I was just wondering if anybody in here has any suggestions for any good not overly priced cameras to start with for independent films. I’ve taken courses on film production, and the cameras i used were just way out of my price range. I know there are a lot of good hand hel cameras out there. I’m looking into this nice sony at best buy for $1000. It does basically everything i need. Records digitally, greta picture quality, and it even films in anamorphic widescreen. Since I dont have experience with many different cameras, I am very open to suggestions. My boy is in the army and when he comes back, me and a couple friends are gonna do a little film. The first film we’re gonna do is a samurai/martial arts film. I love that stuff more then anybody in the group, and I pretty much got them into it. I am also studying Ninjitsu, and other forms of martial arts at this time. My boy will be dicharged in about 6 months, so thats when we start filmming. So i can save money up til then to get a camera.
Honestly, don’t bother with anything other than a 3 CCD (Meaning it has 3 chips of pixels to form the image, opposed to just one) camera.
If you’re serious about filmmaking and want to do your own little shorts, I’d suggest buying the CANON GL-2
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It might be a little out of your price range, but if you do some more shopping around, I’m sure you can get one for under $2000.
[quote]Honestly, don’t bother with anything other than a 3 CCD (Meaning it has 3 chips of pixels to form the image, opposed to just one) camera.
If you’re serious about filmmaking and want to do your own little shorts, I’d suggest buying the CANON GL-2
<LINK_TEXT text=“Amazon.com … e-pictures”>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006FXHQ/103-0278723-5324624?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER&vi=pictures&img=14#more-pictures</LINK_TEXT>
It might be a little out of your price range, but if you do some more shopping around, I’m sure you can get one for under $2000.
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Yeh the canon gl-2 was one of the main ones i was looking into. Thats prolly the one im gonna go with. Thanx for the info. Now i just gotta save up some dough.
GET A FUCKING XL2!!!
Im starting a production company with ym friend, and his parents bought us an xl2, but they now get 10% lol.
Seriously, it’s very flexible, and the picture is soo incredibly close to film.
You can awlays edit the look during post-pro if the XL2 can’t do a certain thing anyways …
i fyou want to film out yo uare going to get grain unless you buy a pro HD camera, bu they are way expensive.
So i suggest a good 3ccd camera, cause ppl have filmed sundance features with them and won the cinematography awards, so they dont look to shabby.
My camera personally is a Sony, cause they make great products.
Doyou have editing software. Adobe is probably the best for PC but if you have a mac get final cut pro, the best digital editing software you can get is Avid, but i only suggest that if you open up a serious production company on digital
[quote=“DigableChigga”]…Seriously, it’s very flexible, and the picture is soo incredibly close to film.[/quote]
you gotta be kidding me. I’ve seen my deal of projects screened and DV is DV, the 3chip difference is marginal, unless you got a really old and crappy camcorder.
Then there is a huge huge gap and then there is HD and real film stock. Let’t not fool ourselves, DV is financially feasible for us but it cannot meassure up to the latter 2
i recently purchased a panasonic 3ccd that records in 16:9 (broadcast quality) and havnt looked back. This camera is amazing and i seriously recommend it to anyone making independants.
So far i’ve made 8 - 8 minute films (part of a series) and each have looked amazing, definately worth a look.
[quote]a panasonic 3ccd that records in 16:9[/quote]
Very descriptive. Want to tell us what camera?
That’s litterally on par as, “I got this black car that can go really fast. I suggest everyone getting it.”
3 ccd cameras are the way to go for independent filmmakers with low budgets as a substitute to film. The difference definitely isnt marginal to regular mini-dv cameras. 3 ccd cameras have a superior quality compared to normal DV cameras and as i have said before independent filmmakers have used regular 3 ccd cameras on films in Sundance and won cinematography awards, there is definitely a difference. JVC, Panasonic, Sony, they all work, you just have to find the best one for your film.
what about seperate lenses? they are hella expensive…do you guys use them?
[quote=“tarantino_is_god”]
what about seperate lenses? they are hella expensive…do you guys use them?
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I like wide angle and also the telescopic one was helpful. yes they are way to expensive 
I also like Dutch angles (only if it helps the story) and slight upwards/downwards tilts can be very effective.
So can filters (they are not that expensive) and - needless to say - proper lighting/lighting with gels and so on and so forth.
Check for composition, balance/imbalance, depth of field, something that most amateur filmmakers just don’t care about but it also makes a project look more professional. A really good director cares for each fucking detail. Just look at Kubrick’s work. Every fucking frame a work of art. Nothing is there without good reason. Sorry I was getting sidetracked her ;D. I know you were just asking about lenses …
thats cool man, do you know how you can make a good colour in your movie?
hhhmmm…like for instance the whole gray/blue tone in underworld…are those mainly computer effects or is there a good way to make shades of colour directly when filming? dont know if this makes any sense… :
[quote=“tarantino_is_god”]
thats cool man, do you know how you can make a good colour in your movie?
hhhmmm…like for instance the whole gray/blue tone in underworld…are those mainly computer effects or is there a good way to make shades of colour directly when filming? dont know if this makes any sense… :
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I’d say you could try several approaches, maybe even mix them: filters, put gel in front of the light, if possible make the backdrops look grayish/bluish by nature. The nice thing with digital video is that you can experiment with little costs. So just try and have a look at it until it fits. And of course you always have color correction in postproduction if it doesn’t work the way you want it to or the methods I proposed are too expensive or you don’t have the stuff necessary.