Im new to this whole "film look" idea. I have a Canon GL2 and have read there are ways to emulate it without a lens adapter. I know 16:9 and the Frame mode settings help. Are there any other settings that would help? Fstop or shutter speed settings?

Ive considered buying a lens adapter but if there's ways around it I may not.

Welcome, Lee.

I'm no authority but here's the basics. Film look can be achieved by lighting your scene "properly", set design, good script and actors, frame rate (consensus seems to be 24 fps), picture profile settings and/or artful color grading...and finally, manipulating depth of field. On most video cams, you can manipulate DOF to make it shallow by zooming in on your subject and opening up the iris, therebey throwing the background out of focus. You may need to use ND filters and other lighting techniques to facilitate shooting wide open.

I put properly in quotes because it depends on your subject, mood etc. There's a ton of good resources on indy film making that will have lots of good tips. Find your way over to Rebel's Cafe and start reading. But you certainly do not have to have a 35mm adapter to get the film look. It's helpful with DOF but DOF is one small aspect of the look.

I have an adapter. It makes the image look nice but adds bulk and comes with a lot of added expenses (rails, follow focus, lenses etc). I rarely use it. If I had to do over, I would buy lights first, along with other grip gear and rent the adapter as needed.

Rent one first and see if it fits with your workflow. In the meantime, learn about lighting, how to create shallow DOF with your "naked" camera and sound. Dont forget sound...it's a least 50% of your project.

Good luck
Bob

Get thee to the DSLR forums.

Bob is right on with his advice for getting the most "film" like look out of your camera, but, chances are if your asking this you already tried a lot of his tips and it just isn't quit there.

If your considering a 35mm adapter you should at least rent or borrow a 7D/5D and check it out.

Thanks guys, Im gathering up some money to buy a Letus Extreme adapter, Im assuming they work well with the Cannon GL2 because ive seen some pretty amazing stuff on youtube.

Also, yeah I know about lighting techniques, camera movements, etc. I'm looking for more advanced ideas

People say that the film look comes from lighting and set design, but "Public Enemies" didn't look like film at all. I enjoyed the cinematography, but once and a while the aesthetic just seemed cheap or even amateur. I don't think it was the lighting though...

Thanks guys, Im gathering up some money to buy a Letus Extreme adapter, Im assuming they work well with the Cannon GL2 because ive seen some pretty amazing stuff on youtube.

Also, yeah I know about lighting techniques, camera movements, etc. I'm looking for more advanced ideas

Just got myself a Letus35 Mini.

Shoot with one of these and at 24p an you will see the magic happen.

B

The easiest way to know about 'film look' is to watch films shot on 16mm/35mm without good lighting or production design - maybe documentary footage or zero budget film movies. Even though they had film lenses, that does not compare to the 'Hollywood look'.

One must understand that each shot is taken with painstaking care and dedication from its very-experienced crew. So THIS is what you need to achieve the film look:

1. A Good crew and GREAT actors
2. A lot of PAIN and EFFORT in production design, acting, costumes and lighting - This means budgeting and scheduling the time it takes to achieve these to the best of your abilities. When you are spending next to nothing to make a feature, then you must use time well. That's all you have.
3. Great sound - If you haven't thought about sound, don't start your indie project. It's as important as the visuals.

So, the single-most important factor for the cinema look is TIME.

I would go with the earlier suggestion and get rid of the GL2 and trade it with a full Canon Rebel 2Ti Kit. It's as good as the 7D for video and really cheap. For the bucks you save, you can even go for additional lenses. The whole thing is lightweight and in the hands of a professional, can make anything look good. All the best.

I've got the whole Cinevate Brevis 35 mm system for sale.
If you're intrested, just let me know.