Searchers 2.0

[Dylan Pank]

Hi everyone. I did a quick search for this on the forums here and couldn't find this snippet.

Alex Cox (Repo Man, Sid and Nancy, El Patrullero) has recently directed a $200,000 movie for the BBC and Roger Corman, called Searchers 2.0. The movie was shot by DoP Steve Fierberg on a Sony Z1 (actually on three, one A camera, one occasionally used B camera operated by Cox, and one spare(one apparently did break down).

There's an interview with Cox on his website about it here:http://www.alexcox.com/dir_searchers.htm
He also talks about on his blog (no direct link, scroll down to mid 2006-mid 2007)
http://www.alexcox.com/blog.htm

Steve Fierberg is interviewed at DV.com, http://www.dv.com/features/features_...leId=196603880
and there is an article by him in April 2008's American Cinematographer (not available online unfortunately).

They shot in 1080 50i (the BBC wanted a 50i HD master) and the film has since played at a number of festivals including last year's Venice film festival.

Two quotes:
From Steve Fierberg's DV.com interview, on setting exposure: "I did not do the 70-percent zebra, which most people use for skin tone. I had the zebra set at 105 percent, and I would make it as light as I could before burning out."

FRom Alex Cox's blog, on the Venice screening: "The screen is huge, and our film - shot on my funky Z-1 video camera - is in perfect focus, and the film sounds ten times better in the larger space."

That's the second notable indie film I've heard about shot on the Z1, after the Oscar winning* Once.

The BBC will apparently be showing the movie (not in HD) in June.

* for best song :-)

[Aric Mannion]

Cool news, I noticed he hates 30 fps, tough luck for american fx1 owners... like me.

[Dylan Pank]

Originally Posted by Aric Mannion

Cool news, I noticed he hates 30 fps, tough luck for american fx1 owners... like me.

Well, depends, if you shoot 60i, some reckon you get a pretty good 24p extraction. Even so, I doubt he's ever made a 35mm print. There's a reference to it being shown on tape at Venice in his blog: "the projectionist accidentally pushes the pause button during a crucial SEARCHERS scene. He has presumably fallen asleep with his head on the button."

Once you leave film and go digital, 24/30/50/60 becomes kind of moot.

there's a trailer here: www.searchers2.com - you'll have to navigate through the flash site.

[Aric Mannion]

Originally Posted by Dylan Pank

Well, depends, if you shoot 60i, some reckon you get a pretty good 24p extraction.

What does this mean? Are you talking about converting 60i to 24p, instead of shooting in 24p?

[Serena Steuart]

Have a look at these sites:
http://www.dvfilm.com/fx1/
http://www.cineform.com/products/FilmmakerWorkflow.htm
http://www.vasst.com/?v=printproducts/hdvnew.htm

[Dylan Pank]

Originally Posted by Aric Mannion

What does this mean? Are you talking about converting 60i to 24p, instead of shooting in 24p?

Yes. Shooting 24p is best, but good results can be achieved from 60i, Certainly going from 60i to 24p is far better than 30p-24p. and better than the FX1U/Z1's built in (fake) CF24p mode.

[Aric Mannion]

I'd like to hear peoples thoughts on converting HDV to 24p. Does the image look better, or does it just introduce stuttering into the image?
Is DVFilm Maker the best, or is there a plugin for After Effects?
And finally: Why convert before you edit? Why not just convert your final HDV comp to 24p?

[Dylan Pank]

Hi Aric, I suggest you mosey on over the the Film Look methods and techniques forum and have a long rummage around. I think you'll find lots of everything you want to know over there.

[Dylan Pank]

Just to let people know, this movie is on BBC 4 in the UK tomorrow (Monday 16th) at 10pm.

Alex Cox will be doing a special intro.