Ali with Will Smith..
 

I watched Muhammed Ali with Will Smith today, I noticed that some scenes looked quite a lot like video. Anyone know if they shot some parts with video?

(Feel free to move this to a diffrent category if there is a better one)

Yep, some night scenes were shot CineAlta, and, according to IMDb, particular effects scenes were shot with "Michael McAlister's Lipstick Cameras."

Quoting DP Emmanuel Lubezki, "We went location scouting at night with a still camera and a DV camcorder. I noticed that the DV camcorder could get a terrific look at night, with amazing detail in the shadows. We tested the Sony/Panavision camera with the shutter disabled, the lens wide open and +3, +6 and +12 dB gain. You're not supposed to shoot like this. But we got a wonderful look with great detail."

...and now Michael Mann is shooting his current film "Collateral" 80% on HD.

The dual lipstick cam setup was used a couple of times on Seabiscuit and it drew me right out of the movie. I've got no problem with a mixed-media look such as Mann used on Ali, or Robert Richardson uses on some of his films, but in a rich 35mm epic to suddenly go to a weird video image for a second or two as was the case in Seabiscuit was just wrong--IMHO.

Why do anyone want to do this? Is this a DP/Director trying to be arty? Altough I could accept it if he was consistent, with a tought behind it. Let's say to give it a news/documentary kind of feel and still keep the lightning and other visual prefrences of a cinema setup. But to use it in a few shots spread out over a whole film never two video scenes after one another puzzles me. I found that extra handheld camera shake sometimes made me uncomfortable, I found it wasn't called for really.

But still, it was a really nice visual film. The DP got to "arty" some times.. (I don't want to write artistic, because it's a positive term)

Thanks for the feedback guys! It was fun to know if my suspicion was correct!

<<<-- Originally posted by Charles Papert : ...a rich 35mm epic to suddenly go to a weird video image for a second or two as was the case in Seabiscuit was just wrong--IMHO. -->>>

And no sooner did you type that than did Schwartzman get tapped by the Academy for the nomination...!

Overall he did a good job, I thought, but I'd agree with Charles on this one. Don't think he'll win.