Fcs
 

What's an easy way to make video form an XL2 look like film in FCS?

not necessarily, it depends on the quality of the XL2 footage you've started out with. The film look requires very little technique in the camera, you can get presets around here to get nice looking saturation in camera etc...most of the time should be spent in front of the camera (lighting, makeup, set design, blocking, camera blocking, casting, directing)...there's no magic bullet (pun intended) to make badly shot footage look like film.

If it's shot phenominally well, no one will even care that it's shot DV...most of that happens in front of the camera. The "film look" has little to do with the camera. The best example I've seen demonstrating this was in "Yogi Bear"...

http://www.bcdb.com/cartoon_synopsis...er_Screen.html

The director says "action...cue the sunrise, cue the birds"...controlling everything that happens in front of the camera will get you movie looking footage.

Have you already shot footage and are looking to color correct to give it a more filmic look?

I haven't shot it yet. I'm starting in the summer. just want to know what I should do throughout the process to make it look more like film.

What it "FCS"? Final Cut Studio?

learn lighting first and foremost, shoot lots of test footage, play! Get actors who are either very good...or have the time to have great performances coaxed out of them. Take the time to dress the set...nothing enters the frame that you don't want there. Costume well and consider makeup options.

Fcs is Final Cut Studio