Motion Pictures shot in miniDV? at DVinfo.net

Don Donatello · March 4th, 2002, 12:27 AM

went to the san jose CINEQUEST film festival this weekend.
i was very impressed with the movies shot on DIGITAL ..
... the BEST looking movie i saw at the festival (make that in the past 3 weeks) was a film called "come together"

www.rocketchicken.com trailer

it was shot on a XL1 in 16x9 mode by Les Erskine ( The Sixth Day ) ... it was digitally projected on a screen approx 32 ft across at the san jose reportory theater ( as in plays are put on here) ... IMO they lit this Movie as if they were shooting 35mm. the night scenes are excellent. edited on FCP ... shot interlaced then in FCP they did the 24fps look then bump to digital beta and on top of it there is a pretty good story with very good actors/actresses ....

also went to a meeting called "the future is NOW" ... saw sony 500WS pal , pd150 NTSC , XL NTSC , 24P HD, 1080i HD clips digitally projected ... then saw similar but now transferred to 35mm and film projected - transfer by http://www.digitalfilmgroup.net/index.htm
they showed some clips shot on D9 if you want more then DVCAM take a look at it ...

the 24P HD was quite impressive ! when digital projected there was NO grain/noise - when transferred to FILM it did pick up grain . DP Francis Kenny was there with samples from "how high" which was shot on 24P and is playing in theaters BUT what you are seeing in theater he said had gone through the NEG to IP to dupe neg process ..we screened right off the 24P tape ..

there is alot being shot on 24P ..panavision has over 100 of these camera's and they are OUT of them on most days .

For some 24P will be another tool to use .. for others it will be used because of budget ....

NTSC/PAL was never meant to be on a 32ft screen ... but it can carry a story ..again for some it will be a tool - others because of budget ...

take a look at "come together" !

Rhett Allen · March 10th, 2002, 05:01 PM

Check out "Time Code" and "Dancer in the Dark", both shot on DVCAM with DSR500's VX2000's PD150's and the dancing scenes in Dancer in the dark were filmed with a total of 100 DSR-PD100a's with Optix 16:9 lens adapters. Both movies are on DVD and both are worth watching. I bought "Dancer" (for Bjork).
I think there will be a trend towards DV in the future especially with big production studios feeling the squeeze from the current focus on independents. There is very little in the way of "ORIGINAL" material coming from Hollywood and I think the public is getting tired of seeing the same thing re-hashed over and over. There is something new and fresh about the way digital video displays life and I think that people will come to embrace the newness, either that or George Lucas will cram it down their throat with another Jar-Jar Stinks!

Dan C. · March 11th, 2002, 10:19 AM

Bit of a long list, but heres a few more I've gathered were shot on DV.
Note that some have a dash (-) after them and state that it was also shot with another cam or another cam type (a couple where shot with a Beta aswell).

<DISCLAIMER> This list may not be accurate </DISCLAIMER>

DSR-500
-----------
The Anniversary Party
Jack The Dog
Original Kings Of Comedy
Things Behind The Sun

VX1000
-----------
Visitor Q
In The Family
Bamboozled
Waking Life
The Cruise
Book Of Life
Breakeven (Plus Minus Null)
Chuck & Buck
Could Be Worse
Everything Put Together
The Humiliated
The Idiots
The Last Broadcast - and other cameras
One Life Stand
Saltmen Of Tibet
Shucking The Curve
Southern Comfort
Trouble With Perpetual Deja-Vu
Waking Life
Windhorse - and Betacam

TRV900
----------
The Chateau
Lovers

PD100
----------
Chelsea Walls
Dancer in the Dark
Hotel - PD100/PD150
The King Is Alive
Last Word On Paradise
Startup.com - XL1/PD100
Wang Dang
Women In Film

PD150
---------
Manic
Hotel - PD100/PD150
Tape

XL1/s
---------
Full Frontal - (s)
Big Monday
Falling Like This
Final
I.K.U.
Julian Donkey Boy - 8 other cameras
Keep The River On Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale
Park - and Panasonic EZ1
Pinero
Some Body
Startup.com - XL1/PD100

Other DV / Unknown DV
-----------
Last Call
The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack

TV Shows
------------
Trigger Happy TV - vx1000
Jackass - variety including PD150/VX2000/XL1(s)
Flipped on MTV - PD150/DV500

Ed Smith · March 11th, 2002, 12:56 PM

One other TV show shot with Dv/DVcam:

(English)
Channel 4 - Driven: Sony PC110, PD150 and Betacam

Dan C. · March 11th, 2002, 04:03 PM

When are PD150s used on Driven?
For the car interiors?

Ed Smith · March 12th, 2002, 11:42 AM

I believe that the PC110 is used for interior shots as well as a few other small DV cams.

The PD150 is usually given to the presenters to shoot from in the car and to do piece to cameras as well as cut a ways.

These might not be true but after watching the special edition in Sweden I believe they were the cameras which were used.

Please correct me if you think I am wrong.

All the best,

Ed

Ed Smith · March 12th, 2002, 11:54 AM

Just realised I recorded that show.

I think I am wrong in saying that they used the PD150 – in fact they showed a picture of Mike Brewer holding a Sony DCR TRV900
*Mini DV* and said that they use it to record cut-a-ways.

He also said that because the temperature in Sweden is freezing a 1hour battery would only last a couple of minutes.

So, I was wandering how people on this forum, that live in very cold places cope with this problem?

All the best,

Ed

Ken Tanaka · March 12th, 2002, 01:13 PM

Hopefully "afterburner" will chime-in here since he's probably not even used his camera above freezing ;-).

In late Jan I spent a week shooting in the Banff / Lake Louise area of Alberta, Canada. As usual it was cold...real cold, with daytime temps hovering in the -20F range. I was using my GL1 on this trip but the procedure would have been the same with my XL1s. Knowing it was going to be instant-nose-hair-freezing I purchased a Porta Brace Polar case for the GL1. This is basically an insulated coverall tailored with closeable openings for the lens, viewfinder and hand. Mesh pockets are sewn strategically inside this case to hold Hot Hands heat packs. (By "strategically" I mean that pockets are positioned on the battery, on the side of the lens mechanism, on the side of the tape transport and over your hand.) This worked very well for me. The camera's batteries seemed to last a normal time and the lens' zoom only slowed after a prolonged period of shooting while the case's front was opened. (There's a removable insulated little nose warmer lens cap.)

Porta Brace also makes a Polar case for the XL1/XL1s, although you might need to forgo the MA-200 to use it. Interestingly, this is one of the few Porta Brace items in a color other than blue (it's black), presumably designed to soak-up any radiant heat frrom the sun.

You could probably rig some similar outfit with an old down jacket or other outdoor gear.

Martin Munthe · April 30th, 2002, 07:02 AM

I live in Sweden but do not have a problem with freezing cameras since I live in the capital Stockholm and we don't have a big problem with freezing over here.

However I do not think that freezing within limits only affects the life length of the batteries. You solve this problem by bringing more batteries to the shoot. When it is cold enough the tape will break as will film.

But there is another problem for you guys living in the tropics. CCDs are HEAVILY affacted by heat and this leads to constant back focus issues. In a camcorder where backfocus can not be adjusted this problem is unsolvable. People that have been shooting on 2/3" in deserts and great heat know what I'm talking about. This was a big problem on the Star Wars HD shoot. They where constantly checking back focus on those Panavision primes.

Ed Smith · April 30th, 2002, 07:11 AM

cheers for the note Martin,

I guess us XL1 users are buggered in tropical conditions, oh well now I know. I'll be careful if I ever get the lucky chance to film in hot or cold countries (if that would ever happen!!!!).

Cheers again,

Ed Smith

Adrian Douglas · April 30th, 2002, 08:14 AM

Ken, sorry it's taken so long for me to chime in, I must have missed this one.

I've shot during winter in the mountains of Canada, New Zealand and Japan and during summer on Australia's Gold Coast beaches and never noticed any significant difference in performance of my XL1. The camera has always performed flawlessly and battery life has been maybe 15mins less in the cold.

davidisrael · May 18th, 2002, 01:24 PM

One more feature film title to add to the list of things shot in DV:
Italian for Beginners

Here's the Miramax website:
http://www.miramax.com/italianforbeginners/

don't know what camera(s) was used; anybody know?

I've not been to the movies in a little while, but look forward to catching this one at a local multiplex.

d.i.

Chris Ward · May 18th, 2002, 02:05 PM

How many on that list of DV films were shot NTSC? I believe STARTUP.COM was but I don't know of many others.

davidisrael · May 20th, 2002, 03:22 PM

Chris,

according to the Next Wave Films list of DV features --http://www.nextwavefilms.com/ulbp/bullfront.html

Rick Linklatter's WAKING LIFE was shot with a VX1000 (NTSC) -- so there's one (and a good one at that).

Scanning the list, I also find:
Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner) -- Digital Beta (NTSC)
The Ballad Of Ramblin’ Jack -- VX1000 (NTSC)
Better Living Through Circuitry -- VX1000 (NTSC)
Big Monday -- XL1 (NTSC)
Hal Hartley's fantastic Book of Life -- VX1000 (NTSC)

as well (kinda quick here) as:
Conceiving Ada
Could be Worse
The Cruise
Falling Like This
Ghengis Blues (but that's not DV; neither was Blair Witch, though it was NTSC)
I.K. U. -- XL1 (NTSC)
The Item
Jack the Dog
Keep the River on your Right -- XL1 (NTSC)
The Last Broadcast
Long Night's Journey into Day . . .

etc., etc. (that's just half way thru the alphabet)

cheers, d.i.

March 4th, 2002, 12:27 AM	#1
Don Donatello Hawaiian Shirt Mogul Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: northern cailfornia Posts: 1,261	Keep eye out for "come together" went to the san jose CINEQUEST film festival this weekend. i was very impressed with the movies shot on DIGITAL .. ... the BEST looking movie i saw at the festival (make that in the past 3 weeks) was a film called "come together" www.rocketchicken.com trailer it was shot on a XL1 in 16x9 mode by Les Erskine ( The Sixth Day ) ... it was digitally projected on a screen approx 32 ft across at the san jose reportory theater ( as in plays are put on here) ... IMO they lit this Movie as if they were shooting 35mm. the night scenes are excellent. edited on FCP ... shot interlaced then in FCP they did the 24fps look then bump to digital beta and on top of it there is a pretty good story with very good actors/actresses .... also went to a meeting called "the future is NOW" ... saw sony 500WS pal , pd150 NTSC , XL NTSC , 24P HD, 1080i HD clips digitally projected ... then saw similar but now transferred to 35mm and film projected - transfer by http://www.digitalfilmgroup.net/index.htm they showed some clips shot on D9 if you want more then DVCAM take a look at it ... the 24P HD was quite impressive ! when digital projected there was NO grain/noise - when transferred to FILM it did pick up grain . DP Francis Kenny was there with samples from "how high" which was shot on 24P and is playing in theaters BUT what you are seeing in theater he said had gone through the NEG to IP to dupe neg process ..we screened right off the 24P tape .. there is alot being shot on 24P ..panavision has over 100 of these camera's and they are OUT of them on most days . For some 24P will be another tool to use .. for others it will be used because of budget .... NTSC/PAL was never meant to be on a 32ft screen ... but it can carry a story ..again for some it will be a tool - others because of budget ... take a look at "come together" ! Last edited by Chris Hurd; March 4th, 2002 at 09:14 AM.

March 10th, 2002, 05:01 PM	#2
Rhett Allen Major Player Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 607	Other DV films Check out "Time Code" and "Dancer in the Dark", both shot on DVCAM with DSR500's VX2000's PD150's and the dancing scenes in Dancer in the dark were filmed with a total of 100 DSR-PD100a's with Optix 16:9 lens adapters. Both movies are on DVD and both are worth watching. I bought "Dancer" (for Bjork). I think there will be a trend towards DV in the future especially with big production studios feeling the squeeze from the current focus on independents. There is very little in the way of "ORIGINAL" material coming from Hollywood and I think the public is getting tired of seeing the same thing re-hashed over and over. There is something new and fresh about the way digital video displays life and I think that people will come to embrace the newness, either that or George Lucas will cram it down their throat with another Jar-Jar Stinks!

March 11th, 2002, 10:19 AM	#3
Dan C. Major Player Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Cheshire, England Posts: 105	Bit of a long list, but heres a few more I've gathered were shot on DV. Note that some have a dash (-) after them and state that it was also shot with another cam or another cam type (a couple where shot with a Beta aswell). <DISCLAIMER> This list may not be accurate </DISCLAIMER> DSR-500 ----------- The Anniversary Party Jack The Dog Original Kings Of Comedy Things Behind The Sun VX1000 ----------- Visitor Q In The Family Bamboozled Waking Life The Cruise Book Of Life Breakeven (Plus Minus Null) Chuck & Buck Could Be Worse Everything Put Together The Humiliated The Idiots The Last Broadcast - and other cameras One Life Stand Saltmen Of Tibet Shucking The Curve Southern Comfort Trouble With Perpetual Deja-Vu Waking Life Windhorse - and Betacam TRV900 ---------- The Chateau Lovers PD100 ---------- Chelsea Walls Dancer in the Dark Hotel - PD100/PD150 The King Is Alive Last Word On Paradise Startup.com - XL1/PD100 Wang Dang Women In Film PD150 --------- Manic Hotel - PD100/PD150 Tape XL1/s --------- Full Frontal - (s) Big Monday Falling Like This Final I.K.U. Julian Donkey Boy - 8 other cameras Keep The River On Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale Park - and Panasonic EZ1 Pinero Some Body Startup.com - XL1/PD100 Other DV / Unknown DV ----------- Last Call The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack TV Shows ------------ Trigger Happy TV - vx1000 Jackass - variety including PD150/VX2000/XL1(s) Flipped on MTV - PD150/DV500 Last edited by Dan C.; March 12th, 2002 at 02:28 PM.

March 12th, 2002, 11:54 AM	#7
Ed Smith Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hampshire, England Posts: 1,545	Sorry Just realised I recorded that show. I think I am wrong in saying that they used the PD150 – in fact they showed a picture of Mike Brewer holding a Sony DCR TRV900 Mini DV and said that they use it to record cut-a-ways. He also said that because the temperature in Sweden is freezing a 1hour battery would only last a couple of minutes. So, I was wandering how people on this forum, that live in very cold places cope with this problem? All the best, Ed

March 12th, 2002, 01:13 PM	#8
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	Hopefully "afterburner" will chime-in here since he's probably not even used his camera above freezing ;-). In late Jan I spent a week shooting in the Banff / Lake Louise area of Alberta, Canada. As usual it was cold...real cold, with daytime temps hovering in the -20F range. I was using my GL1 on this trip but the procedure would have been the same with my XL1s. Knowing it was going to be instant-nose-hair-freezing I purchased a Porta Brace Polar case for the GL1. This is basically an insulated coverall tailored with closeable openings for the lens, viewfinder and hand. Mesh pockets are sewn strategically inside this case to hold Hot Hands heat packs. (By "strategically" I mean that pockets are positioned on the battery, on the side of the lens mechanism, on the side of the tape transport and over your hand.) This worked very well for me. The camera's batteries seemed to last a normal time and the lens' zoom only slowed after a prolonged period of shooting while the case's front was opened. (There's a removable insulated little nose warmer lens cap.) Porta Brace also makes a Polar case for the XL1/XL1s, although you might need to forgo the MA-200 to use it. Interestingly, this is one of the few Porta Brace items in a color other than blue (it's black), presumably designed to soak-up any radiant heat frrom the sun. You could probably rig some similar outfit with an old down jacket or other outdoor gear. __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

March 11th, 2002, 12:56 PM	#4
Ed Smith Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hampshire, England Posts: 1,545	One other TV show shot with Dv/DVcam: (English) Channel 4 - Driven: Sony PC110, PD150 and Betacam

March 11th, 2002, 04:03 PM	#5
Dan C. Major Player Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Cheshire, England Posts: 105	When are PD150s used on Driven? For the car interiors?

March 12th, 2002, 11:42 AM	#6
Ed Smith Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hampshire, England Posts: 1,545	I believe that the PC110 is used for interior shots as well as a few other small DV cams. The PD150 is usually given to the presenters to shoot from in the car and to do piece to cameras as well as cut a ways. These might not be true but after watching the special edition in Sweden I believe they were the cameras which were used. Please correct me if you think I am wrong. All the best, Ed

April 30th, 2002, 07:02 AM	#9
Martin Munthe Major Player Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 331	I live in Sweden but do not have a problem with freezing cameras since I live in the capital Stockholm and we don't have a big problem with freezing over here. However I do not think that freezing within limits only affects the life length of the batteries. You solve this problem by bringing more batteries to the shoot. When it is cold enough the tape will break as will film. But there is another problem for you guys living in the tropics. CCDs are HEAVILY affacted by heat and this leads to constant back focus issues. In a camcorder where backfocus can not be adjusted this problem is unsolvable. People that have been shooting on 2/3" in deserts and great heat know what I'm talking about. This was a big problem on the Star Wars HD shoot. They where constantly checking back focus on those Panavision primes. __________________ Martin Munthe VFX Supervisor/DP/Director

April 30th, 2002, 07:11 AM	#10
Ed Smith Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hampshire, England Posts: 1,545	cheers for the note Martin, I guess us XL1 users are buggered in tropical conditions, oh well now I know. I'll be careful if I ever get the lucky chance to film in hot or cold countries (if that would ever happen!!!!). Cheers again, Ed Smith

April 30th, 2002, 08:14 AM	#11
Adrian Douglas Trustee Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Chigasaki, Japan. Posts: 1,660	Ken, sorry it's taken so long for me to chime in, I must have missed this one. I've shot during winter in the mountains of Canada, New Zealand and Japan and during summer on Australia's Gold Coast beaches and never noticed any significant difference in performance of my XL1. The camera has always performed flawlessly and battery life has been maybe 15mins less in the cold. __________________ Adrian DVInfo.net Search for quick answers Where to buy? From the best in the business...DVInfo.net sponsors

May 18th, 2002, 01:24 PM	#12
davidisrael New Boot Join Date: May 2002 Location: washington dc Posts: 24	One more feature film title to add to the list of things shot in DV: Italian for Beginners Here's the Miramax website: http://www.miramax.com/italianforbeginners/ don't know what camera(s) was used; anybody know? I've not been to the movies in a little while, but look forward to catching this one at a local multiplex. d.i. __________________ David Raphael Israel Director Other Shore Productions / Other Shore DVD

May 18th, 2002, 02:05 PM	#13
Chris Ward Contributor Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: New England Posts: 68	NTSC How many on that list of DV films were shot NTSC? I believe STARTUP.COM was but I don't know of many others.

May 20th, 2002, 03:22 PM	#14
davidisrael New Boot Join Date: May 2002 Location: washington dc Posts: 24	good question Chris, according to the Next Wave Films list of DV features --http://www.nextwavefilms.com/ulbp/bullfront.html Rick Linklatter's WAKING LIFE was shot with a VX1000 (NTSC) -- so there's one (and a good one at that). Scanning the list, I also find: Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner) -- Digital Beta (NTSC) The Ballad Of Ramblin’ Jack -- VX1000 (NTSC) Better Living Through Circuitry -- VX1000 (NTSC) Big Monday -- XL1 (NTSC) Hal Hartley's fantastic Book of Life -- VX1000 (NTSC) as well (kinda quick here) as: Conceiving Ada Could be Worse The Cruise Falling Like This Ghengis Blues (but that's not DV; neither was Blair Witch, though it was NTSC) I.K. U. -- XL1 (NTSC) The Item Jack the Dog Keep the River on your Right -- XL1 (NTSC) The Last Broadcast Long Night's Journey into Day . . . etc., etc. (that's just half way thru the alphabet) cheers, d.i. __________________ David Raphael Israel Director Other Shore Productions / Other Shore DVD