Why did HD cameras and DSLRs become game changers? Cinematographer David Worth explains the new visual techniques they opened up for filmmakers.
Why have these cameras become game changers? Because more and more cinematographers are discovering the vast array of once unthinkable new visual techniques and astounding ASA’s that are becoming available to them when they shoot HD versus shooting on film. And, by the way, even if they do continue to shoot on film, 99% of the time they immediately transfer to digital in order to have all of the thousands of variables that are available during digital post production, instead of having a photo-chemical lab tell them that for a certain scene they can have “… two points of cyan and one point of density.”
Many of the HD cameras like the Alexa or the RED Camera have already demonstrated that if you are capturing in 4:4:4 it is gathering so much RAW information, that if you only had time to shoot a two shot of your actors talking in a swank Las Vegas Bar and then you lost the location… Of course, you would need more coverage to edit the scene! Guess what? With HD you’ve got it!
Because you are able to go back to the original 4:4:4 material and create close ups of each actor with no “grain” or “noise” to use in order to complete the scene properly. This is absolutely impossible to do with film without creating an immense and unacceptable grain problem.
Film guys always used to bring up “latitude” but not anymore. The new Arri Alexa and RED EPIC are reported to have 14 stops of latitude, and I’m also being told that with some adjustments that’s also possible to do with the Canon 5D Mark III.
When it comes to the DSLRs, they have more than proven themselves over the past several years, because of their ability to shoot in tight places, go totally unnoticed by the public and shoot at a variety of ASA’s from 2400, 6400, to 12,000 and far beyond. In fact, if you Google the demo between the Canon 5D Mark II and the 5D Mark III… The comparisons were shot in the dark of night and the ISO or ASA of the 5D Mark III started at 102,000. It made a totally dark night shot of the city look like pre-dawn.
These astounding cameras that were created for photo journalists have already been used by commercial and corporate filmmakers as well hundreds of independent features like Ed Burns “Newlyweds”… Stream it on Netflix. They have also being called on to shoot entire TV episodes like the series “House”.
They were also championed early on by major cinematographers like Shane Hurlbut, ASC who shot the big screen action adventure “Act of Valor” mostly using these amazingly, versatile DSLR “still” cameras.
Canon of course has released their professional C300 and C500 cameras that are on par with the RED or the Alexa and cost nearly three times what a DSLR costs. By the way, they can shoot an ISO or ASA 10,000 or 20,000 right out of the box! They were also introduced to the Hollywood community by no less a film maven than Martin Scorsese… Even this dedicated “film guy” has seen the light since he did “Hugo” and realizes that the future is HD and beyond.
If you still happen to be a doubter… I suggest that you check in online with your Netflix account and stream the amazing documentary by Keanu Reeves, “Side By Side”…
It’s another game changer… Indeed!
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