Hi everyone. Though I've been a member of Stage32 for years now, I've only just recently "discovered" it. I'm in development of my first feature. It's a "commercial" style genre pic coming from a place not used to this type of film, but rather auteur, "culturish" stuff. The main goal is to keep the budget low in order to increase the chances of making the money back, especially through VOD platforms. We're aiming at festival screenings for the marketing, but other than that it's more likely to be seen in 4K TV screens. I'm settled in Patagonia, Argentina, far away from logistic comfort and wide camera availability, so my question is: what is the cheapest format accepted with these goals in mind? I'm assuming Full HD DSLR is sadly out of the question. Most DP's I talk to want to shoot with the latest most expensive stuff, but that would probably drown the project, in more than one ways. Thanx everyone. Keep pushing.
Cinematography : Cheapest accepted option by Juan Pennisi
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4K is the new standard for movies
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If you're on a budget, the Sony A7Sii shoots 4K and is an amazingly versatile camera for low light conditions. I'd pair it with something like an Atomos Ninja Inferno to record 10bit 4:2:2 in either Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHR. It also extends your take lengths (the A7Sii has an overheating problem because it's packed so densely into such a small body, and when it overheats it turns itself off ten to fifteen minutes into recording. The Atomos becomes the recording unit so the camera can go much longer before overheating. And as a bonus you record straight into a solid codec).
Go to YouTube and watch some videos and you'll see what filmmakers are doing with it and the rigs and settings they use.
Note: though the Atomos can record 10bit, the A7Sii only outputs 8bit. The only place I personally notice the visual difference between 8bit and 10bit is in gradation changes in low light and haze.
If you have a little more of a budget, check out the Sony FS7 as a good budget cine camera. It uses a standard Sony E mount which means fairly cheap and affordable lens options. But with an adapter you can put cine lenses on it.
Thanks for these jewels David. This knowledge is what I was looking for. Owe you one.
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4K is merely resolution. Most cinemas globally project in what is essentially 2K. Resolution is only one of the things that make an image "good": both to the eye and to the expectations of distributors. Color space and exposure lattitude are as important or more important than resolution. As a rule, you shoot the highest quality image your budget can afford, and you carry the image through post production workflow in the highest quality available, Of some value is the Netflix list of acceptable cameras... but this list is only pertinent to projects produced IN PARTNERSHIP with Netflix. It has no relevance to acceptability of deliverables from you, the outside filmmaker. It is more of a touchstone to see what standards are becoming the norm. It does not mean you must comply to sell your film. A great film shot in HD will find a distributor. A bad film shot in 8K will not. That said, shoot the best image you can afford, but focus on the filmmaking not the format.
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I am loving my bmpcc4k
Thank you so much Royce. Apart from expert knowledge and excellent tips, you sound like the type of person I wished I could have nearer and be honored to work with.
Interestingly, your focus (pun intended) should be more on the quality of your sound than the quality of your picture when working in the low budget arena. It has been proven through extensive industry research that, at least as far as audience perception goes, that the better your sound quality the more acceptable your on-screen images will appear. Not to say you shouldn't get the best camera you can afford, but balance that with exceptional audio and you can deliver a winner.
On the camera front, there are two factors that wag the dog: One, The lens is more important than the camera so use a camera that can accept cinema quality lenses. And two, the higher the dynamic range your camera captures the more cinema-like image you will have.
Thanx Stevie. Great points. I actually did have that in mind. The focus is on the dough, though.