Hi all:

I'm about to shoot several pieces for a theater project; it'll be my first serious foray with my new XHA1s. My intention is to mimic several different silent movie looks for short pieces that appear in the play. I know I can achieve black and white cinema looks in post, but I'm interested in doing what I can in the camera, to deal with what will be limited editing time. Here's what I'm looking for:

An overexposed, "orthographic film" look similar to early Griffith or Keystone Cops shorts;

A high-contrast, "deep" black and white similar to big-budget silent films from the 20s (like the "house look" of Paramount or MGM in the late 20s)

A softer, more "diffused" black and white similar to Carl Dreyer's "Vampyr".

Anyone know any presets for Black and White that would fit the bill?

Thanks!

Roy

IMO with a new A1s you'll be flat out staying on the shooting schedule. For the intended looks I'd spend much time as possible lighting your set pieces and shoot as much as you can. Try and relate that to the actual theatre stage lighting and whether they're going to take it to black during your showings. It all matters.

Then I'd make the time to adjust the video looks in post, even working all night if I had too.

Also for playback in a theatre I'd check the size of its screen in relation to the back row of the audience so they can 'get the picture' so to speak. When I was starting out I had some bad experiences with 'small details' on screen that the back rows missed altogether. Hope this helps.

Cheers.

Royston,

Check out preset #11 in this link. Never used it.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/canon-xh-series-hdv-camcorders/126811-xh-custom-presets-download-library-copy.html

I'd strongly suggest that you do not shoot in black & white....just turn the color off on your monitor. You can take the color out in post but if you shoot it that way and you change your mind, you are up a creek....Yes, work on the lighting for a more contrasty look but, as a client said to me 2 months after I suggested not to shoot B&W, "who knows how to color in town".......

Jim Martin

I've heard that you can get a good contrast for B&W by shooting though a red filter.

Never tried it before so i could be wrong. Something to look into maybe...



EDIT: Just did a search and found this...

Shooting in black and white (http://www.cnet.com.au/shooting-in-black-and-white-240064107.htm)

Point #6 is about filters...