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65 Responses to “Super 16 vs. HD”

1. Raja Chaudhary on January 24th, 2008 6:52 am

   pankaj, there’s a new hd that’s called ‘the red one’ and it’s just come into india..i heard it’s very good..
   also i feel the nature of your concept could dictate whether you could go in for hd or super16..
   and there are some very good cameramen with hd experience

2. striker on January 24th, 2008 7:07 am

   your solution depends on too many factors..

   1. is your friend a first-time filmmaker? (i.e. he has never even shot a short film and is going straight to shooting a feature) this is important to know because if he’s somewhat refined, then he’ll know how *not* to waste time and film stock if he chooses to go with s16. on the other hand, if he’s a first-timer and isn’t sure, have him invest just a little more money and time (maybe only a weekend) to shoot a short film (or a few indoor/outdoor scenes from his script) on both mediums to judge what’s more comfortable for him.

   2. is the majority of the script set indoors or outdoors? and does the majority of the action happen during the day or at night? knowing these could save him a lot of trouble and lighting woes. for a micro-budget if you’re going to shoot mostly at night indoors, it’s a no-brainer decision not to shoot on film.

   3. how good are your actors, and how well do you know them? this might seem like a minor point, but if you’re shooting on s16 and your actors S-U-C-K, guess what? each take they give you is money out of your pocket.

   point #4 is the most important. stop thinking cannes/berlin. your film is already dishonest in its purpose, so don’t even waste your time making it. shoot in what’s comfortable for YOU, not what “festivals accept.” if the film is good enough to get selected to a few underground festivals, viral fever will catch on and not let it go. and if you do shoot digital, it can always be blown up to film. make your film the way you want it made, not the way you think festivals want it made.

   and if you still need answers, sam longoria posted this article a while back, which although biased towards shooting on film, has some valid points:

   http://passionforcinema.com/filmmaking-shoot-real-film/

   good luck to your friend.

3. Hemant Kumar on January 24th, 2008 7:15 am

   @ Raja Chaudhary

   Thanks Raja. We are aware of The Red One camera.
   Would you happen to know any production house / individual renting that out?

   Thanks for your response!

4. striker on January 24th, 2008 7:21 am

   links to previous articles on the subject…

   Red Camera discussed on PFC

   http://passionforcinema.com/film-vs-hd-vs-sd/

   http://passionforcinema.com/cinema-going-digital/

   http://passionforcinema.com/our-independent-cinema/

5. Hemant Kumar on January 24th, 2008 7:22 am

   @ Striker

   Thanks for the detailed response.
   1. 2 short film exp - 3 min (DV), 8 min(Panasonic HVX 200)
   We have been toying with the idea of shooting 4/5 scenes from the feature (a mix of indoor/outdoor day/night) on both mediums before arriving on any decision..

   2. Around 60% of scenes are indoors and 25% outdoors( a mix of day and night) and rest 15% is outdoor montage(again a mix of day and night)

   3. casting hasn’t been done yet .. so wouldn’t know.. but thats a solid point… will keep in mind..

   4.

   Thanks for passing on Sam’s article.

   Best.

6. striker on January 24th, 2008 7:30 am

   no problem hemant. i’m guessing you’re pankaj’s filmmaker friend? if so, i would also suggest putting up your short films on PFC if you’re comfortable with it. there are some very experienced people here, and seeing the quality of your shorts might really help the input from PFCites on what step you ought to take. this of course, is just a suggestion. plus it’s always fun to watch short films on PFC for the rest of us.

7. Hemant Kumar on January 24th, 2008 7:45 am

   sure striker.. will do that some time soon..!!

8. Mithun Gangopadhyay on January 24th, 2008 8:03 am

   @Hemant

   The most important thing for you is to hire a cinematographer who knows how to shoot HD. Lots of people think it’s just a matter of point and shoot but HD has a lot less latitude than film so you really need to know what you are doing.

   As far as cameras go the only professional HD package available in Bombay is with Prime Focus. They have the Varicam but the rentals are more than that of a 35mm package.

   The F900 I don’t think is available in India. Another misconception you seem to have is the use of the 35mm adaptor. When you use such high end cameras you use specially made HD lenses from companies like Zeiss and Panavision. The Adaptors are used when you use 1/3 chip cameras like the HVX.

   HD is a brilliant format but sadly Bombay isn’t geared up to meet the workflow. Post will be a big bitch as the people aren’t trained and the equipment isn’t calibrated.

   What would be best for you is to buy a camera like say the HPX-500, hire some good CAC Fujinon lenses and most importantly get a DP who knows how to light HD. You can do the offline on FCP and then figure out where to go for final output.

   The Red Camera isn’t fully production ready yet and is going through expected teething problems. They just replaced the first 100 cameras that were sold with a newer updated model. Soderbergh is shooting his biopics of Che with the RED but the company has delegated an entire team of DITs to handle any problems. Give the RED another 6 months before it starts functioning at full capability.

9. Raja Chaudhary on January 24th, 2008 8:10 am

   a company called ’stereo vision’ in bombay has the camera
   not sure of the nos but will try and get them

10. Hemant Kumar on January 24th, 2008 8:21 am

    here is stereovision -
    http://www.stereovision.biz/contact.htm

11. Hemant Kumar on January 24th, 2008 8:35 am

    @ Mithun

    Thanks for these inputs. This is what i was looking for. .
    - I won’t be able to rent any equipment from Mumbai as the shoot is based in Delhi.. Equipment Travel from Mumbai to Delhi will certainly be very expensive..

    - Will figure out HPX 500 option, it costs 14000$ which is quite an investment..

    - Red One is out of question then.. Am trying to play by elimination ..

    - Also, thanks for clearing that misconception. You are spot on.

    Would i be able to borrow some more of your time in future ? (Email/Phone preference ? )

    Many Thanks.

12. Mithun Gangopadhyay on January 24th, 2008 8:53 am

    Sure I’d be glad to help.

    Another bit of advice. As far as possible avoid renting equipment and crew from Delhi even if Bombay costs a bit extra.

    If you can’t afford the HPX-500 then the ideal situation for you is to use HVX200 + PS Technik / Letus Adaptor + Prime Lenses. I’ve worked on a few projects shot with that and the output is stunning.

    Of course you have to shoot at 720p using either the P2 cards or the Firestore Hard Drive. DO NOT SHOOT ON MINIDV Tape as you loose tons of resolution.

    For your ref here is the trailer of a feature I worked on in NY for a couple of days as a grip. It was shot on an HVX with mostly available light and with the native lens. No adaptor involved.

    http://www.tomsphone.com/Video_Trailer.aspx

    Again I cannot stress how important it is for you to get a good DP who is trained in HD.

13. Hemant Kumar on January 24th, 2008 9:21 am

    @ Mithun

    Tomsphone is really awesome !!

    i have shot on HVX 200 (without Adaptor though) but Indoors..
    Also i know a guy from here (NY) ..who owns the camera and has good exp shooting on the same. .and he has shown interest to travel to India to shoot the feature. .

    But i am still contemplating HD Vs Super 16mm

    It amazes me how easy its here to get these equipments as compared to India where after so many calls / email inquires all i get is big price quotes..

    BTW, i live and work in NY too . . If you are still in NY, may be we can get in touch . .

    Thanks for your valuable inputs..

14. striker on January 24th, 2008 9:23 am

    mithun, just watched the trailer and liked what i saw. interesting synopsis.. is a NY premiere in the works? i’d like to attend. how about a write-up about working on the film? man.. the indie scene is really happening in NY.. lovin it

15. Mithun Gangopadhyay on January 24th, 2008 10:02 am

    @Hemant

    Yeah getting HD stuff in India is just a bitch. The last short I Dp’ed before saying adios to NY was shot on HVX as well with the native lens.

    The image quality is quite good apart from the infinite depth of field but you can work around that. I’ve moved to LA now so sorry.

    Keep in mind that when shooting outdoors the quality of light is quite harsh and direct in Delhi as compared to diffused NY light. It’s down to geography and proximity to the equator so you will have to use negative fill as lot. HD needs better lighting than film coz latitude is less.

    Oh and btw it is absolute fucking hell to shoot in delhi so please please employ a good production manager when shooting who can deal with permits and shit.

    @striker

    The film is going through post right now. The producer / director is looking for distribution and looking to send it at festivals.

    I only worked on the film for a couple of days between some music videos I was doing so Im the wrong person for the write up. The indie scene is well and good but I think I’ve sort of outgrown micro-budget features coz the oppurtunity to play with equipment is a lot less as we don’t have any.

    I did another feature as Key Grip where I had a lot of fun and the crew were really cool and we did a lot of crazy stuff like underwater shooting and renting the Courthouse for a shoot.

    http://www.hamptonsmovie.com/trailer15.htm

    NY is so film friendly you can easily shoot a feature for 25k which is peanuts.

16. Mithun Gangopadhyay on January 24th, 2008 10:20 am

    Oh and the Super16 vs HD argument. It’s totally a matter of budget and aesthetics. They are not substitutes of each other but two completely different entities. HD is it’s own creature and not a poor man’s version of film.

17. Pankaj Johar on January 24th, 2008 10:32 am

    @ Mithun.. been reading ur posts. lovin them..
    anyway don’t think that hiring the equipment from Bombay and then bringing it over to Delhi would be too practical for a really low budget film. there are enough good studios around which don’t screw u up. Also don’t really think that post could be an issue with HD. In fact I think it’s the other way round. It’s in production that there is shortage of people here in India who have handled HD. That’s one major positive of shooting on film - there are enough trained people around. Moreover personally I have always loved the look of the film.

    @ Raja @ Striker
    need to know the difference in rentals as that’s a major issue. from the research that we have done there is not really much of difference between super 16 equipment and a good HD equipment which could make it a no-brainer on what to opt for.

18. Pankaj Johar on January 24th, 2008 10:37 am

    @ Mithun
    “HD is it

19. dabba on January 24th, 2008 11:03 am

    @ pankaj, hemant -
    at the kind of budgest u guys are probably working, HD will NOT be cheaper. The camera package rental will probably be more expensive than an arri or aaton.

    any money u save on film stock will be spent in post during ur transfer.

    like mithun mentioned, lighting for HD requires skill. There are really amazing fast film stocks that you can literally light by eye.

    also, other things to consider regaridng the budget…availability of video assist, dailies etc on film.

    If you are going to make the decision, purely based on finance, it’s a bad idea. But, i am a huge supporter of bad ideas, so this is what i would recommend -

    shoot super 16mm. Read ashvin kumar’s posts on this site. he said it was actually cheaper for him to shoot 35 mm by using 4 perf. dig into that. the super 16 post prod workflow is fairly standard.

    u can down res to mini DV, edit on FCP, get picture lock, grading etc., and output to an HD Master. when u raise money, or get accepted at festivals, you can cut a print from ur HD master.

    will post a link on super 16 workflow later

20. Mithun Gangopadhyay on January 24th, 2008 11:07 am

    If you think that Bombay is too expensive as it might turn out to be then i suggest you get all your camera gear from NY and get insurance on it if you plan to shoot on HD.

    Hire lights and other stuff from Delhi but beware of Delhi crew big time dude. Most of them are clueless and Im from Delhi.

    Even if you’re shooting Super16 make damn sure to check the lenses coz most of them are crap. Any good stuff ends up in Bombay or Chennai.

    Also if you plan to go guerrilla style and steal some shots you can pretty much forget it when shooting film. Unlike NY where one permit suffices, you need to get 5 diff permits there and still pay the neighborhood cop for chai-nashta :d

    But of course you already know this. Why am I rambling on? Probably coz I get excited whenever people say they wanna shoot HD in India.

21. Mithun Gangopadhyay on January 24th, 2008 11:21 am

    @Dabba

    I think you mean 3 perf and not 4 perf 35mm film.
    It’s a great technique but is optimal when the final output is not gonna be theatrical but broadcast coz to exhibit a 3 perf film in India you need to do a DI. Shooting Super35 has the same caveat.

    Apart from film stock costs there is also the cost of developing, telecine, sound issues etc etc so any day of the week and twice on Sunday shooting Super16 is gonna be a costly proposition. You also limit yourself to a small shooting ratio and need a lot of rehearsals beforehand.

    Another factor you have to take into account is do you want to shoot sync sound or not. If you do then as far as I know the only really good sync cameras are the 416, SR2 and SR3. The rentals for them aren’t cheap. I don’t think Aaton is available in India but I might be wrong.

22. dabba on January 24th, 2008 12:06 pm

    @ mithun -
    meant 3 perf. i had thrown in the cost of film stock and developing, telecine etc., but i just realized one thing. i was quoting student rates in NY. don’t know what rates are like in india.

    in NY, u get great student discounts from kodak, and every post prod place. all u need is a fake student ID, or if ur conscious can’t bear the burden, a real one

    The SR2 motor is loud, and the sound blanket don’t help much. i like the aaton camers, but if not available….

    u can also shoot the way rodriguez did mariachi. shoot without sound, and record sound separately. it will be a bitch to sync later, especially if you have big talky scenes.

    what kind of film is it? what genre? if it’s going to be a drama with lot of talk, god help you.

23. Hemant Kumar on January 24th, 2008 12:22 pm

    Thanks Dabba, Mithun.
    Will wait for Super 16mm workflow link.

    - We would definitely want to shoot sync sound..
    Manjeet mentioned in one of the posts/comments that SR2 w trolley + nagra can be obtained for 10k/day.. don’t know how true would that be ?
    - Shooting ratio will definitely be a concern on S16
    - anyone have a clue how much DI process will cost for 100 mins film?
    - Getting camera gear from NYC is also an option..monthly rates here are cheaper..
    - correct me i am wrong, if i have to do silent and hand held shots outdoor with S16, can’t i get away doing guriella style. .? if i can save time/money for permits.. (this is for montages, for some outdoor scenes WE WILL NEED to take permits etc..)
    - How good equipment we get in Delhi remains to be seen (i am waiting for April, thats when i land there)

    BTW i have made this small list of production facilities in Delhi/NCR .. anyone dealt with any of these might have something to say -
    1) http://www.tangerinedigital.com/contactus.html
    2) http://www.flamingofilmsindia.com/contact.html
    3) http://www.gimmicksindia.com/index.htm
    4) http://www.brokenpot.com/where.htm
    5) http://www.elements-production.com/contactus.htm
    6) http://oneactfilms.com/aboutus.htm
    7) http://www.synclinefilms.com/equip.htm

24. Mithun Gangopadhyay on January 24th, 2008 11:35 pm

    If u need to shoot B Roll and cutaways then you might be able to get away with it but forget any dialog. As soon as you break out that big camera you will have an instant Kumbh Mela right there with people wanting to give passing shots.

    DI costs varies on the amount of work involved but I think a reasonable estimate in Bombay is between 30-40 lakhs. But the estimate varies and you can talk to either Ablabs, Pixion or Prasad. I think some other post houses have installed DI but they aren’t equipped to handle Features just Commercials. This is of course for film involving blowing upto Anarmophic 35mm. I think that was what they did for “Zinda” but the DI involved a bleach bypass as well.

    With HD you skip the cost of scanning and just proceed to timing, compositing if any and outputting the master negative. You might be able to get a good deal in NY as well so check that out.

    Btw if you plan to shoot sync sound the Nagra is redundant now as most recordists use DAT recorders for easier input into Pro Tools.

25. Ranjith Sankar on January 25th, 2008 12:30 am

    Great discussion.
    I am planning to shoot my first movie mid this year in digital as well.
    We are shooting in Red One.I havent seen the camera yet but trying to get as much inputs on it.
    Anyone actually used it here?Can someone explain me the post production HD workflow ?

26. Mithun Gangopadhyay on January 25th, 2008 12:47 am

    @Ranjith

    The Workflow is dependent on which camera and format you use in HD. The RED One by all estimates is still in Beta mode and won’t be truly production ready till Fall.

    Of course films are being shot on it but with a dedicated team of DITs present on set to troubleshoot.

    Where do you plan to do your post?

27. Ranjith Sankar on January 25th, 2008 12:58 am

    Chennai Mithun.
    I am told that I will get the camera by may.Does that mean I get a camera which is not fully functional?
    Can you write to me at ranjithsankar@gmail.com?

28. Mithun Gangopadhyay on January 25th, 2008 1:45 am

    @Ranjith

    May might be when the camera is ready but its really hard to say. They have just replaced all the PL mounts on the cameras coz the locking system wasn’t rock solid and tended to wobble.

    So I suggest you correspond with the company and get an honest estimate from them. The great thing about the company is their total transparency and willingness to communicate with their customers.

    However do keep in mind there is a learning curve involved in both shooting as well as post. You need to check if the FCP or Avids in Chennai have the necessary codecs to process the data.

    Have you ordered the lenses as well or just the camera body ? Do get the accessories like the follow focus, support rods etc etc.

29. Ranjith Sankar on January 25th, 2008 1:52 am

    Thanks Mithun.
    Have u used Red?Seen it being used?It can shoot only upto 30 frames/sec at 4k?
    Can you give me ur email?Would be troubling the other readers otherwise with this personal talk.

30. Manjeet Singh on January 25th, 2008 3:42 am

    Mithun, liked the tomsphone visual quality, could you please write a post on precautions taken while lighting,type of lenses/mounts used.Also the post prod work flow,like which applications were used for CC, print etc.

    Nagra might be old but is still more robust n cheap than dart..heard of dart machines jamming due to cold n other reasons during shoot..also sr2 is not a silent camera so nagra is a better option.

    Hemant:I guess most of the things have being discussed..DI expense is around 15-20 lakhs atleast.

31. Pankaj on January 25th, 2008 5:06 am

    @ Ranjith, I don’t think it’s a trouble for anyone here at PFC. infact we would like to be involved in the loop.

    @ Mithun, don’t know when u were last here in Delhi but now u can get some great video/digital equipment at good prices. Not at all a good film equipment though. the crew is descent

32. PLAYBACK on January 25th, 2008 7:45 am

    @ Pankaj & Hemant … guys …ofcourse u can find good equipment in Delhi. But what people on PFC cautioned you about is the naive moletation of this equipment by people with limited knowledge.
    Having said that lemme guide you thru what you should really be doing instead of debating shooting formats.

    1. If you already have a concrete screenplay ( which I severely doubt ) please write, re-write and re-write it some more until you are at the shoot. Address dramaturgy ( if you dont know what it is, postpone film making for a while ). I am amazed your cast isnt in place, cos if they are anywhere near competent and they read your script, you will need to make changes.

    2. Addressing your issue in the post. Get hold of a DOP you trust. Preferably someone with film & digital experience. Also, fix an editor …not an editing console operator,…an
    editor,…preferably someone who can suggest improvements in your narrative. Get both of them together,…address the HD vs. Super 16 issue,…keep your mouth shut. Let them decide what suits your purpose the best with particular respect to post production. Please note issues like generation loss in transfers and composite losses if your film deals with SFX. Dont take “Ho Jayega !” for an answer from anybody in Delhi ! Check and Double check all equipment sources, equipment and procedures involved. If need be, do pre-production tests.

    3. Am assuming you to be a director-producer pair. Inspite of what the production guy said, I recommend getting in touch with any event agency in Delhi for “location permission guys”. These guys charge a bit over the top but will stand against a national army onslaught to facilitate your unperturbed shooting experience. That helps.

    4. Your “sync-sound” aspirations sound as unreal as your festival glory aspirations to make a film. Its impractical for you,…dont try it.

    5. My experience says there is at least one crew team in Delhi which makes their Mumbai counterparts look like kiddos. ( I have worked in both cities.If you need help here, lemme know.)

    6. Signing off for now,…but if you are coming down to India from foreign shores,…why isnt Mumbai your destination ? …Maybe yur story dictates otherwise.

    End note : Motivated people make films,…not camera formats or techniques,…keep that in mind.

    Cheers ! And wish you all the best with your film !

33. Vipin Sharma on January 25th, 2008 8:28 am

    Hi Pankaj/Hemant
    I have recently shifted to Bombay from Toronto after more than fifteen years. I was fortunate to have acted in Taare Zameen Par as Mr. Awasthi and got my foot in the door here in bolly town. I studied Meisner while I was in TO and have studied at the National School of Drama here in India. If you guys like I can help you with the casting. I really want to network with like minded filmmakers and what better place then PFC to find those souls. I also know many FTII and SRFTII graduates if you need to meet and select your crew members. Please feel free to email me at vipinsemail@gmail.com

34. Mithun Gangopadhyay on January 25th, 2008 9:56 am

    @Ranjith

    I haven’t worked with the RED myself but one of my really close pals was a camera trainee on the first feature to be shot on the RED. She said while the Image quality is brilliant there are quite a few kinks to be ironed out before it can be considered a robust camera suited for location shooting. I’m not sure bout the variable speed on the RED but you can go upto 60fps on the HVX

    My email is mithun.gang@gmail.com

    @Manjeet

    I wasn’t an integral part of the crew just a pinch hitter so not privy to a lot of the calls made.
    Here’s what I know for sure

    It was shot on the HVX in the 720p mode using P2 Cards and the original lens without any sort of diffusion or filters added. I was there only for 2 days of exteriors and we used available light but my job was to use negative fill to ensure contrast. Pierre the director was really fond of Dolly shots so we carried a small home made dolly and pvc tracks which were 6feet in length.

    As far as post goes I know he edited on FCP and for the trailer might have gone online to CC but I can’t be sure of that. No prints yet as he’s still working on the rough cut.

    The SR2 in factory conditions is built with enough tolerances to be a sync sound camera. I’ve shot two short films on it and both utilized sync sound sound. Dubbing is almost non-existent in the states so sync sound is the norm. What does happen though that if the camera isn’t properly taken care of and serviced then it becomes as noisy as an MOS Camera.

    As far as sound goes Im far from an expert but I haven’t seen the Nagra been used for a long time. I guess the selling point for Digital recorders is the instant turnaround so that the sound can be synced with the video assist dailies at the end of the days shoot. Also Im not sure about this but is it possible to record multiple tracks with boom and lavs on the Nagra ? I don’t honestly know.

    @Pankaj

    I’ve grown up in Delhi and my parents still live there. Was there for bout a month before coming to LA but I haven’t worked in Delhi since my first job about 5 years ago.

    I’ve had to face a lot of discrimination in Bombay due to the fact I was from Delhi initially. I was supposed to be a crook / liar / pervert and bullshitter. Now of course with half of the people in the film industry from Delhi we take great pleasure in practising reverse discrimination. :d

    @Vipin
    Awesome job in TZP.

35. Hemant Kumar on January 25th, 2008 11:03 am

    @ Playback

    - I am already in the process of re-writing.. hopefully by April shall have a close to bound one..
    We plan to begin casting in April.. and of corse there will be changes in dialogues when cast gives a read through ..and we are open to that

    - i did have a discussion with one of the editors who gave me a 11 page script feedback (that involved couple of scenes re-written etc) .. and he was in favor of HD.. but the problem is he is american, so his perspective is also from american POV.. India(esp Delhi) doesn’t have that equipment infrastructure yet. . so will need to find a DP/editor in india. .

    - Pankaj and me have been toying with the idea of shooting 4/5 scenes (combination of ouotdoor/indoor and day/light) to shoot both on available HD and S16 . . we still have 2 months to brain storm (before taking that decision) and take people’s opinion and learn from their learnings. . hopefully

    - You brought up a good point.. we will check with event management(s) for their fees etc.. Thanks -:)

    - Can you please shed some light on unreal expectations of sync-sound. ..

    - We would certainly need help in finding the crew.. but considering(as you stated) a delhi crew better than ones in Mumbai . .certainly will charge money which apparently we don’t have except defered payment contract…

    - The story is entirely based in Delhi ..in fact the title of the movie has a word - “Delhi” in it as well.. also i am from delhi too..-;)

    - I like the statement - “Motivated people make films,

36. Hemant Kumar on January 25th, 2008 11:08 am

    Hello Vipin,

    Thanks for the note. We would certainly need help in that area. . . I will email you tonight from home (don’t have personal email access at work)

    Also, I saw your show reel.. Its good. .

37. Hemant Kumar on January 25th, 2008 11:17 am

    @ Manjeet
    we certainly won’t be able to afford DI..
    Are you back in Mumbai yet ?

    @ Mithun
    Thanks for ironing some of doubts out.. we will have to visit these production facilites.., see the equipment for ourselves and then negotiate charges, irrespective of HD and Digital..
    Any plans to visit india in Q2 end / Q3 begining this year ?

    @ Rajnith
    Please do not have private conversations about digital. . we would like to hear it too . .

38. Hemant Kumar on January 25th, 2008 11:33 am

    @ dabba

    - its a drama with humor (NOT a comedy) ….
    4 boys from lower middle class families in Delhi living complacent lives…. wakes up to their possible future in the rising indian economy sheding the conventional profesion/status value system.

    - i am waiting for the S16 workflow link, if you can please share that. .

    Thanks.

39. dabba on January 25th, 2008 12:53 pm

    @ hemant -

    http://www.cinematechnic.com/southern_justice/workflow_southern_justice.html

    also, recommend that you subscribe to cinematography.net, and partake in discussions on that forum. place ur questions there directly. lot of very knowledgable people on that site. not saying PFC isn’t. But those guys are pros, and will answer ur questions.

    there are other sites too, and i’ll send them as i think of them.

    i always feel bad when people spend a lot of time and effort (and money) making an indie film when the script isn’t up to par. The road to poverty row, and artistic hell is paved with sincerity, earnestness and good intentions.

    if you would like, i am willing to read ur script (send only first 10 pages. if it is any good, i will ask for the rest) and analyze it. that’s what i do. suggestions will be urs to take or flush.

40. dabba on January 25th, 2008 12:57 pm

    @ hemant, pankaj -
    Taxi 9211 was shot on super 16. the DP is kartik vijay. see if you can tap into him as a resource.

41. PLAYBACK on January 25th, 2008 5:29 pm

    @ Pankaj / Hemant

    I am in Mumbai. U can email me at playback2007@gmail.com
    Regards

42. Mithun Gangopadhyay on January 25th, 2008 9:40 pm

    @Hemant

    I don’t think I’ll be in India this year coz I have some projects lined up here and I can’t really afford the ticket anways.

    I hate to sound cynical but I don’t really think you will be able to get a top notch crew with the deferred pay deal. I hope to be proven wrong though. Hope there are enough hungry and sincere crew members out to make their bones in Delhi.

43. Vipin Sharma on January 25th, 2008 11:07 pm

    Thanks Mithun for liking my work in TZP.

    Thanks for liking my showreel Hemant. I too grew up in Delhi so really looking forward to read your script.

44. OM on January 26th, 2008 12:55 am

    excellent acting Vipin..but i gotta tell you, the first time i saw TZP..something in ur acting didnt strike me…it came across kinda like a hindarance to the flow…but the second time around..i knew exactly why ur role was so pivotal..and respected your acting way more…good work sir!!! we needa see more of you

45. striker on January 26th, 2008 10:36 am

    vipin sir.. i liked your work in TZP though in parts it did come across as someone who is still in a theater mindset.. but in the other parts, where your expressions were more subdued, you created magic. keep it up and looking forward to seeing more of you on the screen. best wishes :)>-

46. Ranjith Sankar on January 27th, 2008 5:19 am

    Thanks Mithun Pankaj.

    Already an indian movie is shot in RED.They shot it in NJ and planning to do post in chennai.Acc to them the camera is fully functional now.

    Vipin.I liked you in TZP.There was a “real” father feel to your face.

47. PLAYBACK on January 27th, 2008 6:59 am

    @ Striker,…whats your training in acting ?

48. Pankaj Johar on January 27th, 2008 8:14 am

    @Mithun, i can perfectly understand what you mean when you mention the “discrimination” faced by Delhi people. To top that if you are from television, you are nothing more than dirt. The film industry wallahs think you are some fucked up bitch. Can’t tell you from personal experiences as I really haven’t spent much of time in Bombay but I have loads of friends who recount nightmarish experiences.

49. Mithun Gangopadhyay on January 27th, 2008 2:41 pm

    Check out this trailer. It was shot on the Panavision Genesis. Dunno if Prasad keeps it or not but maybe you can consider it. I have no clue what your budget is however.

    http://movies.aol.com/movie/the-other-boleyn-girl/26713/video/trailer-no-1/2023586

    The 5 best HD cameras available with a proven workflow are

    1)Sony Panavised F900
    2)Thompson Viper
    3)Panasonic Varicam
    4)Arri D20
    5)Panavision Genesis

50. Hemant Kumar on January 28th, 2008 6:50 am

    @ Vipin

    I emailed you on Sat from the account : filmistheword@yahoo.com
    (JIC..May have gone to your bulk email..)

    @ Ranjith
    Can we have some more details on that Please?
    May be some contact info of DP/Director/Gaffer/Assistant Camera ..?

51. Hemant Kumar on January 28th, 2008 6:52 am

    @ dabba

    thanks for the link. Will share the ACT1 of the script sometime soon, may be Feb end. .. Thanks.
    Are you in Mumbai?
    Any leads to track Kartik Vijay ?

52. Hemant Kumar on January 28th, 2008 6:56 am

    @ Mithun
    Thanks very much for sharing this information.

53. Hemant Kumar on January 28th, 2008 7:00 am

    Couple of questions (if anyone knows)

    - Is there any film processing lab in Delhi ?
    If yes, is it good enough ? (Any exp )
    If no, then What did films like Khosla Ka Ghosla and other small movies did ? Don’t they see rushes on daily basis?

    - Punjab also has small film industry, i imagine at least 10 films a year. . Do they have equipment rental facilities / film processing labs in Chadigarh OR everyone goes to Mumabi / Chenai / Hyderabad ?

54. Ranjith Sankar on January 28th, 2008 7:57 pm

    Hemant,
    I am also waiting for the details.Will share as soon as i get them.

55. dabba on January 28th, 2008 8:16 pm

    @ hemant -
    don’t know kartik vijay. perhaps someone else on PFC can help

56. Vipin Sharma on January 30th, 2008 12:53 am

    Thanks Om for your appreciation and thanks Sriker for your input. This is my first film after a hiatus from acting for almost 15 years. I am learning everyday and I consider that very fortunate.

57. Vipin Sharma on January 30th, 2008 1:04 am

    I was also very fortunate to be nominated for the Best Actor in Supporting Role for the Nokia Screen Awards this year. All this has been very humbing experience and I surely look forward to working with one of the best directors of contemporary Indian cinema.

58. Mithun Gangopadhyay on January 30th, 2008 1:28 am

    @Hemant

    http://kartikvijay.com

59. Hemant Kumar on January 30th, 2008 6:26 am

    @ Mithun
    Many Thanks

    @ Vipin
    Good Luck with new endeavours

60. Kartik Vijay on March 25th, 2008 12:28 pm

    hi guys,
    just got to this thread by chance.

    Have shot all formats, from MiniDV to HD to 4K to Film, be it 16 or 35mm.

    As far as HD in India goes, here’s what you’ll get:
    - Famous Studios has an HD package with the Pro35 adapter with 35mm prime lenses. It’s a Grass Valley LDK series. Not the VIPER. They have a Compressed, 4:2:2 output. They do not have the Filmstream Uncompressed option available.
    - Where and what format do you plan to release the film? That will dictate a lot of your decisions. i Can give you a better answer once i know the answers to this question.
    - Optical blowups are bad in India. Blowups thru DI are better than Opticals anyways.
    - getting a DI done in India is cheaper now. It doesn’t cost as much as 30 lakhs. If you want a basic DI done, then it can start from 10-12 lakhs and up.
    - There’s an Sony package available in bangalore. AS far as I know, there are no Digi Primes available in India. All they have are fujinon Zooms.
    - remember, the pro35 adapters are good, but they eat upto 2 stops of Light in some situations.

    anyways, feel free to contact me anytime. email is the best option.
    Will be glad to help you out with any info that i have.
    Good luck. Cheers!
    Kartik

61. Kartik Vijay on March 26th, 2008 12:34 pm

    hey guys,
    had just gone to Famous today and saw that they’ve got the Viper Filmstream camera with DigiPrimes and 4:4:4 recorders… you should check it out.
    cheers!
    Kartik

62. Pankaj Johar on March 27th, 2008 11:26 pm

    Hi Kartik..Thanks for your tips. We will be sending you a long mail soon for some guidance..

63. Mithun Gangopadhyay on March 27th, 2008 11:58 pm

    SWEET !!!!
    The Viper is finally here.
    Finally someone can shoot 4:4:4
    Hopefully the workflow will be sorted out soon.

    Saw a demo of the Genesis at Panavision yesterday.
    The SSR aka solid state recorder is very sweet and the sensor is big enough to take cine lenses.

    They don’t plan to use anarmophic lenses on the Genesis though coz the extraction gives lesser quality than spherical lenses.

64. Kartik Vijay on April 4th, 2008 2:25 am

    i wouldn’t believe that they can actually shoot 4:4:4 till i go and chk the equipment out myself. If any of you do plan to use it, then pls chk it out beforehand and then plan your shoot.

    am glad the genesis is here. The Viewfinder is not as good, but hey, it’s here right! i shouldn’t complain,

    cheers!

    kartik

65. Sanjeet on November 21st, 2008 12:34 pm

    Hi all,
    Planning to start a film soon. Thanks for all the insight. Got a audio and video post facility in Mumbai and Delhi for theatrical and tv but had no clue about HD cameras. If any one need any help on post.. Please feel free to contact me.
    Can any one send me the Link to buy HD’s with lenses and lights.
    sanjeet@wordsindia.com

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