I was lucky enough to have a small acting role in this film, and the time I was on set all of the cameras I saw were Sony. We shot inside for my scenes, they had a cart with several different camera configuration on it, and as far as I could tell they were all Sony cameras. I have been on set for some B movies that had much bigger crews and setups. When I finally got to see the movie, I was blown away by what the end result was. A few of my friends who were involved in some of the outdoor scenes down in southern Thailand confirmed to me that the minimal crew we see in the BTS were also down there for the beach shoots.
@@dawnofthedead1285 in the third act I am the scientist standing next to the general when Joshua is using the EMP device on Alfie. when the lights flicker he asks me whats wrong and I say its just interference. Then its my voice calling him him when he is in the car before Alfie breaks free. We had shot a longer scene where my character explains the EMP device they built to the general and and brings it over to Joshua with him, but that did not make it into the final version of the film. Either way was a great experience.
I saw The Creator because similarly to you, my YT feed was hammered with FX3 stuff. It's impressive it was shot primarily with the FX3, 99% of people will not know the difference. Where it really shines though is the combination of shooting on/at amazing locations and the CGI being integrated into that footage so incredibly well...insanely well.
The problem is that we live in a society of losers who only want to see the 17th star wars or the 7th avengers or the 10th batman... no one cares anymore about good movies ... good movies Will get their accolades later but in the box office ...humans are morons...why do you think garbage AI created , auto tuned music with garbage meaningless lyrics are the most popular ? It's the same here
Yes, visually the movie was very on top. Much more to my taste than the later Marvel stuff, on par with Dune. The story could have used some more focus, but is also a lot better than everything Disney came up with on three times the budget…
You are correct it's a movie. It is not a film. No film was needed or used. Digital Video and Film require two different skill sets having different timelines covering 150 years.
They actually did a podcast talking about how many they had on set. I think it was eight or nine. Oren wanted to make sure that Gareth could just pick up the rig (since he was operating most of the time except for the crane) and go. So they made several small packages with the least amount of equipment as possible. Oren was also talking about how nice it was just to have these small packages because they were able to do so many different setups if they wanted and not really follow the shotlist. It was a great podcast.
as an indie filmmaker myself, i can see that other than the budget FX3, the production sets, art, cast, extra, locations, wardrobe, VFX, color grading, music etc were of top quality industry standard. That made the difference. Nice video btw. Keep it up.
In the early days, I felt defined by the camera I used, now it's merely a tool. Modern day filmmaking is kicked wide open for everyone! The tools we have today to create visual stories is unreal. Cheers Luc, always advice in your weekly uploads ☺️🎥🎬
I shot my first verite documentary for the BBC 25 years ago, having spent the previous seven years shooting big budget commercials with Arri 35mm cameras, full crew and a big lighting truck. My producer at the BBC handed me a huge Digibeta camera and a small crew but this was just at the time when mini DV cameras were becoming viable. The Sony PD-150 was the equivalent then of what the FX3 is now, prosumer and tiny form factor. The big difference was that its relative image quality was poor. Poor but just about good enough for broadcast. Just about. I insisted on solo shooting the whole doc with the PD-150 despite this big sacrifice in IQ because it was vastly outweighed by the advantage of a small form factor. You have a different relationship with the subject when you put a camera on your shoulder to when you hold it in the palm of your hand. I shot the film over the course of a year and very quickly you just become part of the furniture in a way that you don’t with a huge camera perched on your shoulder. When the police burst in to arrest your subject, for example, you get an unfiltered reaction as if you’re just a drunk uncle recording lunch on Christmas day. Scorcese has for years filmed his rehearsals on a small camcorder and has noted wistfully that he can never get *quite* get the same level of performance when it comes to a take in front of the whole crew and the full rig. The advantages of portability are obvious. Not just to a film crew flying all over the world but also to the solo doc shooter. When your subject is trying to give you the slip to go have that awkward meeting with the bank manager, you can just leap into the back of the taxi with him and get the shot. In verite documetary film making, getting the shot is everything. The big game changer now with the FX3 is that you don’t have to make the sacrifice in image quality to get it. Any competent DP can get just as good looking results with a FX3 as they can with an Amira. I would have killed to have had that option when I first started shooting docs and this is an incredibly exciting time to be a film maker.
Thanks for writing. Very interesting. I still have the last model of three prosumer cams which I used-the Sony HDR-FX1 (mini DV). It has so many features that are so far ahead of its time, that it is amazing. I still use it for certain venues because the lens has such amazing reach & I luv the rocker zoom. 😎😎
I saw it a couple times now... it's not just that it competes with other films, it's that they got everything they wanted and it looks more real and grounded for being shot on location. It's like Blomkamp, but one notch further. I can't wait to see what directors like him will do once they know they can work with smaller budgets and faster gear. Maybe we'll get to see the uncompromising movies these kinds of directors really want to make, with much less studio interference, and lower ROI risk for sequels.
Why do you all make it like he is the first to do it that way? It is how films are done in general. Heck. I shot like this since filmschool. Small teams, sometimes even no team. Hell, movies don't need huge teams to be paid for standing around for hours. It is non sensical. This movie may have changed somthing for the big players up there. But you know what... Danny Boyle loves to shoot with small teams, guerilla style. Always has. Even Slumdog Millionaire was shot that way. But nooooo, nobody talks about that or acknowledges that.
It was actually quite bad movie, i think they tried to go for the District 9 style... a bit too much, so that it was obvious. And then included the Chappie style robots. There was really nothing particularly interesting in the whole movie. Maybe the camera indeed was the most interesting thing about this movie. Kinda ironic, when it was supposed to be the least important thing.
@@LucForsyth Distribution & Getting the Ca$h back from films--no matter how well they are shot has always been the big headache. Even Pixar after Bugs Life tried to go on their own. Then, that didn't go so well so Ed and the rest of his gang ending up selling it off to the MickeyMouse people for tons of cash. Distribution was the key little but big word. So it will be interesting to watch how films like this play out for the investors. 😎😎
@@Nobody-Nowhere i haven't seen it yet. Now, I really wonder if its is worth the bother. At least you gave me some good laughs with ur review. I like the last three words, "the least important thing." Ha, Ha. Ha. 😎😎
I'm excited to see this movie. Gareth Edwards made Monsters back 2010 with a HD cam, an adapter and a vintage nikkor 50mm f1.2 lens. He's done it before. That movie still stands up 13 years later. Its impressive what you can do with the right determination and a good story
EXACTLY! It's the SOFTWARE(concept, ideas) first and the HARDWARE(camera, equipment) that comes second that matters the most - James D. Watkins, artistic director of PHOENIX PRODUCTIONS.
Something you could also add in to reduce weight on the rig is to run power in a waist unit. There are off the shelf adaptors that enable this for on rig setups just need to find one with a long enough cord, run it along a sleeve and you're golden (having some power on hand in case it gets detached).
On a feature one usually like a heavy rig as it points better and had less jitter. Between shots you pass the camera to the grip who looks after it for you.
I was thinking more for longer continuous shots that may happen during a doc shoot. In a normal film shoot that's something that can get planned around significantly better.@@sammorganmoore
@@AnotherOtherMan-alive For docs indeed so, (I power my Movi rig off 'belt' batteries) I thought this video was about the creation of narrative fiction :)
Although this movie and camera means a lot for the indie filmmaker/cinematographer, you also have to take into account what it does to professional film technicians like myself. People on the money side of filmmaking who don't understand the importance of experience, lighting, and glass only see dollar signs with the Creator. They see smaller crews, cheaper cameras, and less money to achieve blockbuster looks. This results in less pay, less budget, and less jobs for the technicians who make these movies look the way that they do. So yes, The Creator is fantastic for the prosumer and indie world but pretty detrimental to the professional one.
Definitely gotta sculpt the Cherub man! Really loved this series you’ve been doing. As a believer, it’s incredible to see your renditions of these crazy creatures! Keep killing it man💪🏼
I have watched the movie but i didn't know that it was shot on a 4000 USD camera! And I couldn't notice any difference between other high budget Hollywood movies. Amazing work.
I think it finally dawned on me why they used the Ronin in so many of these rigs. In a very real sense, almost every shot they made had to become a VFX plate, and though the Ronin wouldn’t do anything to dampen z-axis movement, it would keep the camera level throughout each shot. At the same time, looking at these behind the scenes clips, the camera ops are having to contort their bodies in ways that a more traditional shoulder and/or handheld rig (even one built out of an FX3) would not require. I tend to doubt I would ever need such a setup, but then again…who knows (famous last words and all that). As for the output, I believe they were filming in RAW (not 4:2:2) to a recorder via the HDMI port. Obviously they made it work, but seems real clunky from my point of view. HDMI isn’t the worst connector in the world, but it’s not particularly robust. I would much rather have a camera capable of internal RAW but for the “Creator” crew, so much depended on shooting at ISO 12800 for the low-light work, and that really limited their options.
We've been over this before with the 5DmkII and the original Blackmagic Pocket. Consumer cameras' image quality haven't been holding back indie filmmakers for a good long while now.
GREAT VIDEO LUC. I am a huge SCi-Fi geek and how this slipped by me I have no idea. I am gearing up for my own Sci-Fi feature in May of 24 and my DP and I (she will be shooting on the FX9) just threw out the whole steady cam department and i will be purchasing the FX3 for all our B Cam stuff with the Ronin. I already have most of the small rig build out from my Canon EOS R6. just need the cage for the FX3. I even have the Atomos Ninja V which i love as an onboard monitor. Thanks so much for this "Lightbulb" moment and what clearly will be a game changer in our industry.
- this film was made in the most perfect way possible, w/ the filmmakers vision..(every shot in this film was filmed with love and passion for film..) 10/10
Atomos is a great choice. I have 3. I have bought and returned many other monitors. They match the LCD screen perfectly. To me that is most important. Settings in camera and monitor for accurate framing. I only use the FC once in a while on the Atomos. I'm really diggin' the location in the woods shots. The audio is working out for ya there too. Thanks for these.
It’s not about the tool you have it’s the knowledge and talent you have that is the most important. Back in the day they didnt have the tech we do now yet with the limited tools they were able to achieve incredible results.
the creato was really a great movie, i really enjoyed it, the story with some hints of akira was really original a landscape of the same marvel or dc films
Loved this movie. Considering how expensive some of the big blockbusters were this year, it's amazing what they did with the budget on this. I recently re-watched 28 Day Later which was shot on the best consumer cameras of its time. It has not aged well! I could get better shots with my phone now. It's incredible seeing The Creator, just how far consumer cameras have come in 20 years
I watched the film last Friday in the Cine x room. I absolutely loved it ..... I am not surprised that the fx3 did so well, but great to see that someone has made a film with it . defo worth seeing on the big screen!
When I was in grad school (ten years ago) my thesis was focused on how the increasing capabilities of small cameras pushing up against slower adoption of higher resolution/fidelity viewing mediums would quickly mean that the prosumer and pro workflows were going to experience a technical convergence during the 4k era, at the time most of my peers shrugged me off as being ridiculous but we've seen more and more of it over the past few years and this is just another point in that evolution. Also love the creator's shoulder mounted RS2 Right, I worked out a similar kit with my RS2 a few years ago and love it, their version is definitely an improvement on that but the shoulder mounted gimbal dynamic is something I'd like to see manufacturer's embrace.
I watched this movie and it was so awesome! I can see that visually in parts the Creator was inspired by films like Blade Runner, Star Wars, 2001 a Space Odyssey and District 9. The story is currently relevant touching on the AI backlash that we currently are experiencing in certain industries. Also, its great how John David Washington appears in thought provoking films like The Creator and Tenet where science fiction may become science fact.
Really enjoyed this video. I currently run a kayaking youtube channel and shoot everything on GoPro.... God I would love to shoot all my on land stuff on an FX3.... can't imagine.
EXACTLY! It's the SOFTWARE(concept, ideas) first and the HARDWARE(camera, equipment) that comes second that matters the most - James D. Watkins, artistic director of PHOENIX PRODUCTIONS.
Interesting timing, I was just listening to The No Film School Podcast with the DP, Oren Soffer. He goes into great detail re the different rigs, customized gimbals, cranes, lenses.....How they came to chose the FX3,...Really insightful and informative podcast. The Ninja was there strictly to record Pro Res Raw, the DP and focus puller used a SmallHD 13'' monitor on set.
This is one of the channels that gave me the courage to start my RUclips channel 8 months ago about self development. Now I have 942 subs and > 800 hours of watch time. I know it’s not comparable with others but I’m still proud I started because I’ve been learning so many lessons that I could haven’t learned without getting started in the 1st place.
Love these on the scenes videos man, especially as someone who also works in the arctic. It's pretty incredible what affordable filmmaking gear can do with the knowledge of how to use it. The creator just proves all the haters in my comment section wrong lol
Thanks for breakdown, I'm really surprised because THE CREATOR was one of the best sci fi movies that Ive seen in last years! Damm
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I agree with you Luc! I never imagined a world that I could make a movie with the equipment I already have. I'm so happy I enrolled in your course. You are continuous source of inspiration.
This message is for anyone obsessing over which brand camera is used for a successful production: Who cares what camera something is shot on? It's the writing, the directing, the acting, the music, the editing, the sound design, the set locations, the art direction, the lighting etc., that make a movie/show/doc GOOD. Not a camera.
Ha, Ha. Ha. U just burned the house down for lots of these techies who live & dream about the latest cam. By the way, last film workshop I took was in 2016 in LA. Yeah, it was not about the latest cams, it was about how to use lighting to make dramatic statements ( a lost art now-days). Global Cinematography Institute. There were nine of us in the session that I attended. Yuri Neyman ran the program. Was great. U are so right. Just don't let up with the techie gals & boys! 😎😎
Great video! Stay warm! As for The Creator, I seen it a liked it a lot. The entire crew did a awesome job on achieving a great artistic performance!! I was worried that the making of, and FX-3 Sony would overshadow the movie itself, it did not. There was still a story there, some would say several stories all rolled up into one! The performances were great by all the actors, the story was easy to follow and never deviated from the script itself, the cinematography was simply spectacular!! Top notch! As filmmakers out here it’s nice to come across stories like this, but we can all bet that this isn’t the first movie shot with the FX-3, we just seem to be hearing about this one! I love how the production was able to downsize the production for the sake of getting the movie done in a timely manner! The locations were really conducive within the story itself and became a character itself! I’m a sci-fi person so this was really up my alley on a number of levels! I think you’ll like it in the end, but that’ll be a testament to the director, DP, actors, and crew!! Take care!
I own an A7c and I started to rig it out and adjust the rig for my needs. Maybe some day I will upgrade to an FX3, but for now I really want to stick to the idea to make the best possible content with the gear I have / can afford. That in mind: I can recommend the Portkeys PT6 Monitor. It's light weight, has many assisst features and with 600 Nit it's the best one I could find for my budget of 200€.
Yeah, I saw the movie and pretty much everything you said was on the mark. It really does have a nice film look to it and I think you know it goes back to the whole issue that you can’t compare one camera to another and say one is better it’s just they do things differently And this camera and this movie kind of proved that as far as making great art cameras have pretty much all come to a point where it’s not the camera that’s making the art it’s the artist and that’s exactly where it should be. Don’t you think there was a lot of effects in the creator, but the basic foundation of the movie and the shots that I look really closely a to see the quality and if someone told me it was Film, you could almost… almost believe that it was shot on Film, which is pretty amazing and certainly speaks well of how much camera technology has come along enjoy the FX three it’s an amazing camera and we are blessed at this time in place to be filmmakers
Atomos makes great monitors/recorders. I have been using a Shogun for years. Super bright, quite rugged, easy menus, all the features your could possibly want.
I watched the creator and I loved the sci-fi univserse that they build. Really wanted to see more of it. Yes, I was thinking about the camera / image, but I if didn't knew that it was shot with an FX3 I probably wouldn't think about the image and just about the story / world.
So true. While it helps to have at least a good quality consumer camera, it is more important to know your gear inside out and make the most of what you have. As long as you have an engaging story, good actors and good AUDIO, there is no excuse to at least tell a simple story.
Totally agree, this movie is going to change how a lot of us see movies and how we approach our projects. I'm a firm believer that you shouldn't let the gear stand in the way of you making your film and now this film will help back up that argument. LOL.
It was one of the best films I’ve seen all year personally. I have always been a big singularity believer and this was a fun vision on one potential scenario!
Great video Luc 👏 definitely amazing setup 😅 I have the FX6 and now the small ZVE1 too 🎥 best cinematic greetings from a small and old german RUclips filmmaker 😂
Big budgets and green screen tech are closing the gap on the realism factor, but there's just something you miss by not being on location and it makes everything so much more immersive just like nolan that wants to keep things as real as possible, the creator hits it out of the park. the veil between sci-fi movies and realism is thinning and i love it. ** quick question, in a shot that showed you with the fx3, might i ask why were you using a canon tele zoom?
Awesome Video as always... I saw The Creator the 2nd day it was out. I thought it was amazing... The Storyline in my opinion was very well thought out. A couple things were predictable but the overall movie was a 8.5 out of 10... Possibly got that rating because I knew what it was filmed on.... Long story short.... WATCH IT!!!
only a minute in and haven't finished yet, but like.... lenses matter way more than bodies and that's what i'm more curious about in regard to the making of The Creator. edit: update after viewing whole video: wow i'm impressed with the setup. proof that diminishing returns really are diminishing lol. also i loved the movie it's great and i'm sad i missed it in theaters (mean old life getting in the way)
it's a beautifully realized movie. a lot of the themes are derivative and they never fully hit the right heady marks. but it's an emotional journey nonetheless and i'll definitely be enjoying it again. i hope there's an extended cut at some point because i enjoy spending time in the world they designed
I saw the movie, in fact I bought it because I loved the story, the acting of the characters and the quality of the scenes and the special effects. Impressed with the equipment that was used to shoot the movie simply Wao! Hopefully those people with desire and vision will be encouraged to make and tell new stories. Personally I recommend the movie and I am sure that a second part will come.
Hey luc! Great video. This topic definitely makes this an interesting time. By the way.. what audio rig do you run on your FX3? I don’t see it in the description details. Cheers!
I have been able to put together an URSA mini 12K package (8 tb worth of SSD storage, monitor, handles, follow focus, batteries) with a full set of vintage Zeiss lenses and the whole package ran me just shy of 10,000$ and I have virtually no need to go in debt for a 100,000$+ RED with Cooke S4 unless production is paying to rent one )
You can also get the Shinobi. Same panel as Ninja V, cheaper, lighter, and it will run for so much longer on the same battery. It can be calibrated with an XRITE i1 and a special cable. It also has no fans so no noise ever.
Thanks for the effort you put in to still make videos on the go! It's inspiring. Cameras really are becoming more affordable with more to offer, like the Fujifilm X-T5 can do ProRes & BRAW in 6.2k and the camera is only like $1500. Probably using some of that "black magic" to pack such a punch in such a little camera. 😂
There is the famous 10 Fx3,s in the basket stills shot, when early BTS ,were leaking out . And one of the AC,s said it was so they could rig up cameras in various modes in advance . So really $40K of cameras but 10 instead of 1 .
Very nice review :) Where could I find a very long sunhood for my smallhd cine 5? Like you have on the video with your shoulder grip. Thank you very much if could help me with that :)
The film felt like an homage to the sci-fi genre. The emotional high points don't quite land, but otherwise it's a pretty interesting film. I plan on buying a physical copy once it releases.
Believe they had 6-10 rigs for different scenes, jibs, cranes are in use too so plenty big time equipment but amazing use of a full frame Sony mirrorless FX3 in 2023 vs arri Alexa is wild
pants look like Fjallraven, -gloves I'm still investigating!- gloves are "Heat 2 Softshell" by The Heat Company, as mentioned in Luc's recent "gear of 2023" video
Gareth shot Monsters on a video camera in 2010. 28 Days later was shot on the Canon XL1 in 2002. 127 Hours shot on Canon 5d mkII. Like Crazy shot on Canon 7D in 2011. Etc... etc... Though this film might inspire some amount of people to create, it's not the tools that are holding people back from creating. Tons of capable and accessible consumer/prosumer cameras have been around for decades now.
So many film studios and CGI artist are about to be out of business. With Ai replacing most of the busy work with CGI we're not far off from a single person being able to do EVERYTHING involving making a full feature film. Which is a good thing for people looking to get into the industry. But for those already within, it's a literal death sentence of pay on a scale I don't think hollywood has ever seen before.
Shinobi is basically Ninja without record functions , I use it on the fx3 , its HDMI only , but also not much of a battery eater , and if you lose / drop / break , its not the end of the world . Samllrig do a nice cage for it too , more mounting points .
Im shooting a doc that will be on Telus Optik TV next year on my Nikon Z8. Mirrorless bodies have really closed the gap to "entry level" cine bodies (those around the 8-10k price) or else you're going to rental only arri's for the next huge leap in quality.
Well, the camera might be very affordable to most, it's not in my budget because this is a hobby for me. I have the Canon 70D and it shoots at 1080. If I need 4K, I use software to upscale and it looks amazing. The thing is that I also have to worry about storage. 4K takes up a lot of space. I also have a GoPro Hero 10 and that does shoot 4K. Unknowing, I found out that my iPhone SE also can shoot in 4K. So I have all the equipment that I need for now. What I would like to do is go back to college (I am already a petrochemical engineer and 59 years old) to advance my skills as a hobby. Having said that, do you know of a good online program that would work? Thanks for the video and wow does that Sony Fx3 do a good job.
Good flick, bit underwelming. Not sure what I was expecting but more wouldn't have hurt. As mention by Chris Stuckman, it kind of flounders it's way through the third act.
I was lucky enough to have a small acting role in this film, and the time I was on set all of the cameras I saw were Sony. We shot inside for my scenes, they had a cart with several different camera configuration on it, and as far as I could tell they were all Sony cameras. I have been on set for some B movies that had much bigger crews and setups. When I finally got to see the movie, I was blown away by what the end result was. A few of my friends who were involved in some of the outdoor scenes down in southern Thailand confirmed to me that the minimal crew we see in the BTS were also down there for the beach shoots.
Very cool, thanks for sharing that!
Congrats man. That’s soooo awesome
@@MobileFilmmaking Thank you!
Sounds so cool. Which scenes were you in?
@@dawnofthedead1285 in the third act I am the scientist standing next to the general when Joshua is using the EMP device on Alfie. when the lights flicker he asks me whats wrong and I say its just interference. Then its my voice calling him him when he is in the car before Alfie breaks free. We had shot a longer scene where my character explains the EMP device they built to the general and and brings it over to Joshua with him, but that did not make it into the final version of the film. Either way was a great experience.
I saw The Creator because similarly to you, my YT feed was hammered with FX3 stuff. It's impressive it was shot primarily with the FX3, 99% of people will not know the difference. Where it really shines though is the combination of shooting on/at amazing locations and the CGI being integrated into that footage so incredibly well...insanely well.
Great perspective, thanks!
I saw the movie over the weekend. Edwards is a magician. It many ways, the film looks better than a lot of films with much bigger budgets.
The problem is that we live in a society of losers who only want to see the 17th star wars or the 7th avengers or the 10th batman... no one cares anymore about good movies ... good movies Will get their accolades later but in the box office ...humans are morons...why do you think garbage AI created , auto tuned music with garbage meaningless lyrics are the most popular ? It's the same here
Awesome, looking forward to checking it out!
Yes, visually the movie was very on top. Much more to my taste than the later Marvel stuff, on par with Dune.
The story could have used some more focus, but is also a lot better than everything Disney came up with on three times the budget…
You are correct it's a movie. It is not a film. No film was needed or used. Digital Video and Film require two different skill sets having different timelines covering 150 years.
They actually did a podcast talking about how many they had on set. I think it was eight or nine. Oren wanted to make sure that Gareth could just pick up the rig (since he was operating most of the time except for the crane) and go. So they made several small packages with the least amount of equipment as possible. Oren was also talking about how nice it was just to have these small packages because they were able to do so many different setups if they wanted and not really follow the shotlist. It was a great podcast.
Could you share what podcast that was, would love to check it out
as an indie filmmaker myself, i can see that other than the budget FX3, the production sets, art, cast, extra, locations, wardrobe, VFX, color grading, music etc were of top quality industry standard. That made the difference. Nice video btw. Keep it up.
yeah but sony is paying him to make an ad about the camera not the cast and wardrobe.
my issue with everyone talking about how its "shot on an fx3" but they're not talking about filming with $30k lenses...
In the early days, I felt defined by the camera I used, now it's merely a tool. Modern day filmmaking is kicked wide open for everyone!
The tools we have today to create visual stories is unreal. Cheers Luc, always advice in your weekly uploads ☺️🎥🎬
Thanks, glad you liked it!
I shot my first verite documentary for the BBC 25 years ago, having spent the previous seven years shooting big budget commercials with Arri 35mm cameras, full crew and a big lighting truck. My producer at the BBC handed me a huge Digibeta camera and a small crew but this was just at the time when mini DV cameras were becoming viable. The Sony PD-150 was the equivalent then of what the FX3 is now, prosumer and tiny form factor. The big difference was that its relative image quality was poor. Poor but just about good enough for broadcast. Just about.
I insisted on solo shooting the whole doc with the PD-150 despite this big sacrifice in IQ because it was vastly outweighed by the advantage of a small form factor.
You have a different relationship with the subject when you put a camera on your shoulder to when you hold it in the palm of your hand. I shot the film over the course of a year and very quickly you just become part of the furniture in a way that you don’t with a huge camera perched on your shoulder. When the police burst in to arrest your subject, for example, you get an unfiltered reaction as if you’re just a drunk uncle recording lunch on Christmas day.
Scorcese has for years filmed his rehearsals on a small camcorder and has noted wistfully that he can never get *quite* get the same level of performance when it comes to a take in front of the whole crew and the full rig.
The advantages of portability are obvious. Not just to a film crew flying all over the world but also to the solo doc shooter. When your subject is trying to give you the slip to go have that awkward meeting with the bank manager, you can just leap into the back of the taxi with him and get the shot. In verite documetary film making, getting the shot is everything.
The big game changer now with the FX3 is that you don’t have to make the sacrifice in image quality to get it. Any competent DP can get just as good looking results with a FX3 as they can with an Amira. I would have killed to have had that option when I first started shooting docs and this is an incredibly exciting time to be a film maker.
Thanks for writing. Very interesting. I still have the last model of three prosumer cams which I used-the Sony HDR-FX1 (mini DV). It has so many features that are so far ahead of its time, that it is amazing. I still use it for certain venues because the lens has such amazing reach & I luv the rocker zoom. 😎😎
I think this is less about the camera but the cinematographer and crew that figured out how to get the best out of it.
I saw it a couple times now... it's not just that it competes with other films, it's that they got everything they wanted and it looks more real and grounded for being shot on location. It's like Blomkamp, but one notch further. I can't wait to see what directors like him will do once they know they can work with smaller budgets and faster gear. Maybe we'll get to see the uncompromising movies these kinds of directors really want to make, with much less studio interference, and lower ROI risk for sequels.
I'm very down with that!
Why do you all make it like he is the first to do it that way? It is how films are done in general. Heck. I shot like this since filmschool. Small teams, sometimes even no team. Hell, movies don't need huge teams to be paid for standing around for hours. It is non sensical. This movie may have changed somthing for the big players up there. But you know what... Danny Boyle loves to shoot with small teams, guerilla style. Always has. Even Slumdog Millionaire was shot that way. But nooooo, nobody talks about that or acknowledges that.
It was actually quite bad movie, i think they tried to go for the District 9 style... a bit too much, so that it was obvious. And then included the Chappie style robots.
There was really nothing particularly interesting in the whole movie. Maybe the camera indeed was the most interesting thing about this movie. Kinda ironic, when it was supposed to be the least important thing.
@@LucForsyth Distribution & Getting the Ca$h back from films--no matter how well they are shot has always been the big headache. Even Pixar after Bugs Life tried to go on their own. Then, that didn't go so well so Ed and the rest of his gang ending up selling it off to the MickeyMouse people for tons of cash. Distribution was the key little but big word. So it will be interesting to watch how films like this play out for the investors. 😎😎
@@Nobody-Nowhere i haven't seen it yet. Now, I really wonder if its is worth the bother. At least you gave me some good laughs with ur review. I like the last three words, "the least important thing." Ha, Ha. Ha. 😎😎
I'm excited to see this movie. Gareth Edwards made Monsters back 2010 with a HD cam, an adapter and a vintage nikkor 50mm f1.2 lens. He's done it before. That movie still stands up 13 years later. Its impressive what you can do with the right determination and a good story
yes 💯
EXACTLY! It's the SOFTWARE(concept, ideas) first and the HARDWARE(camera, equipment) that comes second that matters the most - James D. Watkins, artistic director of PHOENIX PRODUCTIONS.
100%!!!!!!
Camera never mattered.
Lighting.
Location / set & set detail.
Story.
Framing.
Acting.
All more important.
Yep, agreed!
I see this as a good thing. It opens up the industry for indie creators to show us their films.
Something you could also add in to reduce weight on the rig is to run power in a waist unit. There are off the shelf adaptors that enable this for on rig setups just need to find one with a long enough cord, run it along a sleeve and you're golden (having some power on hand in case it gets detached).
On a feature one usually like a heavy rig as it points better and had less jitter. Between shots you pass the camera to the grip who looks after it for you.
I was thinking more for longer continuous shots that may happen during a doc shoot. In a normal film shoot that's something that can get planned around significantly better.@@sammorganmoore
@@AnotherOtherMan-alive For docs indeed so, (I power my Movi rig off 'belt' batteries) I thought this video was about the creation of narrative fiction :)
Although this movie and camera means a lot for the indie filmmaker/cinematographer, you also have to take into account what it does to professional film technicians like myself. People on the money side of filmmaking who don't understand the importance of experience, lighting, and glass only see dollar signs with the Creator. They see smaller crews, cheaper cameras, and less money to achieve blockbuster looks. This results in less pay, less budget, and less jobs for the technicians who make these movies look the way that they do. So yes, The Creator is fantastic for the prosumer and indie world but pretty detrimental to the professional one.
Definitely gotta sculpt the Cherub man! Really loved this series you’ve been doing. As a believer, it’s incredible to see your renditions of these crazy creatures! Keep killing it man💪🏼
I have watched the movie but i didn't know that it was shot on a 4000 USD camera! And I couldn't notice any difference between other high budget Hollywood movies. Amazing work.
I think it finally dawned on me why they used the Ronin in so many of these rigs. In a very real sense, almost every shot they made had to become a VFX plate, and though the Ronin wouldn’t do anything to dampen z-axis movement, it would keep the camera level throughout each shot. At the same time, looking at these behind the scenes clips, the camera ops are having to contort their bodies in ways that a more traditional shoulder and/or handheld rig (even one built out of an FX3) would not require. I tend to doubt I would ever need such a setup, but then again…who knows (famous last words and all that). As for the output, I believe they were filming in RAW (not 4:2:2) to a recorder via the HDMI port. Obviously they made it work, but seems real clunky from my point of view. HDMI isn’t the worst connector in the world, but it’s not particularly robust. I would much rather have a camera capable of internal RAW but for the “Creator” crew, so much depended on shooting at ISO 12800 for the low-light work, and that really limited their options.
Interesting, thanks for sharing! it also makes me wonder also why my ronin shots never look quite so epic...
We've been over this before with the 5DmkII and the original Blackmagic Pocket. Consumer cameras' image quality haven't been holding back indie filmmakers for a good long while now.
Agree, but this is at a higher price point...in my opinion it's a level above what's been done
GREAT VIDEO LUC. I am a huge SCi-Fi geek and how this slipped by me I have no idea. I am gearing up for my own Sci-Fi feature in May of 24 and my DP and I (she will be shooting on the FX9) just threw out the whole steady cam department and i will be purchasing the FX3 for all our B Cam stuff with the Ronin. I already have most of the small rig build out from my Canon EOS R6. just need the cage for the FX3. I even have the Atomos Ninja V which i love as an onboard monitor. Thanks so much for this "Lightbulb" moment and what clearly will be a game changer in our industry.
Saw the movie yesterday. Its epic. The visuals were amazing. Also the visual effects were so well done. Highly recommend it.
Awesome, thanks for letting me know!
Love how the excuses to noy make and create is only as big as the lies we tell ourselves. Thanks for making great content!
A camera is a box with a whole.
Great creative and glass makes magic.
- this film was made in the most perfect way possible, w/ the filmmakers vision..(every shot in this film was filmed with love and passion for film..) 10/10
Atomos is a great choice. I have 3. I have bought and returned many other monitors. They match the LCD screen perfectly. To me that is most important. Settings in camera and monitor for accurate framing. I only use the FC once in a while on the Atomos.
I'm really diggin' the location in the woods shots. The audio is working out for ya there too. Thanks for these.
thanks man, great to hear!
It didn’t look like a $4k camera the movie was breathtakingly beautiful
I know, wild!
400k lighting and post
It’s not about the tool you have it’s the knowledge and talent you have that is the most important. Back in the day they didnt have the tech we do now yet with the limited tools they were able to achieve incredible results.
The creator blew my mind and gave me hope for film again the story amplified the brilliant cinematography and cgi
the creato was really a great movie, i really enjoyed it, the story with some hints of akira was really original a landscape of the same marvel or dc films
Loved this movie. Considering how expensive some of the big blockbusters were this year, it's amazing what they did with the budget on this.
I recently re-watched 28 Day Later which was shot on the best consumer cameras of its time. It has not aged well! I could get better shots with my phone now.
It's incredible seeing The Creator, just how far consumer cameras have come in 20 years
I watched the film last Friday in the Cine x room. I absolutely loved it ..... I am not surprised that the fx3 did so well, but great to see that someone has made a film with it . defo worth seeing on the big screen!
You'll have to let me know how it is...doubt I'll make it in time!
When I was in grad school (ten years ago) my thesis was focused on how the increasing capabilities of small cameras pushing up against slower adoption of higher resolution/fidelity viewing mediums would quickly mean that the prosumer and pro workflows were going to experience a technical convergence during the 4k era, at the time most of my peers shrugged me off as being ridiculous but we've seen more and more of it over the past few years and this is just another point in that evolution. Also love the creator's shoulder mounted RS2 Right, I worked out a similar kit with my RS2 a few years ago and love it, their version is definitely an improvement on that but the shoulder mounted gimbal dynamic is something I'd like to see manufacturer's embrace.
And they were right! We're here now, and it's a good time!
@Who2999, Is your thesis available online? If so drop the link I'd love to read it.
Blessings from Jamaica 🇯🇲.
Cheers
informative video particularly about Sony FX3. Thanks Luc.
Thanks John!
Saw this movie today…. Man was it a well rounded well written movie. Never in a million years would you have guessed it was shot on a fx3
I watched this movie and it was so awesome! I can see that visually in parts the Creator was inspired by films like Blade Runner, Star Wars, 2001 a Space Odyssey and District 9. The story is currently relevant touching on the AI backlash that we currently are experiencing in certain industries. Also, its great how John David Washington appears in thought provoking films like The Creator and Tenet where science fiction may become science fact.
And inspired by The Golden Child.
Really enjoyed this video. I currently run a kayaking youtube channel and shoot everything on GoPro.... God I would love to shoot all my on land stuff on an FX3.... can't imagine.
EXACTLY! It's the SOFTWARE(concept, ideas) first and the HARDWARE(camera, equipment) that comes second that matters the most - James D. Watkins, artistic director of PHOENIX PRODUCTIONS.
Interesting timing, I was just listening to The No Film School Podcast with the DP, Oren Soffer. He goes into great detail re the different rigs, customized gimbals, cranes, lenses.....How they came to chose the FX3,...Really insightful and informative podcast. The Ninja was there strictly to record Pro Res Raw, the DP and focus puller used a SmallHD 13'' monitor on set.
This is one of the channels that gave me the courage to start my RUclips channel 8 months ago about self development. Now I have 942 subs and > 800 hours of watch time. I know it’s not comparable with others but I’m still proud I started because I’ve been learning so many lessons that I could haven’t learned without getting started in the 1st place.
Love these on the scenes videos man, especially as someone who also works in the arctic. It's pretty incredible what affordable filmmaking gear can do with the knowledge of how to use it. The creator just proves all the haters in my comment section wrong lol
Totally! And the comments section can be dangerous, always take it with a pinch of salt!
Thanks for breakdown, I'm really surprised because THE CREATOR was one of the best sci fi movies that Ive seen in last years! Damm
I agree with you Luc! I never imagined a world that I could make a movie with the equipment I already have. I'm so happy I enrolled in your course. You are continuous source of inspiration.
Thank you my friend, really nice to hear!
"Hollow Excuses" I like that. 100% agree
This message is for anyone obsessing over which brand camera is used for a successful production: Who cares what camera something is shot on? It's the writing, the directing, the acting, the music, the editing, the sound design, the set locations, the art direction, the lighting etc., that make a movie/show/doc GOOD. Not a camera.
Ha, Ha. Ha. U just burned the house down for lots of these techies who live & dream about the latest cam. By the way, last film workshop I took was in 2016 in LA. Yeah, it was not about the latest cams, it was about how to use lighting to make dramatic statements ( a lost art now-days). Global Cinematography Institute. There were nine of us in the session that I attended. Yuri Neyman ran the program. Was great. U are so right. Just don't let up with the techie gals & boys! 😎😎
Great video! Stay warm! As for The Creator, I seen it a liked it a lot. The entire crew did a awesome job on achieving a great artistic performance!! I was worried that the making of, and FX-3 Sony would overshadow the movie itself, it did not. There was still a story there, some would say several stories all rolled up into one! The performances were great by all the actors, the story was easy to follow and never deviated from the script itself, the cinematography was simply spectacular!! Top notch! As filmmakers out here it’s nice to come across stories like this, but we can all bet that this isn’t the first movie shot with the FX-3, we just seem to be hearing about this one! I love how the production was able to downsize the production for the sake of getting the movie done in a timely manner! The locations were really conducive within the story itself and became a character itself! I’m a sci-fi person so this was really up my alley on a number of levels! I think you’ll like it in the end, but that’ll be a testament to the director, DP, actors, and crew!! Take care!
Glad, I found your channel. Keep it up.
That's pretty awesome for anyone with this camera looking to do more high-end stuff on a budget.
I know!
It's not about the camera, it's all about the lens, you need hugh amount of money to buy the lenses used for this movie
I own an A7c and I started to rig it out and adjust the rig for my needs.
Maybe some day I will upgrade to an FX3, but for now I really want to stick to the idea to make the best possible content with the gear I have / can afford.
That in mind: I can recommend the Portkeys PT6 Monitor. It's light weight, has many assisst features and with 600 Nit it's the best one I could find for my budget of 200€.
Yes man, this the perfect attitude!
Awesome video. Luc. By the way which brand winter gloves are those ? . 😉👍🏾
Yeah, I saw the movie and pretty much everything you said was on the mark. It really does have a nice film look to it and I think you know it goes back to the whole issue that you can’t compare one camera to another and say one is better it’s just they do things differently And this camera and this movie kind of proved that as far as making great art cameras have pretty much all come to a point where it’s not the camera that’s making the art it’s the artist and that’s exactly where it should be. Don’t you think
there was a lot of effects in the creator, but the basic foundation of the movie and the shots that I look really closely a
to see the quality and if someone told me it was Film, you could almost… almost believe that it was shot on Film, which is pretty amazing and certainly speaks well of how much camera technology has come along enjoy the FX three it’s an amazing camera and we are blessed at this time in place to be filmmakers
Atomos makes great monitors/recorders. I have been using a Shogun for years. Super bright, quite rugged, easy menus, all the features your could possibly want.
I watched the creator and I loved the sci-fi univserse that they build. Really wanted to see more of it. Yes, I was thinking about the camera / image, but I if didn't knew that it was shot with an FX3 I probably wouldn't think about the image and just about the story / world.
And that's what really excites me!
So true. While it helps to have at least a good quality consumer camera, it is more important to know your gear inside out and make the most of what you have. As long as you have an engaging story, good actors and good AUDIO, there is no excuse to at least tell a simple story.
I have been shooting with the FX3 for about 6 months now and i love it, it´s a great camera.
Awesome - such a great camera!
Totally agree, this movie is going to change how a lot of us see movies and how we approach our projects. I'm a firm believer that you shouldn't let the gear stand in the way of you making your film and now this film will help back up that argument. LOL.
👊🏻
It was one of the best films I’ve seen all year personally. I have always been a big singularity believer and this was a fun vision on one potential scenario!
Great video Luc 👏 definitely amazing setup 😅 I have the FX6 and now the small ZVE1 too 🎥 best cinematic greetings from a small and old german RUclips filmmaker 😂
Big budgets and green screen tech are closing the gap on the realism factor, but there's just something you miss by not being on location and it makes everything so much more immersive just like nolan that wants to keep things as real as possible, the creator hits it out of the park. the veil between sci-fi movies and realism is thinning and i love it. ** quick question, in a shot that showed you with the fx3, might i ask why were you using a canon tele zoom?
This is awesome man thank you for sharing this
The usage of that rig they had clearly shows all of us
We can make some epic films for roughly 7-9k
Yep - Just need to get the story right first!
You are so right. I felt so empowered after watching this movie especially for that reason.
nice! Still haven't seen it myself
@@LucForsyth you will like it if you like a good sci-fi.
Awesome Video as always... I saw The Creator the 2nd day it was out. I thought it was amazing... The Storyline in my opinion was very well thought out. A couple things were predictable but the overall movie was a 8.5 out of 10... Possibly got that rating because I knew what it was filmed on.... Long story short.... WATCH IT!!!
Awesome, thank you!
only a minute in and haven't finished yet, but like.... lenses matter way more than bodies and that's what i'm more curious about in regard to the making of The Creator.
edit: update after viewing whole video: wow i'm impressed with the setup. proof that diminishing returns really are diminishing lol. also i loved the movie it's great and i'm sad i missed it in theaters (mean old life getting in the way)
it's a beautifully realized movie. a lot of the themes are derivative and they never fully hit the right heady marks. but it's an emotional journey nonetheless and i'll definitely be enjoying it again. i hope there's an extended cut at some point because i enjoy spending time in the world they designed
I saw the movie, in fact I bought it because I loved the story, the acting of the characters and the quality of the scenes and the special effects. Impressed with the equipment that was used to shoot the movie simply Wao! Hopefully those people with desire and vision will be encouraged to make and tell new stories. Personally I recommend the movie and I am sure that a second part will come.
Hey luc! Great video. This topic definitely makes this an interesting time.
By the way.. what audio rig do you run on your FX3? I don’t see it in the description details. Cheers!
I have been able to put together an URSA mini 12K package (8 tb worth of SSD storage, monitor, handles, follow focus, batteries) with a full set of vintage Zeiss lenses and the whole package ran me just shy of 10,000$ and I have virtually no need to go in debt for a 100,000$+ RED with Cooke S4 unless production is paying to rent one )
You can also get the Shinobi. Same panel as Ninja V, cheaper, lighter, and it will run for so much longer on the same battery. It can be calibrated with an XRITE i1 and a special cable. It also has no fans so no noise ever.
Thanks for the effort you put in to still make videos on the go! It's inspiring. Cameras really are becoming more affordable with more to offer, like the Fujifilm X-T5 can do ProRes & BRAW in 6.2k and the camera is only like $1500. Probably using some of that "black magic" to pack such a punch in such a little camera. 😂
I would be really interested in a test case of this camera with use in Unreal 5! -Like perhaps in a virtual production kind of arrangement!
Movie was Fire. hopefully youve seen it by now. thanks for the info.
There is the famous 10 Fx3,s in the basket stills shot, when early BTS ,were leaking out . And one of the AC,s said it was so they could rig up cameras in various modes in advance . So really $40K of cameras but 10 instead of 1 .
With your practical attitude and experience, I would love to hear what platform you edit your footage on.
Love your videos we also run the exact same Fx9 setup up lol!
I bought this camera because of creator. The movie is probably the best ad ever for a camera.
Prices continue to come down while quality goes up… it’s a great time to be a creator.
“Not focusing on Plot or Acting”
While this film got incredible plot and acting as well, i love it so much
As someone who has the baby brother (the fx30) it just validated that story, and good lighting are thw only true keys. The camera dont matter
Great insight. I spy snow! Stay warm. Thank you for your efforts and consistency. I always look forward to what you have to say.
Thank you! Really getting chilly now!
ya i really like the creator it felt like a classic but also inovative really enjoyable watch, would recommend
Very nice review :) Where could I find a very long sunhood for my smallhd cine 5? Like you have on the video with your shoulder grip. Thank you very much if could help me with that :)
Grelt video. Grelt movie and totalt agere. Fun times ahead With The FX3. Had it for abort 6 months now
The film felt like an homage to the sci-fi genre. The emotional high points don't quite land, but otherwise it's a pretty interesting film. I plan on buying a physical copy once it releases.
Believe they had 6-10 rigs for different scenes, jibs, cranes are in use too so plenty big time equipment but amazing use of a full frame Sony mirrorless FX3 in 2023 vs arri Alexa is wild
If you've watched Monsters, using a producer cam for Creator makes total complete sense.
Gareth Edwards DNA 🧬 right there.
TOTALLY off the subject, but where did you get your snow gear (gloves and pants), lol. Ty for this video and work you put into it.
pants look like Fjallraven, -gloves I'm still investigating!- gloves are "Heat 2 Softshell" by The Heat Company, as mentioned in Luc's recent "gear of 2023" video
Movie was great we just entered a revolution ladies and gentlemen… the future is for filmmakers to take
Gareth shot Monsters on a video camera in 2010. 28 Days later was shot on the Canon XL1 in 2002. 127 Hours shot on Canon 5d mkII. Like Crazy shot on Canon 7D in 2011. Etc... etc...
Though this film might inspire some amount of people to create, it's not the tools that are holding people back from creating. Tons of capable and accessible consumer/prosumer cameras have been around for decades now.
Very insightful, thanks a lot!
May I ask whant kind of belt you use at 8:45? Thanks a lot! :)
I liked their FX3 DJI RS2 gimbal shoulder mounted rig.
It's cool for sure!
Wow the fx3 is crazy
So many film studios and CGI artist are about to be out of business. With Ai replacing most of the busy work with CGI we're not far off from a single person being able to do EVERYTHING involving making a full feature film. Which is a good thing for people looking to get into the industry. But for those already within, it's a literal death sentence of pay on a scale I don't think hollywood has ever seen before.
Shinobi is basically Ninja without record functions , I use it on the fx3 , its HDMI only , but also not much of a battery eater , and if you lose / drop / break , its not the end of the world . Samllrig do a nice cage for it too , more mounting points .
This movie was AWESOME!!
The FX3 is what I planned on picking up once I could afford it
Next fx3 gonna come with 6k 120 with global shutter.
Im shooting a doc that will be on Telus Optik TV next year on my Nikon Z8. Mirrorless bodies have really closed the gap to "entry level" cine bodies (those around the 8-10k price) or else you're going to rental only arri's for the next huge leap in quality.
Well, the camera might be very affordable to most, it's not in my budget because this is a hobby for me. I have the Canon 70D and it shoots at 1080. If I need 4K, I use software to upscale and it looks amazing. The thing is that I also have to worry about storage. 4K takes up a lot of space. I also have a GoPro Hero 10 and that does shoot 4K. Unknowing, I found out that my iPhone SE also can shoot in 4K. So I have all the equipment that I need for now. What I would like to do is go back to college (I am already a petrochemical engineer and 59 years old) to advance my skills as a hobby. Having said that, do you know of a good online program that would work? Thanks for the video and wow does that Sony Fx3 do a good job.
Good flick, bit underwelming. Not sure what I was expecting but more wouldn't have hurt. As mention by Chris Stuckman, it kind of flounders it's way through the third act.
Awesome sir!
They actually didn't use the Atomos Ninja V for ProRes 422 but for the ProRes RAW capabilities. They shot all movie in RAW.