Shooting DV and transfer to film

[Michael Chen]

Hi guys,

Another question regarding shooting on dv and blowing up to films.

I am going to shoot my first feature, and intend to release them theatrically. Should have no problem in securing distribution, therefore I will need to transfer the final product to film.
I've been working with dv for a few years, but have no experience on shooting dv for the purpose of transfering to film.

So here's the questions,
1) I only have a budget of about 80,000 dollars, so I suppose the choice I made of shooting in dv and then transferring to film is the best choice for this budget?

2) I have heard of decent transfers, and with newer cameras like the XL2 and DVX100A, I suppose the quality will be even better then previous films shot on dv right?
We owned a XL1s, I am thinking of upgrading to XL2 or DVX100A for this purpose if its worth the quality improvement. Or should I just use the existing XL1s and save cost?

3) Will the final quality be decent enough and not get in the way of the storytelling? ie, it won't distract the viewers due to low quality ....i'm referring to the general public who knows nothing about dv and film..


as 80k is not a small amount to me, I am quite worried, and need more advice as time passes..I havent seen dv film blowups in the theatres over here, but as long as the quality is bearable, it will be fine..hope to hear some feedback from you guys and thanks for any advice in advance.

[Jan van den Hemel]

If you are certain that your film is getting distribution, just let them worry about the transfer. Why on earth would you pay for that anyway? Same with the music rights.

As far as the image goes, I would advise you to shoot some tests and see what they look like, blown up to 35.

[Jeff Donald]

Michael, this has been discussed here numerous times in the past. This will help you get started. Happy reading.