For several years now, technology has changed the way of making films. Direct from the professional photography – and now lover -, it is digital slr for shooting high definition. Thanks to this technology, the average cost of a film is collapsed and has allowed a great number to shoot professional-quality, at a lower cost.
History of video digital slr
It was in September 2008 that was announced the Canon 5D Mark II, the new best seller of the professional slr for Canon. With it came the ability to shoot Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) on a large format sensor (24 x 36mm. A first in the world of photography and the cinema.Very quickly, many professionals, and amateurs have taken over the 5D Mark II (renamed affectionately 5D2) in order to produce quality videos pro with a small budget. For example, while the 5D2 was in the 3 000€ in 2009, the first professional camera by turning it in 1080p (so the same definition) was not found under the bar of 15 000€ !
Many were then able to drastically reduce their budgets of shooting, and especially many were able to start in the movie theater with professional equipment.Some doubts remained about the quality of the video provided by the 5D2. But some filming as the final episode of season 6 of the hit series Dr. House made exclusively with the 5D2 were quick to adopt the subject by Hollywood. And it is not uncommon to find on many films, up to a blockbuster like Captain America !
The advantages of the slr to shoot a film
We have seen, the interest number 1 film in the slr is obviously the cost of the equipment. Today, a 5D Mark II can be found in the vicinity of 1 500€ in the occasion, while his replacement is worth a little less than double in nine. In recent years, many party accessories have helped to make the film in the slr easier : steadycam, viewfinders, remote screens, glides… almost all the accessories “classics” of the cinema are now available for reflex.De plus, with an slr, you have the assurance to find many of the optics that are compatible with your camera. American Plan, close-up, macro, landscapes… seen will always find targets (professional) Canon or trademark of third parties which will meet your needs.
The video quality is excellent. The rendering (with a vocational objective) is stitched as it should be and thanks to the input of the full-frame sensor, it is possible to shoot scenes with a shallow depth of field ultra-short (you know, this first plan perfectly crisp and the rear of a blur creamy – bokeh of our friends photographer – as we like it). Only concern on the table, this made it very visual tend to be now overexploited, and thus becomes boring. As always, it is a question of point of view, but for a few years now, this effect is so seen time and time again that he can give a side “cheap” to your film if it is too much used.
The disadvantages of the slr for a shoot
Shooting the reflex is, however, not perfect. Often, the reflex use of encryption technologies different from those used by professional cameras. The rendering is clean, however once behind a bench, your editor might cringe. No ability to choose your framerate quite often. However, a shooting in 24p, 25p or 50i is often an important choice to make to be fitting on your clips. Unlike a professional camera, it is rare to find a focus dynamic on a dslr. So unless you want to have a depth of field is gigantic and shoot at f/16, you will need to use your reflex on the foot fixed. Another solution is to invest in a follow focus that can be a nice utility. Learn however to use it before the start of your filming, because its use is not easier !
Finally, the weight of the files produced by a reflex frieze often obesity. A card of 16gb will not let you over an hour of rush, so allow wide before you start your shoot ! And most importantly, plan the latest computer to be able to easily process the massive video files that will be generated. Never the power of your computer has never been so important in the context of the creation of your film since the use of these reflex !
In conclusion, the use of the dslr to shoot your film is now virtually indispensable, in particular in terms of price/quality ratio and the amount of accessories available. However, remember that nothing is perfect, and that it is necessary to anticipate the defects of this tool before you start the first rush.
Key words: long-metrage canon 5d mark 3