T2i/60d movies on the big screen.
 

Hey guys! I was wondering if it was possible for dslr footage to be projected on a big screen (theatre)? The guy who made the movie "Monsters" used a prosumer camera and it premiered on big screens. So I was wondering if the prosumer video camera's 1080p was better than the dslr's 1080p? Or are there any software that lets you upgrade your 1080p footage to 2k, 3k, 4k resolutions (and make it look decent enough)?

Thanks!

Hey Anas,

DSLR footage is definitely capable of being played on the big screen. There are a few notable films that have already used DSLRs for production like "Black Swan." All the subways shots in the movie were shot using a Canon 7d and Canon 1dmarkiv per the cinematographer and director. "Secretariat" used the Olympus Pen camera that only records 720p in some of the horse racing scenes. Granted the DSLRs were not the main cameras on the productions, but they were for other indie films like "Tiny Furniture" where the Canon 7d was the only camera used.

DVFilm - Digital to Film Transfers, Raylight Software for Desktop HD editing has done transfers to 35mm from DSLRs with excellent results so it is definitely possible for the image to stand up well on the big screen.

Hope this helps,
Andy

1080p is very, very close to 2K. I've projected test footage from the t2i that looked as good as 4k footage from our RED. Light it right, watch your exposure, nail the focus and make sure your script is worth shooting. You should be good to go.

Thanks Andy and David!

That was very helpful!

Well, that's the truth Brother!

Agree totally - you can make a feature with one of these cams. Obviously, there's already lots of proof that there's totally acceptable as B-cams.

I've seen my footage projected (digitally, so far) on a 25 foot commercial theatre screen--looks good!

Where you will see the most issues are the same places that they show up on your edit monitor: aliasing, moire, shutter issues, noise, questionable focus--only that much more noticeable when magnified.

As noted, if your imagemaking skills are good and the material is engaging, these cameras are more than capable for projection. The slight softness may even be a blessing, as it can be more forgiving on skin tones.