Behind-the-scenes XL1 pix from 2000

[Charles Papert]

I just discovered a little online treasure trove of pictures I haven't seen (or don't remember seeing) from a shoot I did way back in 2000 with the XL1. I was asked to shoot a short film with this camera and I had never used DV up to that point, at least not for a narrative film. I decided to treat the camera the same as I would any other and it ended up on an array of high-end platforms (some seen here) which often dwarfed it! This many years later, it's pretty commonplace to do this sort of thing in small format but at the time it was still pretty unusual.

http://gallery.mac.com/chupap#100034

The film itself was up on iFilm forever but in their merger with SpikeTV, it seems to have gone. A trailer can still be found on Youtube.

[Chris Hurd]

Wow, thanks for sharing these, Chas... sure like the "hero" shot on the Arri head there.

[Lorinda Norton]

Hi Charles,

I’ve seen enough samples of your work that I shouldn’t be so amazed anymore, but I’ve got to say that the images in that trailer just…well…amazed me! They’re stunning, to say the least, and to think it was shot with an XL1 boggles my mind. I just love watching what you can do with a camera. It looks like an interesting story, as well, so maybe I should order the DVD!

Thanks for the pics, too. Because I’m still squeezing the last out of my failing XL1s cameras it boosted my spirit somewhat to see all this from the past—being reminded of what’s still possible with these relics.

[Richard Alvarez]

Wow, a blast from the past indeed Charles. Really puts it all in perspective. For a comparison, I've attached a shot of my partner Gary Watson shooting a spot with his XLH1... on a Mitchel head! There's a teleprompter in front of the lens.

[Charles Papert]

Great shot Richard!

Yeah guys, I just watched the DVD for the first time in years up on the big screen and the film holds up quite well. There's definitely something "missing" from the picture quality considering the advances of recent years, but that warmth and human quality that the XL1 presented against its competition at the time is still apparent. Man, I used to love that camera!

[Richard Alvarez]

To be fair, Charles is being modest. Like an old model, mid-priced instrument in the hands of a master... it's the musician that makes the instrument sing.

[Walt Novinger]

Your trailer is, indeed, impressive, Charles. I recently purchased a like-new XL-1 with the 16X and 3X wide angle lenses and a bunch of other accessories...I am a total neophyte with video, though have been a still photographer off-and-on for over 40 years. I understand the principles of lighting and composition, as well as darkroom (post-production) work, and am trying to learn them in the video realm. I have an iMac and Final Cut Express HD which I'm also in the process of teaching myself.

My question relates to the incredible color I see in your trailer, particularly in the outdoor shots. How much of the color came right from the camera versus the color having baan manipulated (e.g., for saturation and/or hue) in post? I have not been able to achieve similar richness right out of the camera, and would like to know if I'm expecting too much from DV or if I should continue to perfect my technique.

Thanks for taking the time to enlighten a newbie, Charles.

Walt

[Mat Thompson]

Great shots!! I'm really taken by that trailer, it's really made me want to see more. I'd be very interested in some production details on it too if you'd like to share..Budget,crew etc?

[Charles Papert]

Mat:

I wish the whole film was still up online, but it appears that Greg (the director) is looking to sell DVD's of it and obviously this would be counter-productive to his efforts.

We had a lengthy discussion a few years back about the film where I gave production notes, here it is:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=6281

Walt:

I responded to your post a few days back but it seems to have not made it up onto the board....did it end up in another thread?

[Walt Novinger]

Originally Posted by Charles Papert

Walt:

I responded to your post a few days back but it seems to have not made it up onto the board....did it end up in another thread?

I searched for your recent posts, and it doesn't appear to be there, Charles. I'd really like to know what you said. :)

Walt

[Charles Papert]

Something along the lines of this: with the limited camera controls in the original XL1 coupled with fairly limited color correction available on the desktop at the time, I thought it would be best if I got the image as close as possible in camera. I used the age-old trick of "cheating" the white balance with a 1/4 CTB gel in front of the lens, adding more or less blue in 1/8 increments as needed. And I slightly underexposed the exteriors to get more saturation and prevent blown highlights, plus chose the best times of day to shoot a given scene in a given direction, which is a lot of the battle right there.

[Charles Papert]

Incidentally, there are a few more shots from this project viewable at the very end of my reel-- go to www.charlespapert.com, navigate to the DP reel and click on "digital cinematography". The last four or five shots in the MiniDV section are from this film.

[Walt Novinger]

Thanks for the explanation, Charles. You've answered my question...the camera's more than capable, I have to perfect the craft (and art!). Sure does give me something to which to aspire.

Walt