Chris Oben ~ 'Digital Dayz' ~ Digital Cinema Blog

Daily3D January 7, 2012 - "Introspection"

2012-01-09T22:30:00.001-08:00

Cape Roger Curtis, Bowen Island

"Introspection"

3D Daily - Nov. 25, 2011 "Autumn Treasure"

2011-11-29T11:45:00.001-08:00

On a walk in the Comox Valley we came upon this delicate arrangement.

Introduction to Digital Imaging and Data Management On Set - Workshop - Dec. 4th - Sim Video West

2011-11-06T00:11:00.000-07:00

3D Daily - Oct. 17, 2011 - "Wear & Tear"

2011-10-17T03:33:00.000-07:00

"Wear & Tear..."

The once glorious U.S. icon, under foot at L'Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France.

Great article on the state of the "Film Camera"

2011-10-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

This is a well researched and presented article. The comments and discussion at the end are worth taking the time to read . . .

http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/film-fading-to-black

3D Daily - Oct. 9, 2011 "Rust & Rivets"

2011-10-09T22:32:00.000-07:00

"Rust and Rivets" - Brittania Creek Sept. 2011

3D Daily Oct. 8, 2011 No. 2 "Tiny Tribute"

2011-10-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

"Tiny Tribute" Salmon Roe on the Puntledge River

3D Daily Oct. 8, 2011 - "Through the Eyes of a Giant" - Study #1

2011-10-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

"Through the eyes of a giant" - Study #1

Daily 3D - Cottage Country

2011-10-01T22:44:00.000-07:00

BluBlu.org

2011-09-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

Standing ovation for this incredible piece of work ...

BIG BANG BIG BOOM - the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Daily 3D - "The Grass is Always Greener..."

2011-09-29T01:08:00.000-07:00

"The Grass is Always Greener..."

Daily 3D - "Industrial Complex"

2011-09-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

It's not complicated... just use the cross-eyed method...

Alexa Plus! - Daily 3D

2011-09-04T00:44:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a chance to work with the Alexa Plus. What all the fuss? It's all in the 'Plus'!

View using the cross-eyed method.

The Alexa Plus features include:

1. Digital Level - for VFX and handheld

2. Second HDSDI monitor out (1.5G) with Look Around

3. Integrated Motor Drivers for Focus Iris and Zoom

4. Wireless interface for remote start/stop and lens controls

Full specs from Arri: http://www.arridigital.com/alexaplus

Portrait of 3D technician . . .

2011-08-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

Recently I joined the crew of a Netherlands 3D feature film to assist with data acquisition. Filming took place on a sound stage in Vancouver. Here is an image I created of 3D technician Yke Erkens with the RED EPIC-M on a P+S Technik 3D rig supplied by Yke's company More2Cam.

Read about More2Cam at www.more2cam.nl

Use the cross-eye method to view his portrait.

TRON: Legacy 3D - Canadian Cinematographer magazine April 2011

2011-04-22T01:14:00.000-07:00

Shooting Digital 3D on
Splinter Unit for Disney’s
TRON: Legacy 3D

by Chris M. Oben, CSC Associate Member

Full published article

All images courtesy of Disney Enterprises Inc.

Operating Pace Cameron Fusion 3D rig with Sony F35s - Photo by Douglas Curran IATSE 669

D.P. / Operating RED for TRON: Legacy behind the scenes
- Photo by Douglas Curran IATSE 669

Steadicam operating RED for TRON: Legacy behind the scenes - Photo by Douglas Curran IATSE 669

80's Flynn's Arcade recreation

"The Laser" - 2D work splinter unit

Sam enters the disk game - 50' Technocrane

Garret Hedlund as Sam Flynn

3D insert - guard removes grenade

3D insert - Quora's lightrunner controller

3D splinter unit disk game - Rinzler surfs Sam

Maya previz - Rinzler surfs Sam

Beau Garrett - Tron World Siren - Hair / Makeup tests - photo by C. Oben

TRON disk opponent played by Allan Jo - photographed on splinter unit

TRON: Legacy splinter Unit - Blue Screen - Sam looks down as opponent de-rezzes

3D Daily - Enson Tank Lines

2010-06-28T01:38:00.000-07:00

June 27, 2010 - Langdale, B.C.

(Cross-eyed viewing method)

Ok Go - another round of crazy fun . . .

2010-03-03T21:51:00.000-08:00

Just loved this ... look for the Steadicam op in the silver ball at 2:30-2:45.

Greedy Productions - Electric Playground and Reviews on the Run Daily

2010-02-26T00:10:00.000-08:00

In January I decided to go legit and accept an offer from my friend Vic Lucas. My new job is as supervising producer on: Reviews on the Run - Daily.

Our show starts airing daily Monday Mar.1st on CTV and G4 Canada. It will be broadcast back to back with Electric Playground Daily. In one calendar year we will produce 275 episodes of Reviews on the Run Daily ... combine that with another 275 episodes of EP Daily and you have . . . well a lot of television being made in a modest studio in Vancouver.

Of course you can never take the camera out of the man so I have been busy with quite a bit of shooting for Greedy Productions.

We just shot our first day's studio work on our new set:

Always a team effort at Greedy Prods, Paul Murakami (far right) helped me design the lighting and rigged almost everything. Enzo Zanatta op'd steadicam which allowed me to focus on tweaking lighting and the performance of Scott C. Jones (white shirt and tie) and Vic Lucas (black shirt and tie).

Look for daily episodes across the country on CTV starting Mar.1st . . .

Couldn't resist - it's the German version!

2010-01-24T23:58:00.000-08:00

"Urban Inukshuk" - Alexander Street alley - Vancouver

2009-12-21T23:35:00.000-08:00

A photograph I made in a Railtown alley . . .

Tiny Travels - Behind the scenes Part Two

2009-11-10T22:35:00.000-08:00

SANTA FE, NM 2009

More Steadicam in action . . .

J.J. Abrams' Mystery Box

2009-10-17T00:44:00.000-07:00

Great inspirational talk on TED

http://www.ted.com/talks/j_j_abrams_mystery_box.html

Chennai, India - Phantom HD commercial shoot

2009-09-06T22:35:00.000-07:00

'Go Nutz'. . . the first commercial spot shot specifically for Theatrical Release in Chennai on the Phantom HD 2K camera . . .

. . . a Vimeo clip from our adventure in India . . .

On Set in Chennai from Ishwar L. Maisuria on Vimeo.

Stills from spot:

Pre-pro shots:

Tiny Travels - Behind the scenes

2009-08-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

TT steadicam in action ;)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamminjg/3557836958/in/photostream/

and

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamminjg/3556820601/

Canadian Cinematographer 2009 summer edition

2009-07-15T00:50:00.001-07:00

Watchmen - Under The Hood article in Canadian Cinematographer magazine . . .

'Tiny Travels'™

2009-05-21T02:04:00.000-07:00

'Journeys for the Eco-Conscious Traveler . . . with Kids!'

Sneak peek of our host Zelie and some of our locations in the Santa Fe, New Mexico area . . .

Tiny Travels™ is now seeking representation and will be present at the 2009 Banff Television Festival.

WIRED.com interviews Watchmen 'Under the Hood' director Eric Matthies

2009-03-26T20:19:00.001-07:00

Chris Oben - cinematographer, trusty Bolex H16, Eric Matthies - director

On the set of Watchmen 'Under the Hood'

Throughout the course of filming Zack Snyder's Watchmen in late 2007 and into 2008 I had the opportunity to contribute to the film and it's subsidiary productions in a number of different capacities. Firstly I had the good fortune to be involved with the DVD, internet and publicity content produced by Eric Matthies of L.A. based EMP, Inc.; secondly I was independently invited by Watchmen production manager, Jim Rowe, to operate one of two Sony F900R HDCam cameras used to capture Billy Crudup's performance of his character, Dr. Manhattan. Thirdly I was able to contribute to the mock documentary "Under the Hood" as cinematographer. Officially my 'Under the Hood' credit is for 'additional cinematography'.

WIRED.com posted an interview with Eric Matthies about his experience producing and directing Watchmen 'Under the Hood'. In the article Eric mentions our collaboration and the choice to shoot 16mm with a Bolex.

WIRED.com Watchmen Backstory Unspools in 'Under the Hood' DVD

Muto

2009-03-20T21:31:00.000-07:00

Couldn't resist posting this incredible piece of art. My mouth was ajar for the first two or three minutes . . .

MUTO

An ambiguous animation painted on public walls . . .

3D Lincoln Memorial - experimental 3D imaging

2009-01-19T21:04:00.000-08:00

In 2008 I found myself in all parts of the globe chasing 3D images. Some of the cities visited included Tokyo, Kyoto, Chennai, Manchester, Brighton and Washington D.C.

Thought I'd commemorate Obama's inauguration with an image I captured at the Lincoln Memorial in DC . . .

This is viewable using the cross eyed method . . .

Excellent Round table POD-Cast re: Red-Bull

2008-10-08T01:07:00.000-07:00

In response to Rian Johnson's RED-Bull rant, the folks at http://www.fxguide.com/redcentre have posted an in depth discussion which sheds new light on many important RED topics. The biggest question addressed could be one that has intrigued me , "Why are you using the camera you are using be it RED, Genesis or HVX200?" Is it the best tool for the job? Is it overkill?

Subscribe to the fxguide POD-Cast in itunes:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/M...t?id=277775280

Red Raves - Rants "Red-Bull"

2008-09-29T02:17:00.000-07:00

The following is in response to an article posted by Director Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom) which has created a stir in the Red One user community due to its negative portrayal of the marketing of the Red camera system.

http://www.rcjohnso.com/REDFACTS.html

I found this article to be a fantastic read. I was not all disappointed, as I was cautioned I might be due to my interest in the technology. I am however always more interested in dispelling conjecture and misconception than regurgitating supposed fact. I have built my career on determining first-hand the actualities of ‘real world results’ both good and bad. So much of what cinematographers do on set relies on our ability to control the environment to the point where it fits into the given shooting format. It is therefore prudent to understand the parameters of that format thoroughly. One of my personal statements is to “test it ‘til it fails” as any other test never shows the edges of usability. Or in other words “where the sweet spot falls apart”. It seems that increasingly I am being approached by producers to help them wade through the hype of all the techno-speak: log, linear, 4K, 2K, long GOP, 8 bit, 10 bit, 12 bit 16 bit 42 bit . . . . so to have the opportunity to add my two cents is welcomed.

While Rian Johnson’s “Red-Bull’ article does clearly refute the marketing hype responsible for Red’s current moment in the limelight, the article is written in a form and with a tone that unfortunately doesn’t do much for the author’s credibility. It comes off as a personal rant rather than as a level-headed and thoroughly researched argument. I can see from his website that he likes to stir things up which is apparently what he’s doing here.

Here are two things that are keeping the Red system on my radar. Firstly, I can honestly say that I have never seen better looking video on-set or screened in 2K than I have from the Red system. I am speaking here of the live 720 preview out directly from the camera . . . of course it could be due as well to the fact that the cinematographers I have had the opportunity to work with using the Red include Gale Tattersall (House) and Amir Mokri (National Treasure II, Lord of War) :) Secondly, in my opinion the integrated controls and operational functionality of the Red camera system rival the best available in HD acquisition.

When the images on the on-set monitors are delivering crisp, clear, natural colors (or real-time corrected as per the D.P. and/or the director’s wishes) it begets a confidence on set which allows the creatives involved (directorial, camera and art dept) further freedom to adapt and refine their work depending on the situation and variables of that moment. In other words the technology becomes secondary to the creative process. At its best the camera simply does its job without becoming obtrusive. Just like the good old days of film except . . . one can truly see what one will ultimately get . . .

For too long shooting HD has meant intervention from the DIT and assistant team while problems are solved in order to get to the point of looking at an image to begin refining it. In my on-set experience I have found that, unlike other more expensive cameras, the Red offers both a WYSIWYG on set preview and film-camera like functionality to the assistants and operators,without any compromise. Neither the Sony F23, Panavision Genesis, Thomson Viper, Panasonic Varicam, Sony F900 or any other 1080 HD camera (excepting the Arri D20/21) gives lookaround to the operator and the director! Having ‘lookaround’ is something that should be a basic requirement on any ‘professional’ acquisition camera. It just makes sense to see what you are framing out – just like we have done for decades in film. Additionally, neither the Genesis nor the F23 offer a realtime corrected output for a subjectively pleasing colour preview without the rental of additional equipment like the Genesis Display Processor, LUTher Box or a Cinetal display with LUT support. All in all, the Red One achieves unprecedented functionality and image quality in a camera body which is one tenth the price of the F23.

Discreet DOF is part of the director’s toolset that is becoming even more important to utilize with many short form projects being viewed in massive numbers on YouTube. The 1” sensors of the RED and the Genesis, in the hands of a skilled camera person can deliver wonderful images with beautifully discreet depth of field. Unfortunately I’ve had a number of conversations with producers who are of the belief that an HVX200 with its 1/3” CCD’s will deliver perfectly ‘adequate’ imagery for web-based delivery. It’s a cheap rental. I hear things like, “It’s just for the web anyway.” And I suppose it would be adequate if your story is not necessarily a visual one and it’s acceptable to have everything equally soft focused. I think generally though most producers agree that, like a still photographer, the higher the resolution of the original the better the final product will be . . . and in the case of video – allowing the cinematographer and director the tool to direct an audiences attention via selected focus is even more important than ever.

This is a link to an excellent response by Chris Kenney of ‘Nice Dissolve’ to Rian Johnson’s ‘revised RED rant’:

http://www.indie4k.com/archives/96

and here is part two dealing with compression:

http://www.indie4k.com/archives/97

– his arguments all seem sound except perhaps his belief that RED is perfectly suitable for theatrical projection . . . which is a topic better saved for a night with more hours left in it . . .

RED ONE revs up Superbowl Spot

2008-07-20T23:04:00.000-07:00

Recently I have worked with the RED ONE on a number of interesting projects. Not the least of which was an independent film called "The Light of Family Burnam". For this project I had the opportunity to operate for the day for Canadian DOP Danny Nowak CSC. Another notable project was a series of commercial spots lensed by cinematographer Gale Tattersall (House M.D.).

"The Light of Family Burnam" is an indie with a serious message and intent. Nowak and the director, Marshall Axani, wanted to convey a sense of grandness which would compliment the seriousness of subject matter and so chose the 2.35:1 aspect ratio to achieve this goal.

The RED ONE camera package for "The Light of Family Burnam" was provided by Sim Video West in Vancouver. The package included 2 x 320G RED Drives and a MacBookPro to use as the transfer and backup system. The camera package was outfitted with a full set of Zeiss primes and an Arrihead 2 geared head.

I came to set as the 'A Cam' operator for the day but was also able to offer some insight as to the necessary camera settings for the project's successful acquisition. After discussing the options with the post supervisor, James Tocher of Digital Film Central, the RED tech / DIT, Tony Dean (also a RED owner himself) concurred that we should shoot at a true 24fps and not the more typical 23.976. The primary reason for this is because the HMI sources which were supplied were all magnetic ballast systems which are not flicker-free when shooting at 23.976fps. 24fps is an HMI safe speed when using magnetic ballasts.

The first day of shooting wrapped nicely on-time and we all went to sleep knowing that the 4K footage was safely backed up in triplicate and sent on to post . . .

The second RED ONE project that I want to mention was also filmed here in Vancouver, Canada. A large international electronics manufacturer chose the RED ONE as the camera system to capture a series of commercial spot for their 2008 Super Bowl campaign. As the project is still in production / post, I will not divulge the client nor the product line. Suffice to say that this client and their respective agency and production companies are working with a budget which would allow them to produce spots on any medium they choose including 35mm film, Panavision Genesis or Arri D21.

So why choose the RED ONE?

The simple answer might be: "because it's the cool camera at the moment." But that's not quite good enough to satisfy my enquiring mind . . .

I think that up until recently there has been a significant gap between the capabilities of 2/3" sensor technology and the creative demands of cinematographers and directors. We have been looking for a 35mm sensor in a professional HD camera since HD came onto the drama scene around 8 years ago. Up until recently the WYSIWYG advantages of shooting HD have come at the cost of compromising the established cinematic aesthetics of the film medium, primarily the depth of field characteristics of 35mm lenses.

The RED ONE fills the gap very well at a purchase price that is a fraction of the cost of competing systems developed by the major industry suppliers. Unlike the ARRI D20 /D21 or the Panavision Genesis, it's not just rental houses that are able to own a RED ONE system. The fact that independent production companies or even owner/operator cameramen can afford to enter the market means that the RED ONE system is becoming increasingly ubiquitous.

Phantom HD / Panavision Genesis / Magic Lantern HD Framestore™

2007-11-07T01:05:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to work with the Vision Research Phantom HD high speed camera as a Digital Imaging Technician. This particular project involved the Panavision Genesis as the 'A' Camera and the Phantom as a dedicated high speed camera. To round out our tool set we employed the Magic Lantern HD Framestore™ as an on-set HD reference tool and HD playback device.

The workflow was quite interesting . . . and more than a few mysteries about each of the cameras were clarified for me.

Since this commercial was one of the first HD outings for this client it became clear that maintaining client confidence was of tantamount importance. The D.P. Doug Koch wanted both the agency and the clients to see imagery that wowed them. Rather than simply feed the RAW output from the Genesis we opted to correct the image using the Panavision GDP (Genesis Display Processor).

In prep Doug and I developed the basic LUT looks using the GDP. Doug was very fluent with creating LUT's after having just completed the filming of The Bronx is Burning, an ESPN mini-series shot on Viper. In just a few minutes we familiarized ourselves with the GDP and setup some simple looks using the left to right - 'in to out' signal flow of the GDP Controller software version 1.44 as illustrated by the screen grabs below.

Although generating a look wasn't difficult, it turned out that properly saving the .gdf files and the corresponding LUT files, as well as the .acv curve files was slightly unintuitive. Care had to be taken to submit and save the pre- and post-gamma sections of the look. For safety we exported the LUT to the DaVinci file format using the File/Export requester and also saved the file to Luther Ascii foramt using the Lut/Create 3D LUT . . . file requester. In addition to the LUT files and Curve files it was all too easy to forget to save the main .gbf file! In future versions of the software it would be nice to be able see the name of the .gbf file that your are tweaking in a header just to help keep track of the files.

In order to keep the system intuitive we utilized the Magic Lantern HD Framestore™ to capture a still reference frame of the before and after for each look.

The Panavision Genesis signal was recorded to HDCamSR on-board. This is a simple single system recording in 4:4:4 to the on-board SRW-1 recorder. The Phantom, on the other hand involves a different approach. To preserve the Phantom footage, a time consuming transfer process was required. Once the footage is captured to on-board RAM(8 Gb max at that time) it then had to be transferred via Gigabit Ethernet to a PC laptop supplied with the camera. The laptop also acts as the controller for the Phantom settings and triggers the camera to start or stop recording. The specific model we used was the Phantom V10 which has no viewfinder or controls on the camera at all.

To be continued . . .

HVX200 CCD Alignment / Matte Box issues

2007-11-06T11:59:00.000-08:00

Blake Desaulniers (http://rbdcreative.com) writes:

I recently mounted a Chroziel matte box on the 200, and encountered severe vignetting in the upper left of the frame when I inserted the 16 X 9 mask. We spent quite a bit of time at Lorne Lapham's (Vancouver) trying to remount and eliminate the problem, but in the end the only solution we could come up with was to shave the 16 X 9 insert down on the offending corner.

We tried everything, including switching rods and inserts, but to no avail. Brian (L.L.) suggested that it could be a chip alignment issue with the HVX. Any ideas?

______
CO: It doesn't make sense that chip alignment would cause the problem - many other issues (i.e. chromatic abberation, backfocus) would show up first if this were the problem. The question is should you return your HVX under warranty . . .

I will contact Steve Mahrer of Panasonic to ask him . . .

______
These responses came from the Creatve Cow Panasoniv HPX/HVX forum:

Name: Rennie
Date: Nov 6, 2007 at 9:58:14 pm
Subject: Re: HVX200 vignetting with Chrosziel mattebox

I would think any chip alignment would also give you out of focus problems. The lens and the chip set must be in alignment to get a proper image. Try shooting an alignment chart and blowing up the corners. I would think it more likely the matte box is out of alignment so maybe try another matte box or see if the mount is bent. You could also mount the matte box on a different HVX200 to see it it appears there.

Name: Noah Kadner
Date: Nov 6, 2007 at 11:13:21 pm
Subject: Re: HVX200 vignetting with Chrosziel mattebox

Definitely not a good idea- you would destroy the camera and still not solve the issue. Try a bigger matte box- Vocas could be a better fit.

Noah

An anonymous individual made this comment in reference to the HVX200 alignment issue.

Here is the comment:

Hi there, CCD alignment on the HVX is an issue i've recently tried to find more discussions about online but startlingly find it to be an uncommon point of interest. This thread is one of few i am posting on now to share the results of a test i did myself recently.

I started investigating when i was attaching a Redrock lens adaptor to the front of the HVX and found that the 'gate' at the back of the Redrock unit would dissapear from the edges of frame at different points of zooming with the HVX. I had hard mounted the Redrock using stepping rings and at first assumed it was a Redrock problem (much as you assume it is the fault of your matte box).

I steadily started removing variables from the equation until i was left with only the stepping rings screwed into the thread on the front of the hvx mount, and the edges of this too were not aligned centrally with the image.

This lead me to the certain conclusion that the center of the lens and the center of the CCD are out of alignment with each other.

I have so far tested around 10 HVX's and find the problem to be the same on all of them. The rings appear to be shifted to the right of frame, leaving vignetting on the left. (the same direction as your matte box problem)

I have also done this test with the sony Z1 and the old DVX and find the alignment on both of these cameras to be perfect.

On contacting Panasonic i was met first with denial, then with an excuse that "the HVX is not designed to be used with lens adaptors", which completely ignores the issue that ANY accessory attached via the lens thread is out of alignment with the image, and so what would be the point of any accessory? The final insult came when a friend of mine performed the same test demonstration in front of Panasonic reps at a Panasonic demo, to which they responded "your problem isn't CCD alignment, it's your budget - buy a better camera" (!!!!!!!)

I think it's about time Panasonic owned up to the fact that they have performed a massive and inexcusable cock-up in their manufacturing of the HVX and either offer to fix all affected cameras, or announce the problem and sell the cameras at discounted rates. Neither of which they have been forthcoming about doing.

If you own an HVX, please perform the same test to see for yourselves if you are affected, (because it may be just a bad batch made at one time) if is so, or if not, note the serial number and post it back here so we can begin cataloguing affected models.

Feedback welcome!!!

The preceding post was made by an anonymous individual .

Chris M. Oben

The inaugural post . . . The Italian Job - Panasonic HVX200 noise levels

2007-10-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

I had an recent enquiry re: the HVX200 from a gentleman in Italy:

Daniel Arvizu writes:

Hello Chris,
first of all I'd like to thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I read your article on the HVX and would like to ask you a couple questions...
I'm about to start shooting my first feature next monday and it will be a black and white movie shot with the HVX assambled on a mini35 P+S technik with Zeiss planar T1.3 lenses.

There will be plenty of different locations and the ones that are taking my sleep away are the nigh exteriors. We don't have much lighting equipment for those (only a couple of 200w battery Arrisuns for the characters and a 3Kw generator to light up at least a little thing in the background), and to rely on city lighting worries me (considering the loss of almost 2 stops that the P+S technik implies). Unfortunately i won't be able to run tests on that till the very last minute, so I wanted to know if you think mixing footage shot with and without the mini35 system will be too evident to be acceptable, considering that only the night extiriors would be shot with the "naked" camera, and that I have some experience doing color timing and postproduction in AfterEffects.

______
CO: There is no question that in your situation I would shoot clean (no Mini35) on the night exteriors to gain back those two stops. In this case it is critical that you will have the chance to colour correct and 'match grain', with a tool like After F/X, to the footage shot 'with' the Mini35.

Besides, I've heard the camera is more noisy when shooting 1080p instead of 720p in very low light situations, do you agree on that?

______
CO: I think that the noise level in the blacks of the HVX200 is roughly equal in both 720 and 1080. Generally, the HVX needs a lot of light to perform at its best. This is true in many HD formats even the Sony F900. Of the 2/3" CCD cameras, some would argue that the Viper gives the cleanest image when shooting a predominantly black frame. D.P. Dave Warner (Eureka-2nd Unit, Dead Zone-2nd-Unit) is of this firm belief.

If it's true that the difference in noise is so drammatic between the two formats, would it be better to shoot the whole thing in 720p instead of mixing the footages? 'cause I'm also thinking about the rendering problems that might come out of having an important percentage of the footage shot in a different format (I also have a couple of slow-motion shots that can only be shot in 720p, but those are not such a concern in terms of mixing them...).

______
CO: 'Consistency' from shot to shot and scene to scene is the key to successfully capturing a film over the arc of its story. I am of the opinion that 720 24PN gives you the most flexibility of all the formats that the HVX200 offers. The main motivation to shoot 1080 is to be able to best intercut with footage captured on bigger, better cameras - i.e. the F900 or Viper. In your case I would opt to shoot 720 24PN for everything.

My last question is this: do you agree that even if I won't be able to balance between tungsten and HMIs, so I'll have mixed up temperatures, is better to do the shooting in color and then make it b/w in postproduction? or do you think I might get any advantage by doing the shooting in b/w?

______
CO: Even though the HVX can desaturate, I don't think there is anyway to completely remove colour within the camera

(see DVXUser:http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=53966)

In any case - you will have better control later with all three channels present while you shoot. Having said that, it would be worth experimenting with filters on the camera to achieve looks not possible in post alone. I know you have very little time to prep but this could give you a signature look . . .

I live and work in Milan, Italy. And even from here I had the chance to appreciate your work with the 4400 series. If you would by any chance find interest in seeing some of my work you can check my showreel at this link: http://www.logovideo.com/biancofotomadre.html (even if it's not really updated since it's more than a year since I edited it). I would be honored to read your opinion.

I really, really appreciate the time you are giving me by reading this and would be enormously greatful if you can find time to answer me.

I hope I'll read from you soon, and send my best regards.

Daniel

______
CO: Daniel - thank you for your enquiry - it is my pleasure to share as much as I can. Please feel free to contact me in future.

I think I will wear my Cinecitta Studios t-shirt tomorrow in celebration of this, the first post of the Digital Dayz Blog . . . ;)

Chris Oben