Last Minute Advice Please....

T

Terraform

Active member
I am in Bosnia Herzegovina working on a Documentary and will be starting the production of a super super low budget narrative feature.
and I was wondering if you could give me some advice on settings and what not to do


I will be shooting with a Panasonic DVX100A and will be recording them directly to a Firestore FS4 HD with a tape backup.
I will be shooting them using the cameras 24PA setting to achieve the more "cinematic" look that he camera touts.
and I will also be using a Redrock M2 adapter so I can use Nikon 35mm Camera lenses (again to achieve shallow depth of focus and better focus control)
I have 2 shotgun mic's a ME66 and a ME64 (one for indoor and one for outdoor)
and will be using a macpro with final cut 2 to edit
and that is pretty much it.
I am hoping that both of these projects will be film festival worthy.
I would like to keep my options open as far as where they can go and how they can be distributed.
I most seriously doubt that either will be needing a 35mm transfer. but on the off off chance that I am able to capture something unique and desired
I again would like to know what to do and what not to do to keep that option open. (as long of a shot as it may be)

I know that this question is a bit generic and not wholly informative, but I suspect that you see the same mistakes being made with the dv medium and I am
hoping to lesson the chances of me falling into the same traps as other have done.

so if you have any advice I would greatly appreciate it.
also if my description was too vague and you need more info
please let me know and I will do the best I can to answer the questions accordingly.

thanks again for your help.
 
You have a good list of camera gear, but what production experience do you have?
 
most of my experience to be honest comes for still production.
I worked on the professioinal level for 12 years in NYC Chicago and SF.
this is my break away from still to moving image.
however it should be pointed out that I am looking to make atypical films.
not that I want them to lack quality or proffesionalism but I also am not looking for a slick end product. So I guess what I am saying is that I don't mind sacrificing some experience for passion. more a discovery than a learned set of answers to similar problems. (if this is making any sense) none of this is said to excuse my lack or real world experience in the film industry. I just feel like often less experince and more passion sometime makes a interesting end product. and I am hoping that my years and years of organizational, problem solving, composition and lighting skills will allow me to achieve what I hope too.
 
It sounds like you already know how to light, compose and shoot. Perhaps your concern should lie less in cinematography and more in script supervision and continuity, and what is necessary to tell a story.

Those aspects are equally important to the DP, alongside lighting, composition, and framing.

What's most important is to clearly convey the story without confusion to the audience.
 
thanks J
I think I have those covered also
as I have co-wrote the script with the writer which will be co-producing the film, and I have also brought someone on to help with the continutity I think I should be OK (i hope)
I guess what I am looking for is techinical advice on pitfalls that should be avoided with the camera setting, levels, ect.... I will have some time to leniency durring shooting but if my camera is set slightly off then the work may suffer.
thanks
 
Go for CMP-Books "Video Shooter" by [SIZE=-1]Barry Braverman ... I wonder why all these great people names start with Barry! ... J
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Talk with your editor, and make sure you are using all the right settings for the intended workflow, 24p or PA, direct to hard drive or tape, etc...
 
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