mixing different camera footage

[phil awful]

Hello i wanted to know how much different the picture is if i mixed a dvx100a, canon gl1, or sony vx2000, pd-170 together from a multi-camera shoot, are the colors really different between these cameras are could i get away with it.

Thanks
Phil

 

[PDX_DVX]

They are very different. The saturation on all of the cameras aside from the DVX will be alot less. With some color correction though, you could get them to look good. Are you shooting 60i with the DVX? Just make sure you white balance all the cameras to the same source, that will make the color correction process ALOT easier.

 

[Duct Tape Films]

Hello i wanted to know how much different the picture is if i mixed a dvx100a, canon gl1, or sony vx2000, pd-170 together from a multi-camera shoot, are the colors really different between these cameras are could i get away with it.

Thanks
Phil

I find that when working with footage from a variety of sources, each of varying quality, it can look better to EMPHASIZE the differences, than to try to make them look the same, which generally means sacrificing your best looking footage to make it look more like your worst. So, instead take the footage that you least care for and make it look WORSE, or different. Example, make one of the camera's footage B&W, have one that is 16:9 (that is if your delivery is 4x3) or vice versa, and for a more drastic effect, take one of the camera's footage, show it on a crummy monitor, and then shoot the monitor screen, or even try to emulate the look of a Pixelvision camera. Alternately, color correct with a distinct look for each camera. Then, instead having a mumbo jumbo of footage that is straining to barely match, you have looks that appear as though they were planned stylistic choices throughout. Experiment away, this is one perk to shooting doc films, insofar as you can get away with doing something like this and it won't take away from the story. For examples of the techniques described above, see any number of Errol Morris' films....