just that the tool you use matters and can change depending on the scenario you are in or the desired outcome.

It's a great time we are in affordable and functional tools for all levels of ability and with room to grow, but please lets be more clear about the realities of the differences between these cameras and the difficulties of getting the lower end ones to look like the higher end cameras and coming to realistic conclusions about who should use what for different scenarios.

I would love to see a test done in the vein of the scientific method next time reduce the variables and show us the real cameras, or make packages for each level of filmmaking and allow multiple DP's use the packages to film the same set up to show the differences in packages.

Thanks for all the hard work and the interesting doc on cinematography!
 
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PaPa said:
My only real guess is that D would be the Epic. I assume that stuttery motion is due to the dual exposure with the two different shutters. But it's quite contrasty so i dunno.

On second thought, the shot has virtually infinite Depth of field, so my vote is that D is the iphone. ( there is an iphone right? )
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If you read Ryan Walter blog, he decided to not use the HDRX version ...

Yes, D is Iphone and G is 7D ... B is GH2. These three are real clear now.

F3 is A and F is Alexa ...

Let's spill out the rest guys
 
S. Matthews said:
I'm not so certain about very few, one of the largest theaters here in Toronto is completely 4k projectors. Oh and the only theater I watch movies in now... unless the movie I want to see is only playing in "select theaters"

Of course character pacing lighting and just general storytelling are incredibly important but that's kind of obvious, it's like saying to a photographer that you have to have a composition and interesting subjects for good pictures, you can't just shoot a blank wall... we all know it or should.

I could write a story with a stick in dirt, that doesn't mean I will or argue that it doesn't matter what I write my story with because it does. Not saying I need a titanium pen with a laser guider and eye level, just that the tool you use matters and can change depending on the scenario you are in or the desired outcome.

It's a great time we are in affordable and functional tools for all levels of ability and with room to grow, but please lets be more clear about the realities of the differences between these cameras and the difficulties of getting the lower end ones to look like the higher end cameras and coming to realistic conclusions about who should use what for different scenarios.

I would love to see a test done in the vein of the scientific method next time reduce the variables and show us the real cameras, or make packages for each level of filmmaking and allow multiple DP's use the packages to film the same set up to show the differences in packages.

Thanks for all the hard work and the interesting doc on cinematography!
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You will see the empirical test in episode three where none of the variables are changed if that matters to you which camera looks better on paper. Here are the actual stats for 4K theaters.
World Wide Statistics:
58.8% of worldwide theater screens 73,380 projected on film
41.2% of worldwide theater screens 51,620 projected digitally
33.2% of all worldwide theater screens 41,620 have 2k projectors installed
8% of all worldwide theater screens approx. 10,000 (broad estimate received from projection manufacturers) may have 4k projectors installed (of these 10,000 projectors the majority of the screenings are still projected in 2K mainly because Hollywood has not released them in 4K)

Stephen Goldblatt, looked at the test at Skywalker and said it's hard to tell the differences between many of the cameras. Yes, there were differences. Again, People like him or Janusz will not use a DSLR but the point is that it's fine for any of us. Keep in mind, there have only been very few examples of an indie pictures ever really getting a wide theatrical release. Sorry to burst anyones bubble. Certainly, not in 4K. So for the web or TV, we are for sure splitting hairs. Pick a camera, master it, learn how to be a master of light and a master storyteller. That's what legends of the industry are telling you and I agree.

What did you think of the look of the interviews on black of Stephen, Haskell, etc.?
 
zacuto said:
LETS START TALKING ABOUT THE REAL STUFF: story, directing, acting, sound, editing & camera. Because that is the order of importance.
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The Transformers franchise disagrees with that list.

Also, I gave a specific example of a theater I attend all the time. In fact, pretty much all the movies I have seen this year have been projected in Sony 4k, so it matters to me at least.

See the movie the Celebration which was shot on a Sony $500 camera years ago, the film is amazing and after 2 seconds of watching it they grab you and you don't know that the picture sucks and that was in SD mini-dv.
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Perhaps so, but I've never heard of Celebration, so does that say something as well? Also, it's a pretty well-known complaint that 28 Days Later looks terrible on Blu-ray, even if the reason it doesn't look any better isn't well known.
 
zacuto said:
Again, People like him or Janusz will not use a DSLR but the point is that it's fine for any of us.
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That's very true. And if I worked on any project with a respectable camera budget, I wouldn't use a DSLR either for anything besides a crash cam.
 
Is it possible to guess Epic from the Epic lighting? (Assuming B is GH2)


First there is Zacuto original lights (F65 team didn't make any changes)


zacuto-basesetting.jpg



then changes done by Epic team


zacuto-ryansetting.jpg





Could E be the epic? (refection of the hair from the girl on the sofa?)
 
Gary Huff said:
The Transformers franchise disagrees with that list.

Also, I gave a specific example of a theater I attend all the time. In fact, pretty much all the movies I have seen this year have been projected in Sony 4k, so it matters to me at least.



Perhaps so, but I've never heard of Celebration, so does that say something as well? Also, it's a pretty well-known complaint that 28 Days Later looks terrible on Blu-ray, even if the reason it doesn't look any better isn't well known.
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Sony would also like to disagree with the amount of 4K projectors as well. We spent a month compiling that information from various sources and it's hard because I think a lot of those 4K projectors are in post houses and screening rooms. We have 4 4K projectors in Chicago, two of which are in theaters and 2 are in schools. We are the 3rd largest market in the USA. But the bottom line is that most theater owners bought into 2K and there is absolutely no reason to replace those projectors when they are working perfectly well. There is not much money in the theater business to begin with. Theater owners have been dialing down the projector bulbs and digital projector output to make them last longer, so the last thing they want to do is make a huge investment when most of the theaters have been outfitted already. It may take 10 years before we see all of these 2K projectors replaced and still they may go for the cheapest option.
 
evilthought said:
Is it possible to guess Epic from the Epic lighting? (Assuming B is GH2)


First there is Zacuto original lights (F65 team didn't make any changes)





then changes done by Epic team







Could E be the epic? (refection of the hair from the girl on the sofa?)
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I forgot one little nugget to say, we changed the letters from what people saw in the theater screenings because I knew even if I asked people would spill the beans.
 
So I'm wondering what the highlighted portion of this shot means (which is taken from just before the shot that started this thread). The GH2 doesn't shoot in 2K, and looking at the tech specs for the shootout, none of the cameras were shot at 2k. I can't imagine they brought down the resolution of the F65, Alexa, and Red. But why would they also scale up the resolution of the others which were all shot at 1920x1080?

What am I not getting? Are they correcting lower/higher resolution footage at a 2K resolution and hence the "Vid Fmt Mismatc" warning? I don't know enough about Baselight to know what that error might mean.

box.jpg
 
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zacuto said:
I forgot one little nugget to say, we changed the letters from what people saw in the theater screenings because I knew even if I asked people would spill the beans.
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Well, I already suspected you changed the letters, but I am sure people who watched it before, can still tell them apart...

We already know D is Iphone, G is 7D, and B is GH2

Don't worry zacuto, someone will spill the beans for the rest!

A month wait? That's ridiculous. A week would have been enough. Two weeks, but WTF? A month?
 
zacuto said:
8% of all worldwide theater screens approx. 10,000 (broad estimate received from projection manufacturers) may have 4k projectors installed (of these 10,000 projectors the majority of the screenings are still projected in 2K mainly because Hollywood has not released them in 4K)
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The Bad News: 4K projectors may mean nothing.

I have a favorite local cinema that advertizes "all new 4K projectors" but a friend of mine who worked some regional promotion to theaters of "Prometheus" told me that "most" 4K theaters are only showing 2K movie files! DOH!
The IMAX's are all getting 4K files to project - but to his knowledge as of June 12th most "4K Theaters" in the USA were receiving and therefor showing only the 2K files.
I was hugely disappointed.
Now I know why I am always so blown away by the past couple of years of IMAX stuff.
 
evilthought said:
Well, I already suspected you changed the letters, but I am sure people who watched it before, can still tell them apart...

We already know D is Iphone, G is 7D, and B is GH2

Don't worry zacuto, someone will spill the beans for the rest!

A month wait? That's ridiculous. A week would have been enough. Two weeks, but WTF? A month?
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I'm still shooting elements for part two. Does anyone realize I have 4 editors working 12 hour days and then round the clock for the last two weeks. With close to 30 screenings and a hundred hours of interview and BTS footage, plus the test footage, this is a massive endeavor. Look at the credits. I can't make programming faster then this. Sorry, it will be hard to make that deadline. Even if I had more money, I still don't think I could do it faster. I'm sorry. steve
 
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