Making 25p video look like film?

[Mark Shea]

Hi

I want my next project to have a filmlike quality, so I am shooting in 25p HDV mode.

Does anyone know of any FCP tweaks that can make video look like film?

[Harry Bromley-Davenport]

The most important thing you can do is to employ the best DP you can afford and light it like film.

Then fiddle around afterwards with the gamma/contrast etc.

Harry.

[Liam Hall]

You need to define what you mean by film like. It can mean so many things...

A good place to start your search for cheats and techniques would be here:

Film Look Methods & Techniques - The Digital Video Information Network

[David Knaggs]

Originally Posted by Mark Shea

Does anyone know of any FCP tweaks that can make video look like film?

Hi Mark.

To answer your question directly, FCS does have some tweaks. Specifically, the Color application has a Color FX "room" which contains both a Film Grain filter and a Film Look filter that you could play around with.

However, as Harry and Liam have said, there's a lot more to "filmlike quality" than a Film Look filter (for example, some people consider "filmlike" to be a shallow depth of field).

[Mark Shea]

well i suppose shooting in 25p will help give a film like movement.

I have been checking some of the footage people have been getting out of the XHA1 with different custom presets. I was excited by some of the amazing footage eg
Pine Lake Films Home Page
Giovanni Speranza

I dont have a lexus extreme, i dont have fancy lights. I mainly shoot from the shoulder, as it happens, with limited lighting (only an on camera light)

But I would like to shot video with the color of film, the texture of film, I would like to be able to turn out work as good as Giovanni and Steven, without elaborate lighting setups.

I contacted Steven and he informed me that for my style of shooting (limited lighting) to shot with a flat preset and try and achieve film color and texture in post.

So I was just wondering if someone can give me some tips for achieving this. it sounds as though color can do this, but I havent even used this as yet

[Andy Olson]

Lighting, control of depth of field (doesn't have to be all super shallow like people assume), post-color and frame rate are just some of the things that go into getting a filmlook. Shooting at 25p will be good. One thing to watch out for that is a dead give-away for video is blow-out lighting like from windows or over exposure. Because film has so much latitude you don't see it in film unless it's intentional.

Using a 35mm adapter would be good or you can fake it by backing up and zooming in. The A1 has a long zoom so you can get quite a bit of shallow dof.

I agree to shoot flat, but not with an A1 because it is HDV and doesn't hold up to color correction very well so you should try to get the look and color in camera if possible. Do tests.

There are a lot of ways to try and mimic filmlook on video cameras, but film is film and in the end the story will be what makes or breaks a film.

Best,
Andy

[Mike Barber]

Not to hijack a thread, but this may be of interest:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/high-defi...-hd-final.html

I still don't have an answer to my questions in that thread, but as far as achieving a film cadence (I refuse to call 24/23.98p a "film look") this may be helpful. But as others have stated, and it bears reiterating, lighting and shooting it well has everything to do with achieving a cinematic look (rather than "film look"... film is a medium like tape).

[Dave Simmons]

I couldnt find Post New Thread so here goes :
With all the amazing plug ins and converters available on line these days, is it possible to improve or convert the video quality of standard defintion video footage ?

[Mike Barber]

Originally Posted by Dave Simmons

I couldnt find Post New Thread

It's at the top and bottom of the thread listings in the same place you see the "Post Reply" buttons while reading a thread.

Originally Posted by Dave Simmons

With all the amazing plug ins and converters available on line these days, is it possible to improve or convert the video quality of standard defintion video footage ?

You can convert standard definition to high definition, but it does not "improve" the quality. In fact, you lose quality. The only way to "improve" the picture is by means of colour correction, etc. Format conversions will never improve the video.

[Dave Simmons]

Originally Posted by Mike Barber

It's at the top and bottom of the thread listings in the same place you see the "Post Reply" buttons while reading a thread.



You can convert standard definition to high definition, but it does not "improve" the quality. In fact, you lose quality. The only way to "improve" the picture is by means of colour correction, etc. Format conversions will never improve the video.

Thanks Mike. I'm new to this. I will be using a Sony HC52 Handycam. My first camera.
A tape camera but good for the money as far as I can see unless there is something better for around $350 Aus. - Colour correction ? Is that something I can do in Adobe Premiere at editing stage ?