I decided to get into the world of DSLR-video earlier this year. I had already done some documentary work with a Sony HDV camera, the HDR-FX7, but found that I wanted more control over depth of field and look than the prosumer type camcorder gave. I read up on the Canon 5D and 7D, and saw some clips and examples of what people did with these cameras. I quickly came to appreciate Philip Bloom´s blog, as he really started pushing the envelope on what these cameras could achieve in HD-video. I enjoyed reading about his experiences at the Skywalker Rach, when Lucasfilm flew him over to California in the autumn of 2009, to demonstrate the scope and abilities of these cameras.
I picked up the 7D later that winter. I decided to go for the 7D rather than the 5D mainly because of the price tag. The 5D was out of both my employers and my own price range, but researching the 7D online, I found that it would be more than good enough for my requirements. I worked on a short documentary back then, and was eager to see if I could put the 7D to work right away.
I decided to not use the 7D for that project. The reason was, I didn´t quite have the time to get to know the camera and get comfortable with it, before shooting began. So I decided to use our Sony HDR-FX7 once again. Not an amazing camera, by any means. But I´m quite content with its HD performance, and by now I´m so familiar with the camera that working with it feels easy. Most of the shooting was interviews, and to get a loose and easy feel I shot a lot of the interviews handheld. I used a Røde Stereomic, which gave me a good soundtrack. Had the budget been larger, I would have mic’ed the interview better. But to stay on budget I had to do both sound and camera myself, and so I opted for the easiest solution.
Now that I´m more familiar with the 7D – would I have used it for interviews at this point? Well, yes and no. I would have preferred to have two cameras covering the interview. One HDV-cam doing master shots, and the 7D for closeups and cutaways. That being said, it´s definitely possible to use HDSLRs for interviews. You just have to be a little more prepared than usual. Here are some key points:
remember the 12 minute limit. Start and stop recording to start a new file on the CF-card
have enough CF-cards
backup batteries
be very conscious about choosing your lens, and lighting your subject. Don´t go overboard with a shallow depth of field just because you can. With an f-stop of at least 5.6 you´ll be safe.
You definitely need to record sound separately. The Canon DSLRs just aren´t good enough soundwise for professional use. I use a Røde videomic that I plug into my 7D, but that really isn´t enough for interviews.
Finally, invest in a LCD viewfinder if that´s within your budget. This really helps your focusing, as well as giving you the stability to go handheld once in a while. I use the moderately priced LCDVF, while most people seem to prefer the pricier Zacuto Z-Finder.
This fall will see the opening of the first major Norwegian production filmed entirely with Canon DSLRs. The show is titled Dag, and the first teaser trailer is worth checking out:
This week I attended a masterclass with DSLR-video guru Philip Bloom in Oslo. Bloom has quickly become the go-to-guy when it comes to Canon’s excellent HD-DSLRs with 1080p video. The buzz is mainly over the 5DmkII and the 7D models – with the 5D already being used in big professional productions.
Bloom took a very concrete and practical approach to the subject. He took us through the DSLR workflow, and presented solutions to the various problems you could bump into – like rolling shutter and moire. The masterclass was held in an excellent movie theatre complete with a 4k projector, so Bloom spiced his lecture with several videoclips. We saw a couple of minutes of the much dicussed season finale of House, that was shot on three 5DmkII cameras, as well as a handful of Philips own short films, also available on his website.
How did these cameras perform on the big screen?
Amazingly well!
Undoubtedly the next generation of Canon HDSLRs will see further progress in video capabilities. In many ways we’re witnessing a video revolution here – and not surprisingly some grumpy naysayers are unhappy with the changes. How somebody can manage to be unhappy with small and relatively affordable cameras with excellent video capabilities, I really can’t explain. Of course the DSLRs aren’t perfect and still have issues with audio, codecs, bad HDMI-out, and so on. But it’s just plain stupid to focus on the small problems when the opportunities are so amazing.
Here’s an interview that NRKbeta did with Philip Bloom in Oslo this week:
Our local cinema centers are finally going completely digital. The work to convert every single one of the theaters in Trondheim starts in March, and about half of them will be fitted for 3D projection as well.
I’m thrilled! Let’s keep the cinema clubs for celluloid, nostalgia and the old indie vibe. Let’s leap into the digital age with our commercial cinemas. With Avatar pointing to the ideal future of cinema technology, the digital projection (2D and 3D) is what people will be happy to pay for.
I saw The Road the other day. The film itself left much to be desired, and the celluloid print was a joke. Patchy and uneven colours, a less than satisfying sound reproduction (although that might be down to the terrible score…), in a theater perfectly capable of flawless digital projections.
A decade ago people ridiculed George Lucas for filming Star Wars on digital cameras. I liked his reply: When people ask me if the time is right for this, I say we should have been doing it 20 years ago.
I just got my hands on the Canon EOS 7D – a camera that has created some buzz over its HD video quality. I’ve just started exploring the camera, trying out different lenses and settings. Fortunately there are a lot of resources and sound advice to be found out there on the web. Here’s a quick summary of the best sites I’ve found so far.
Filmmakers Philip Bloom has quickly become something of a HD-DSLR guru. A few months ago he was invited to George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch to demonstrate how to get the best out of the 7D and the 5DmkII. Lucasfilm has a history of pioneering in the field of digital filmmaking, and apparently they were impressed with the results you can get out of these tiny Canon cameras.
Stu Maschwitz has a background from Industrial Light & Magic and The Orphanage, and he is the authour of the useful The DV Rebel’s Guide. He’s also the Creative Director behind the popular Magic Bullet products, great for colour grading digital video. His blog has loads of useful info on the 7D and digital filmmaking.
Shane Hurlbut is perhaps best known as the cinematographer that got in the line of Christian Bale’s verbal fire during the shooting of the latest Terminator movie. His blog has tons of great info on using HD-DSLR cameras on professional shoots.
The people behind Canon Filmmakers gather excellent info and links on the Canon line of HD-DSLRs.
Saw Avatar in 3D at my local cinema yesterday. The story is nothing special, and the villains were actually quite boring – but all that is unimportant. What I walked away with was the visuals, the craft and the implications for movies to come.
The 3D-glasses you get now are quite light and uncumbersome. And I guess it’s not long now until you go to your local electronics store to buy your very own pair. ‘Cause eventually 3D’s coming home to your TV-set as well.
The next generation of HDMI-cables (1.4) will support 3D, and before long producers will leap into the market for films and games on Blu-Ray. Sony is working on 3D-broadcasts from next summers Football World Cup, and 2010 will be the year that saw the coming of 3D flatscreens for the consumer market.
