Clip from XL2 short film
 

A small clip from my short. I shot this on the XL2. I would put the entire film up but I'm currently waiting for it to play in festivals first. I thought I'd throw it up so some of you could check out some Xl2 footage. Cheers!

www.vimeo.com/233301

Nice stuff Eric. Who did your props? What mode did you shoot this in? 24p or 24Pa?

Nice lighting and audio.

That was very well done. Lighting, sound, composition, and solid acting!

All that makes me want to see the whole thing.

This was posted previously, just a few months ago.

Hello, all. In answer to your questions:

Mike: I built the props myself. I use to do this for a living so to save money (which I basically had none) I did the work myself. You'd be suprised what you can build with household / junkyard items. I shot in 24p with the 3x lens.

Glenn and Bruce: Thanks for the compliments. I'm glad you liked it.

Jay: Actually, I posted to get advice on how I should present the clip and the link was to the website (which I'm still working to make compatible with some PC's). I figured doing a direct link to the clip this time would be quicker for anyone interested rather than hunting through the website. Either way, I'm always looking to get constructive critism, advice, feedback from fellow filmmakers.

Haven't been able to listen to it yet, but just from looking at it, WOW! Great job on the lighting! Was it that dark originally (if so, how did you get it so clean?) or did you darken it in post?

Dale, the footage on the website hasn't been altered in post. It's raw video footage. I just did tests and lit it carefully. The XL2 can kick some serious butt when you light properly. Nice inky blacks with nearly zero noise (to the eye anyway). I shot at -3 with the noise reduction set to "high"? Thanks for the comments as well.

Very very cool. Waiting to see the whole thing! WE WANT MORE!!!! lol

Awesome, and low light is mind blowing!

I'm with the other guys, I can't wait to see more!

It underlines that it's not just what you say (or show) that counts but how you say that's important - the atmosphere and sense of tension is great.

I think this clip counts as excellent viral marketing!

Thanks for all the comments. I will post the entire film online sometime soon...hopefully.

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my first post (Hi, everyone!)

Hi, i registered with the forum just to ask you a question. Could you please tell wich adapter and lense you used for that film? (3x lense does not tell me anything since my knowledge of camcorders could be compared to that of a monkey)

And... very nice, professional clip. thx

Regards

Hi, John Welcome to the boards! No adapter was used. Just the 3x Canon wide angle lens for the XL2. To avoid doing any grading and CC in post I used an in-camera custom preset which I'll be glad to post if you wish.
Also, careful lighting and composition help as well. That being said, devoting your time to learning the craft of filmmaking and all its components, i.e. cinematography, writing, directing, etc is what is most important.

Dood that was nice :) Wasn't that Dozer from the Matrix? Pretty cool man, looking forward to some more footage

:)
 

thx for responding
I think it is not only me who wants to know the settings :D.
I think I realized what the lense does: it zooms out more than it would be possible with 20x lense ;D. How is the DOF with 3x Lense? (I also found out that the lense is very expensive =/).


regards

Yes, the 3X is fairly expensive but a necessity when shooting in tight spaces. You can get decent DOF when you get right on top of your subject. 1-3 feet I'd say.
Settings used for the entire movie were:

24P
16:9
1/48th shutter
3x and 20x Canon lenses

gamma - cine
knee - low
black - press
color matrix - cine
color gain - 6+
color phase - normal
rgb - normal
v detail - low
sharpness - -4
coring - 6+
set up level - -5
master pedal - -4
NR - high
White balance - indoor (bulb setting)

I also tried to shoot between f2.4 - 2.6 with the lens. (indoors)

Dmitry, yes...that is indeed Dozer from the Matrix. Super cool guy and excellent actor.

Depressing... I clicked on your link and started to watch your clip, immediate reaction, "oh, look at this, here's some guy that's shot a little video with the same camera I have and I can't tell the diffference between it and a Hollywood movie". I suck, you rule... that looked great!

Really though, I do love people showing how much can be accomplished with the XL2, you did it very proud. Well done!

Bert, thanks for the kind words. It's my first attempt at a short film and honestly I look at it and see things I could have done differently in certain parts with regards to storytelling, lighting and shot choices. But moviemaking done right has a heck of a learning curve, right? I'm hoping to get better as I progress. Thanks, again.

Is the entire movie available for viewing (free or otherwise)? I would really like to see it!

Dale

Really good stuff Eric. I love the detailed and creative prop design. Are there more weapons in the film, or just the two seen here? You must have actually had a budget for this! ;)

How long is the final edit?

Where did you shoot it?

-Arman

Dale, I plan on putting it up pretty soon. I'll be sure to post when I do.
Arman, the short is about 12 minutes long and I shot it in L.A. and Seattle.
Not much of a budget, though. Most of the cost came in with paying the actors. All the sets and props total cost under $800.00. I'd like to to do stuff even cheaper, though. I'm amazed at what some people can put together for almost nothing.