Exploding High Definition Myths - cont'd
Should I Record Sound on Camera?
Definitely. You will be able to start your digitizing immediately. On tight budgets a post-production supervisor can schedule the offline or online independently of any sound work. On tight budgets it is possible to do a rough cut with sync and including basic track laying in the offline. Once the pictures are locked all audio channels can be lifted from the online for the sound dub. Expect more audio track laying to take place in the offline as onlines are becoming more audio feature rich.
What About the Adapters that Convert 35mm Lenses to HD?
There are two types of options. The Angenieux adapter is 200 mm in length and is T1.6 and inverts the image, which can be corrected with appropriate additional hardware of a f900 or at the flick of a switch on the Varicam. The other options utilize a fast spinning or vibrating ground glass where the image from the 35 mm lens is focused. The image from the ground glass is re-photographed to fit the smaller HD sensor. The result is a soft look with texture. These systems typically reduce effective aperture by one and a half stops.
Does HD Strobe More than Film?
No. It captures motion in a very similar way. Some people get disturbed watching the monitor when the camera is being set up and often panned around very quickly. This is not something you see watching film dailies of course. Also if watching a pan on a monitor from a distance the edges of frame can take your attention rather than the subject. Next time you are at the cinema watch the edges of frame not the subject during a pan and you will see strobing. A camera operator who is new to video will need time to acclimatize to an HD viewfinder. More details about judder here
Film Guys Can't Handle HD!
Some old dogs will learn new tricks, others will not. An alternative to expecting a DoP who has never shot video simply to adapt and cope is to have a video operator or a DoP who has worked on HD as part of the crew. At the moment there are not enough experienced HD hands [en] so get whoever you can to help.
Can Video Guys Shoot HD?
A 'video guy' will know how the camera works and have a sensitivity toward CCDs' limited contrast range. He will be able to troubleshoot any problems and not make silly mistakes. However, he may not have experience in framing for a big screen or working with a focus puller. In the United States there has been very little drama shot on video whereas in other parts of the world electronic cinematography has existed using Digibeta for many years. An 'Electronic Cinematography' set up is similar to film, with film style lenses focus pullers etc.
Should I Shoot Straight and Achieve the Look I Want in Post?
If you don't know video very well then don't play around with the camera. If you are after a full range of tones, don't play around with the camera (although this may be something of a generalization). However, even some simple adjustments in camera will start to manipulate the image in a creative and powerful way. You can communicate this look to the rest of the team via the monitor so the collaborative process is efficient and focused. This is very powerful. especially on tight budgets where departments may not have had all the time and resources to plan and communicate their ideas.see HD grading
Film DoPs who are used to getting the look they want in post are amongst the strongest voices against HD. Some have said they would ban a big HD monitor on set. Other DoPs will realize that they may not always get to the grade, so shooting with an in-camera look gives more authorship than just shooting straight. If the director doesn't like the in-camera look, he or she can have their chance to say so during the shoot. However, beware of very strong looks where the image cannot be pulled back in post. This is a battle for creative control between the DoP, the post house and savvy directors with a background in Photoshop!
Can HD Cameras Handle Extremes of Temperatures and Humidity?
Video cameras love the cold as they have inbuilt 40 watt heaters. They are more susceptible to heat, but the crew are more likely to keel over before the camera fails. However, humidity is always an issue with tape-based recorders. There are humidity sensors that shut the camera down before the tape gets too sticky. A well-versed HD or video crew know what precautions to take in humid conditions.
HD Post Is Complicated and time-consuming
A well set up HD production will compress a production schedule: trailers etc. can be extracted at any time; audio recorded along with the picture is a great feature for tight deadlines or low budgets; shooting 25p in Europe simplifies the post route.
Audiences Think HD Is Awful
There is no evidence to suggest that a cinema audience can even see a difference between film-originated material and HD-originated material transferred to film! The contrast ratio of projected film prints is the same, regardless of whether the image originated on 35 mm, HD or DV. However, it is becoming clear from the United States that audiences prefer digital projection to film projection. Multiplexes with digital projectors make more money.
What is a Viper?
A Viper is an HD camera head. That is, an HD camera without a built-in recorder. The Viper can output an HD signal to either an HD disc recorder or to an HD tape recorder. The Viper can also output a non-TV format-based HD picture, 4:4:4. On location this signal is recorded on a hard disc or to HDCAMSR and is the highest quality HD picture available at the moment. Also the Viper is the only HD camera that can record full height (1080) lines cinemascope aspect ratio pictures. Note that the Sony f950 camera can also output 4:4:4
What is 4:4:4?
It indicates that there has been no sampling of the imager and no reduction of colours or luminance details before recording. This equates to slightly richer pictures, more scope in grading and fewer artifacts, a very important improvement for bluescreen. However note that on the Sony HDCAMSR format a 4:4:4 image is compressed 4.2:1 during recording.
What is 720p?
720p is one of the many digital TV standards. The picture is made up of 1280x720 pixels with a frame rate of 60p. It is a transmission standard as well in the United States Panasonic use this standard for their Varicam camcorder. Bear in mind that in the same way that HDCAM samples 1920x1080 pixels to 1440x1080, so does DVCPRO-HD compress1280x720 to 960x720.
HD Is Lower Resolution than 2K
When most people talk of 2K they refer to a half 2K scan of an Academy frame. A 2K scan of Academy is actually 1828x1332. HD is usually 1920x1080.
HD post is complicated and time consuming
A well setup HD production will compress a production schedule and is faster than a film route. Trailers ect can be extracted at any time, audio recorded along with the picture is a great feature. Don't shoot at 23.98 if you are editing in PAL
You cannot key an HD picture unless it was recorded on a hard disc.
No doubt it is easier to key an HD picture from a uncompressed recording but test for yourself with a non-linear editing suite. Do this test at a couple of companies and at least one that does not have a telecine suite!
Doesn't 3:1:1 or 4:2:2 sampling throw away lots of important colour information?
Yes and No. Try this test. Connect a HD camera to a large monitor and look at the live picture. Record the scene. Replay and look at the scene off tape. Note the differences. Can you see any differences? Can you even see that the picture you are watching is a replay and not live? However, a computer will see a difference when you try to key. Not all compression is bad, but it does has the potential to bite and certainly cascading compression has a severe impact.
