MusicVideo Questions.
 

Hi guys and girls!

I just got an offter to make a high budget musicvideo.
I want to do a really really good video that could be shown
at MTV or any other music channel.

What I want to know is, what format would you use?
What format does the professionals use?

I'm leaning between renting a DIGIBETA or 16mm film?

Please comment and what would you do?

/Andreas

What's your estimated budget? It isn't worth spending a lot of money renting a digibeta camera if the budget for the rest of the show suffers.

The best bang for your buck would probably be shooting on the new Panasonic DVCPRO50 camera (the SDX900?) or on mini-DV with something like the Panasonic DVX100. Broadcast quality formats for MTV are probably Digibeta, DVCPRO50, betaSP, and DV (DVCAM, mini-DV, DVCPRO25), and telecined material from 35mm or 16mm. Adam Wilt's website has some excellent information on how these formats stack up in relation to DV.

If you're really into the film look then you should probably just shoot film.

Anyways first off I'd look at my budget and ask how technically nice I want the images to be.

Hi, thanks for your reply.
I don't think shooting DV is an option. I'm not sure but as I figured Digibeta has the best picture quality,of any non film format? (If you don't step up to 24P) I did a musicvideo for a band in Sweden with my XL1 with a $500 buget and it still looked too much video they said. (even though I used every film look trick in the book from camera to post) So, I cant afford to blow this client too. I would gess the budget for this new MV is around $50 000. I don't think they give higher budgets in Sweden for a MV.

I now know all they MV badguys uses film. But I guess they uses 35mm. I'm now looking in to end result picture diffrence between 16mm and 35mm and developing costs and digital scanning costs.

Nowadays I think it's easy to see if a video was shot on a "MiniDV" format or film. I'm not sure about the bigger cameras like DIGIBETAS, because I've never tried one out so I havent had the chance to learn the characteristics of the pictures on those cameras.

So I guess you could say hopfully the budget will cover a "film music video" but as I have never worked with it I need some pratice (even though I'll rent a DP) I want to be able to check on
his work to see if it's ok!

Thanks!

IMO forget digibeta = bottom line it's video ( excellent video but video ) and bands want the FILM look ...

hi budget = shoot 35mm ... nothing can touch it ..

if can't afford that then i'd go with the panasonic vari27 HD camera ( you can shoot from 4-60fps) .... this camera gives a image to TALK about ... and with ability to shoot at different speeds ....

if you can't afford that then i'd go super 16 ...

if not that then panasonic 900 at 24p or 30p ...

if can't afford that then what do you mean by hi budget ??

OK, THANKS! Great reply!
I should be able to go up to atleast the Panasonic Vari27.
I don't know if they are able to be rented in Sweden but perhaps I can get one from England or something.

I don't know how much 35mm really is (raw stock, developing and washing and scanning) Don, do you have a clue to how expensive it is in the US? I can always buy my film from the US.

I'll look into the Vari 27!

I agree with Don, but would recommend Super 16mm before the Varicam. With today's film stocks and telecine technology, you can achieve images that rival 35mm for broadcast purposes; HD is still video. You will have much greater latitude for lighting, greater range of shooting speeds (Varicam delivers up to 60 fps, an Arri SR3 High speed can go up to 150 fps.

Your DP will have much more to say on this subject (and could possible argue for HD instead of 16mm, for that matter!). Note that the equipment package for HD will likely cost you more than 16, but you will have stock and telecine costs with the 16mm.

US prices
35mm film stock - 1000 ft ( 11 min) approx $450 -550 ea
http://filmemporium.com

16mm 400ft (11min) approx 110-125 ea.

processing .21 -.25 per ft ...
http://www.monacosf.com/rates.html

film to tape tr ansfer ( digital beta ) 400-600 hr

if your NLE cannot handle digibeta then you'll need a window dub to format your NLE can handle ..

call panasonic professional division in sweden and to see who rents vari 27 and what post houses can handle it ...
more then likely you would shoot HD then get a SD copy to edit spit out EDL ..then go back to conform the HD to your EDL .... though i have seen music video's shot on vari 27 then copied to digibeta SD (standard def) edited and they did not go back to HD tapes and the digibeta looked excellent projected 20ft wide ...
make sure all equipment is in town for your HD to SD conversions and that the special FPS box to transfer the different speeds is available - if this equipment is not available then do not rely on sending tapes outside country ..go super 16 which should be available as if i remember correctly sweden started super 16

I agree! it would be nice to see the result. What's the name of the band. if it hasn't been shot yet I recommend the same as Charles. get the DP first and discuss with him wich way to go. I'm sure he knows all about what cams are available and to what price.

Good luck.