Commercial movies made with 5D or 7D

[Marcello Mazzilli]

Hi,
does any of you know of any commercial movies.. the one that go in the theatres.. made with Canon 5D or 7D. As far as I know the most commercial thing done is an episode of "House". I don't know of any "real" movies distribuited in theatres. Can somebody help?

[Chris Barcellos]

Given the time it takes to get shooting through post, and the fact the camera has been around only two years, its not likely you will see one yet.

And you wouldn't for any major release. It would have to come from an independent film maker, I am sure.

[Marcello Mazzilli]

Sure.. probably an indipendent.. but.. who? Two years is not so a short time... and I think is almost three years now (allthough 24fps is more recent). I don't expect a Tom Cruise movie... but some serious product in some serious indipendent film festival or so... Tribeca, Sundance...
I would like to see how printing on 35mm comes out, how action scenes are handled (being a CMOS camera), etc...

[Ivan Mosny]

YouTube - Die Chefärzte der Charité, INTRO

[Marcello Mazzilli]

Thanks. This is a documentary however... I would really like to see some movie... in the cinemas !
Did you any test on 35mm printing?

[Marcello Mazzilli]

But anyway.. seems really good (allthough Ich verstende nicht detush).
Congrats !

[Bob Hart]

Go have a look at ExposureRoom - Providing Exposure & Opportunity for Talent


There was a full feature shot in India around a real traditional India wedding ceremony. The link to it can be found on the exposureroom front page. There is a poster image with a sunset backdrop to click on.

[Marcello Mazzilli]

This is not a movie in the theatres... I am talking about something I could find in a Warner Village, in Space Cinemas, or so.... I need to know (or check for myself) how it looks printed on 35mm and projected on a 30 feet screen.

[Rick Jones]

You're more likely to see the 5DMk2 used in feature films as a b-roll cam and used where it really shines. Low light and close quarters.

George Lucas' upcoming film "Red Tails" used the 5DMk2 in many scenes where larger cams wouldn't work easily. I've heard that there are upwards of 200 shots still in the latest cut.

Shane Hurlbut (DP Terminator Salvation) has shot a Navy Seals feature film that used the 5DMk2 as the main cam intercut with film. Again, some scenes still work better with film. They're still working on distrubution and hope to have it released soon.

[Marcello Mazzilli]

Thanks Rick, this is great info.. what I was looking for...I look forward to see these movies and scenes

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Marcello Mazzilli

Thanks Rick, this is great info.. what I was looking for...I look forward to see these movies and scenes

The 5D has been used in several movies. Go look at Ironman2. Racetrack sequence. The low stuff from around the track, the "in the stands", the stuff where we are seeing Tony Stark in the car up close... all 5D stuff. They were used as crash cams too.

But anyone making a movie that would be destined for a real cinema release, with a 35mm film-out would have access to MUCH better equipment to shoot on than a 5D. Why waste the time? Securing a RED or similar camera for the length of the shoot would give a MUCH better product for maybe a $10k or $20k rental. An absolute pittance in comparison to what it takes to do a full length film-out.

As for putting 5D footage on the screen, I've done two 5D shoots. One has made 22 film fests or something like that now. We did that in 2009. And shot another (better) short in Summer 2010 on the 5D with the 24p firmware update. I've seen the first on a 40ft screen, and the new film on a 28ft screen. Both looked nice, but neither would get confused for an Alexa or a RED.

-P

[Marcello Mazzilli]

"But anyone making a movie that would be destined for a real cinema release, with a 35mm film-out would have access to MUCH better equipment to shoot on than a 5D"

Not so sure.. I usually do corporate videos and in-house have a dolly, a steadicam, camera car, lights etc.. all sized for a small troupe. Now I have been contacted by a "once famous now less but still good" italian actor (here in italy) who wants to to a low budget full lenght feature movie. He wants to auto-produce it. So we'll have to use in-house equipment. But he still has good contacts so a distributor has agreed to distribute it (and pay for negative + positive copies print) if we give him a finished product on digital media....

Anyway... this is why I am asking.... Maybe the whole thing could actually work!

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Marcello Mazzilli

Anyway... this is why I am asking.... Maybe the whole thing could actually work!

It could, but I'd certainly be looking for a different camera to shoot on. The 5D is a pain in the butt. And I don't know that I'd be all that willing to shoot for a theatrical release with it. Maybe the new Sony or Panasonic. But if my name was on the line, I'd be looking for something other than a 5D.

[Bill Pryor]

The final episode of last season's "House" was shot completely with 5DMKII cameras (three of them), and they routinely intercut scenes with 35mm film. I think the DSLRs are good enough, but like any camera--the camera is a tool. You learn how to use it and get comfortable with dealing with its eccentricities, there's no real reason you couldn't make a narrative feature with one.

As to SHOULD you make a feature with one, that's a different deal. On any narrative feature length film, the camera is only a tiny fraction of the cost of the project. Most people would choose to go with big chip higher end cameras, like the Arri Alexa or Sony F35. But it you're an independent sort of guy down at the lower end of the food chain, the DSLR option is a good way to go. Given a choice between a high end camera and a couple of sets of fresnels and the 5D with one of the lighting trucks fully loaded from Lights On or other rental house, I'd go with the 5D and take the lights.

I haven't shot with a Red but know others who have and I don't think the 5DII is any more of a pain in the butt than it can be.

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Bill Pryor

The final episode of last season's "House" was shot completely with 5DMKII cameras (three of them), and they routinely intercut scenes with 35mm film. I think the DSLRs are good enough, but like any camera--the camera is a tool. You learn how to use it and get comfortable with dealing with its eccentricities, there's no real reason you couldn't make a narrative feature with one.

House isn't playing on a 50ft screen in the theater either. And it is notable that while that particular episode of House was shot on a 5D, that hasn't been repeated. It was a singular event. The fact is, that while under several circumstances the 5D can be an effective tool, it has a LOT of limitations when shooting narrative. Been there, done that.

Originally Posted by Bill Pryor

As to SHOULD you make a feature with one, that's a different deal. On any narrative feature length film, the camera is only a tiny fraction of the cost of the project. Most people would choose to go with big chip higher end cameras, like the Arri Alexa or Sony F35. But it you're an independent sort of guy down at the lower end of the food chain, the DSLR option is a good way to go. Given a choice between a high end camera and a couple of sets of fresnels and the 5D with one of the lighting trucks fully loaded from Lights On or other rental house, I'd go with the 5D and take the lights.

At this juncture, you've got the AF100 coming in a couple of weeks, a similar Sony coming in a few months. The cost of the camera, in this case a 5D is nearly negligible. By the time you get it outfitted to do a feature (he didn't say a short), and pay for production, the 5D becomes nearly an afterhought in the budget. Heck, a good Mattebox will cost as much as the camera! Nevermind lensing it.

Yes, if you have to make other significant compromises to shoot on a much better camera, that needs to be weighed out. But I can name a pretty long list of cameras I'd rather rent than shoot a feature on a 5D. For one, I'd REALLY like to have timecode since I am going to need to sync sound. Lining up a few days of footage for a short with slate and clapper isn't a big deal. But doing a feature that way? Weeks and weeks of footage with maybe several hundred takes to sync. No thanks. I'll avoid that pain if I can.

Originally Posted by Bill Pryor

I haven't shot with a Red but know others who have and I don't think the 5DII is any more of a pain in the butt than it can be.

Yea, but the rewards for that pain on the RED, or Alexa, or Viper, or any number of other cameras really makes it worthwhile.

If it comes down to shooting the movie with the 5D, or NOT shooting the movie because you really can't get anything else, then shoot on the 5D. I'm just saying I'd be looking hard at other options first.