Yeah, but the problem with simplifying it to such a degree is that most people are only of average intelligence and not great with subtlety. Gear absolutely matters (for instance: I’m an astrophotographer, so a 12,000 ISO sensor is way better for me than a 6400 sensor), so I’m sick of “gear doesn’t matter.” What we need to be saying is “Gear is secondary to skill and vision.”
@@recardosands9948 agreed. Blue Ruin and Presence both look like they used non cinema lenses which means they saved a ton on rentals or when they bought it. It might not affect the look so much in the hand of skilled artists but it's definitely affecting your budget and allowing you to put resources into other parts of your project
Being a working professional right now in the industry I’ll tell you the secret, spend 90% of your money in lighting and a great production designer after that it won’t matter what camera you’re using
ugh this is the "cinematic" definition that people use that I hate, I much prefer it when the term is used to refer to a motion picture that uses the cinematic language for lighting, grading, movement, etc. saying "cinematic look" reminds me of a bad youtube tutorial. I doubt great directors described or pictured a scene as "cinematic", "hey DP make it look "CINEMATIC", how about using words like "realistic", "gloomy", idk something more descriptive.
I dont know about the "cinematic look", but I know that there's alot of meetings and planning in the pre and post production process to nail down exactly how the outcome of the project should/will look.
@@rainymorningpictures The C100 MKI and MKII were basically slightly stripped down C300 Mark I with 1/2 bitrate compression options (and color depth) but the image was basically 100% identical. I think they sold a *ton* of those for a reason. Quality/cost balance was unbeatable for many years and if you had an external recorder for the 422 10-bit, it could still compete today against a ton of things (save for the dynamic range or extreme low light).
Get yourself the best of both worlds with a C500. If you're lucky enough to have the Odyssey 7Q+, you can pull out a glorious 4k CRAW or 444 2k image out of it.
Soderbergh has been using unorthodox cameras for decades. He shot Full Frontal on a Canon XL1s. He shot Unsane on the iPhone 7. He shot Che on the RED One prototypes. He used 1940s lenses on The Good German. When it comes to mainstream directors making experimental choices for cameras, Soderbergh is the archetype.
Netflix certified was such a reductive thing. Like who tf care if you’re camera can shoot 4K raw, there’s like a million other things that are important to make a movie good. It honestly shows with the quality of Netflix originals today with how bad that type of thinking is.
You can shoot the project on the lastest camera, lighting gear etc..but to me, if you dont have a good story your film can flop. I've watched many movies that were not shot the best nor lit the best, but i continued to the end because it had a good story behind it.
no way, tis was my favorite movie for like 5 years. stoked and shocked to see a video with this many views talking about it!!! "green room" is it's sister movie and another great watch
Blue Ruin was so insanely good. It never recieved the attention it deserved, IMO. But it's never left my mind ever since I saw it. It had such intense energy. Everything felt so REAL. The tension, the violence, the emotion - I never doubted the veracity of any of it for a second. It's definitely in my personal top 50.
love when you do these talks about equipment. The interwebs with all these tech reviews vs “hey do you know how to capture a scene, moment”. Keep it up. People might even listen. Have a great one.
What I like above all is how accessible all this gear has become for the masses. For Steven Soderbergh any camera is within reach, but what is far more interesting is that a Canon C300 mark I or a Sony FX30 is within reach of the next Steven Soderbergh that is now between 16-18 years old and saved hard for it with their side job next to school. That will allow them to experiment, hone their craft and even allow them create their first own independent films or documentaries with minimal means. There is no longer a dependency on film studios to get in and to get noticed. The gear to produce high quality film, and the platforms to publish it, have never been more accessible than they are now. The art of movie and documentary making will be better for it in the future.
I agree to some point but I suggest to read the Linklater interview (from Cannes 2023 on Variety) talking about the current state and the future of independent cinema. There will always be great talent, and yes these cheap tools will let them utilize their vision and talent, but it will be extremely difficult if not straight impossible to reach an audience and thus become "the next soderbergh". The satisfaction of living off of your art may become an ancient concept soon, we will see.
@@Viewer-ld5rcsure! I don't think RUclips let's you post links, but I just googled "linklater on independent cinema" and it was for Hollywood Reporter and was in Venice film festival. The nofilmschool summary maybe better, the original one is too much about the film "Hitman"
@@Viewer-ld5rcsure! It was from Venice and Hollywood Reporter btw. You cannot post links in the comments, so I just googled "linklater on independent cinema" the NoFilmSchool is a good summary.
I have many long and amazing conversations about this, but you perfectly articulate the whole matter here. Nicely done, well said, and many thanks for taking the time to create and share these insights.
I love how this is even seen on social media, people using camcorders again, digital cameras from the 00s and 35mm film. Its exciting that Hollywood is allowing a bigger variety of equipment because it opens up many more doors for many more people!
I was assigned to watch Blue Ruin in Cinematography 1 because it was shot on the same standard high def camera (C-300 Mark I) that we used for most of our projects.
Hit the nail on the head with loving the era we’re in. In 2001 with Sony vx2000 being the standard, I could only DREAM of what we have today at its prices! -C
Other nice examples of directors opting for ‘budget’ cameras because it enabled them to make the film the way they wanted to make it are David Lynch (Inland Empire) and Danny Boyle (28 days later). Both went for 3 chip mini DV cameras even when film was available to them because those cameras gave them the speed and light sensitivity they needed for their vision.
Classic examples for sure but they don’t hold up today and I don’t think they’re a solid argument for Hollywood not caring, because nothing else got shot on them after.
@@impatricktyeah no argument for Hollywood (couldn’t care less about Hollywood) more a case of directors successfully reaching their audience via whatever means are available and suitable for the piece. Whether they ‘hold up’ today depends on whether you’re looking at them from DP’s technical standards I guess. Beyond that they still have their audience. Of course there are also great films like No which intentionally used a technically outdated 80s news camera but that was obviously to take us to the immediacy of the period. Anyways, all that to agree with you that the gear should be the right tool for the story.
Yes. Love this film. Blue Ruin is my go to whenever I fool myself into thinking my gear is holding me back rather than my skillset. Also Steve Yedlin ASC’s in depth presentation on perceived resolution vs spatial resolution.
I love how you concisely present the information here. Learning about some of these cameras makes me want to track them down and try them out. But, I appreciate you telling it how it is. Great shots and storytelling require experience, skill and talent, the gear is just the tool we use. Thank you.
I'm not a filmmaker, but I love Blue Ruin. Pleased to see that it hasn't been forgotten. It's such an incredibly grounded revenge story and an excellent use of a small budget.
Great to hear Jeremy Saulnier shouted out! We took Michael Carmine's cinematography class at NYU film school together back in the 1990's. He is a good guy.
Niko from Corridor once said the most beautiful statement... he says "Any camera is capable of creating an emotionally compelling image" not necessarily any image, but leverage the specific strengths and weaknesses of a specific camera and you got something you can work with.
I currently own a C100 and I’ve been discouraged because everyone has the latest gear, but knowing this was shot on the 300 is proof that it’s the person behind the gear that makes it special
As someone that’s always felt the camera/equipment should be decided based on the project, this video is very refreshing! Although I’m more of a writer than actual filmmaker, I’ve been shooting shorts/skits since middle school. And it’s always been hard to express my opinion to my DP friends who would laugh at me for shooting skits on iPhones or camcorders. Love your content! Thank you.
Can you do a video essay on how to know which camera to use, based on the feeling you want your film to give off? Maybe specifically for beginner film makers? (affordable cameras)
Today I learned one of my favorite movies "The way of the gun" was shot on a "Moviecam Compact" and a "Moviecam SL." I never made the connection between the camera used and the look of the film until this video. For some reason, I just assumed all movies were shot using the same type of camera. Definitely earned a sub from me.
i have a c300 mkIII and c100 mkII that my work uses as daily cameras. its unreal how they hold up against everything else. sometimes you just need a workhorse camera over anything else. everyone who owns a ferrari usually still needs a toyota to get them to the mall and back.
Interesting take. Just a note, probably the main reason Gareth, Greig and Oren chose an FX3 for the Creator had a lot to do with how gear rentals in Thailand works. In order for them to rent something like a mini LF they'd need to take on crew from the rental house who would mind the gear. They wanted more flexibility and wanted to be more nimble, so they chose to buy everything and have multiple FX3s rigged up for multiple scenarios. They also bought the entire lighting package for similar flexibility. There's also a trickle down effect from the camera size when it comes to support gear. Going with a larger camera on a larger gimbal means a larger crane for some specialty shots, heavier support gear etc. Their approach gave them a lot of flexibility to react and shoot quickly and strip down to bare essential basics when they could.
Yes, the creator was shot on The Sony FX3, BUT the post production process was treated and handle like it was shot on an Alexa etc...Post pro. played a very important part of how this movie looked on the big screen.
They didn't handle it like an Alexa. No offense, but have you ever worked with CGI/compositing? I have, and so has Gareth Edwards if you know his history. The Creator was specific with its locations, and they sculpted compositing/CGI around that while also using HDRIs from the actual locations. They likely used Sony cameras for HDRIs to stay within the same color science. The ambient lighting/GI is mainly why the CGI blends so well. Yes, this could have been possible with the Alexa but not without color transfor issues due to how color space works inside 3D software like Maya, Blender, Houdini ect. Personally, I would only use the Sony line of cameras because the Alexa is too idk....clithe, if that makes sense.
ACES works super well for combining pretty much any footage. And yes, as an oldtime compostor i can echo the fact that lighting and set design/art direction is the true key to all happiness Hehe @captureinsidethesound
I believe that but I doubt it’s the only reason. So many fall for the “industry standard” hype based on ignorance, loyalty and/or familiarity. Garret is too experienced on both sides of the fence to waist money on “industry standard” crap that is clearly used in quick-fix/cash cow cinema, at least in Hollywood. The Creator and Godzilla Minus One are just a few examples of “less is more”. I mean seriously, you can’t get more goofy, overly hyped and overpriced than Godzilla X Kong. I call it the Ubisoft syndrome; it’s the same $hit ingredient, just different icing.
I've been out of the loop with cameras for sometime because I got into graphic design.. 4 years later and I'm starting to think I should have continued with getting into film school. Cameras in general are just so fun to play around with and someday I would love to shoot a short film of some kind, see where it takes me. The only thing that's stopping me is the funds. Perhaps in a year I will go back to school and get into film. It feels really motivating to find stuff like this, knowing that you don't need the top tier products to achieve the style you want.
One thing that should be noted here: One of the BIG reasons for going for Alexa, Venice, RED, etc. is the ease of working in a team - i.e. rigging follow focus, zoom gears, wireless video, etc etc quickly and conveniently. A lot of these rigs for smaller DSLRs or iPhone run into a lot of Frankenstein problems regarding how to make it work fluidly for the TEAM around you. You may be okay to deal with those issues if the payoff is meaningful, but just something to consider when you plan! Great vid and thanks.
I used a red and the camera audio is garbage and it's terrible in low light, so I used a Gh5 instead, once again people can't afford a Alexa or a Red, it's about the eye. All in all work with what you got, I hear all the tech talk and it just goes in one ear and out the other.
I feel that another, even more extreme example of this, is another 2013 movie called Coherence. It was shot on a Canon 5D-II in the director's LIVING ROOM. And it is my top 20 films.
For me and the level of production I'm at... THIS is exactly the case. Blackmagic provides me exactly what I need for when I'm having do to most of the work on the indie movies I have shot. At this point I go in assuming I'm bringing Camera, Lighting and Grip. Nothing too big but I'm providing all that and I have very little help. The URSA Mini Pro G2 and now the Pocket 6K Pro combined with the RS3 Pro and LIDAR are an amazing combo. I can go from my tripod to dolly to jib to handheld super quick! Usable screens on both cameras, simple menu system, false color, LUTS, BRAW, build in NDs, EF mount for my photo lenses/vintage lenses, easily swap to PL mount for PL Lenses all these things make them great cameras for me to actually own and not break the bank cause I know I'm going to be using these cameras for majority of the projects I shoot and don't have a crew to help. I would love to shoot ARRI at some point but until then if I'm hired and I don't have a crew, I'm using my BMs
“I’m not saying to go out and shoot your next film on an iPhone or GoPro” *flashes back to seeing compressed macro blocked GoPro footage blown up to a 700+ inch screen in The Hobbit*
All true. I watched Hollywood DOP Shane Hurlbert talk about the Sony Burano and its auto focus being useable for filmmaking. Finally, the penny is dropping in Hollywood. Cameras are amazing right now and I really do think that the key area for filmmakers is to come up with better, original scripts. Great to hear your views on this PT
Damn, I've been a huge fan of Jeremy Saunier ever since I first watched Blue Ruin in 2014. I had no idea he used such an inexpensive camera! For my three little short films, I used a BMPCC4K with a Canon FD 24mm 2.8 vintage lens. All for around $1,500. I also overlayed a faint filter of fake 35mm film over the entire project. Everyone told me not to, but it ended up looking fantastic! The filter cost $30. And I received Davinci Resolve editing software for free with the camera. I'm new to all of this and never knew you could make a professional looking film for so cheap.
DUDE Blue Ruin!!!!! Love that film so much! It is amazing we have all this gear that we can create with. We become to infatuated with it over creating the thing itself. Also love your content man and love what you say in this vid. It's hard for beginners to understand for we always think if we get that camera or lens, we will instantly level up.
Another important aspect is to have a good DOP, as a director myself I know nothing about cameras but I really know what I see in my mind and the DOP knows what to use and what is possible with the budget available.
Gareth Edwwards shot with a Sony EX1 with a 35mm lens adapter which is what we had to do back then to get shallow depth of field, it had some sort of active spinning mechanism inside
This is a great video man. I keep saying this when I'm pitching big horror movies to streamers. They're all so stuck on what has worked in the past, but it's really just to cover their ass. But... You're right, all the sensors these days are incredible, even the iPhone. If you have a good script, production design and actors combined with a director/dp team and most importantly an interesting eye... almost anything could be amazing.
Hardcore Henry is another great example of the right camera for the right film. sounds like an exercise in self-flagellation on all other aspects though
I saw presence at sundance. It looked great! I couldn't tell it was shot with the new Sony A9iii. The camerawork was very fluid and you get lost in the perspective of the ghost. I didn't notice any clipping, banding, etc. but it also didn't have that soft arri look or a look shot on film. It was more contrasty and sharp which was most likely due to the color grading, but looked more like RED footage. With the camera movements used though, the Sony A9iii makes more sense. Great film, highly recommend. Also, look for Ghostlight and Porcelain War when they come out. Great films! Also out of my mind is a good family film from Sundance that should be on Disney Plus.
Give Roger Deakins an iPhone and he’ll shoot more gorgeous footage than most people with a full IMAX rig, because he understands composition. Lighting, framing, movement, all part of his planning for composition, hence why he didn’t care about going digital, gear is secondary to compositional understanding. But nicer gear in the hands of a pro, that’s how you end up with Blade Runner 2049 or Samsara.
You should check "Monster" from Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda from a short story by Haruki Murakami. I believe it was shot on a DJI Ronin 4D for most of the scenes. Very beautiful movie about kids, family, and bullying.
You can't overlook how fast technology has improved over the years. 20-40 years ago "cheap" high quality tech didn't exist. When Kevin Smith was getting started, if you wanted cheap, you went with black and white film. Back in 2018 I bought a Sony a7 full frame for $1000. It's still worth $800 used. With a simple "hack" I unlocked 24FPS video but limited to 1080p which doesn't cut it today for cinema. The a7 iii gets you 4k at up to 30fps and is around $1700. USD. If you're an aspiring filmmaker, you can get access to plenty of cool stuff to learn with without needing a professional salary.
I can hear your heart more. You have definitely changed over the last 6 months. This video sounds like you on your other channel. Good job, keep it up!
I'm a kid of the 90's who aspired to be a filmmaker. I remember being extremely frustrated that my Hi-8 camera footage looked like complete trash. Unless the goal was to make a Blair Witch knockoff, the imagery just couldn't be taken seriously. And the camera wasn't cheap either! The camera I saved up for and bought in 1999 costs $1100US in today's money. I find it incredibly cool that relatively affordable tech can be put in the hands of more people now. It feels like a democratization of the tools of art, which I think is great.
The film Rush was also shot on C300s and fast / Furious 5 was on a c500 Blue ruin is also amazing and has a great look to it. Its amazing what can be achieved this days for relatively so little
I don’t shot movies, but I feel blessed to be able to shoot what I do in 10bit log for less than $3000. The problem for me will never be the quality of the camera, and that’s a great feeling.
I think it’s also worth noting with Soderberg that he’s done a lot of experimenting with formats and equipment throughout his career so it doesn’t feel weird that he’d shoot another film with a weird camera
Completely agree! I owne a good camera but more and more, I understand that first the story, second the art design, after the lighting and last the camera/lens is important. But we are so lucky now, plenty of affordable tools!
I remember David Lynch hot off Mulholland Drive started using the Sony PD 150. I was blown away that one of the greatest directors ever was using an affordable camera to shoot an entire movie.
@@universaInformation it does uncompressed raw over SDI. it’s the GH1 sensor. they recently did a 4K restoration with a completely new color grade too. that bitrate held up well.
hello, i have sony a7iv at work with a kit lense, how can i achive the kind of color of your videos? what kind of lut you use? we shoot at 24f and log, i think, we pick the scene file 10 and then color in premiere pro, doenst look like that, though, thnks. great video btw
It's all about the lighting. There are several movies that were shot with incredibly expensive cameras and the image will still be devoid of any depth or color.
When people say “gear doesn’t matter” this is exactly what they mean. Vision and skill over gear.
Yeah, but the problem with simplifying it to such a degree is that most people are only of average intelligence and not great with subtlety. Gear absolutely matters (for instance: I’m an astrophotographer, so a 12,000 ISO sensor is way better for me than a 6400 sensor), so I’m sick of “gear doesn’t matter.” What we need to be saying is “Gear is secondary to skill and vision.”
@@jakethet3206 that all be true. Nuance is lost in quick phrases.
More like gear matters until it doesn't
@@jakethet3206 I wouldn't say that gear doesn't matter, because it does. I would also say that the right gear for the job matters.
@@recardosands9948 agreed. Blue Ruin and Presence both look like they used non cinema lenses which means they saved a ton on rentals or when they bought it. It might not affect the look so much in the hand of skilled artists but it's definitely affecting your budget and allowing you to put resources into other parts of your project
Being a working professional right now in the industry I’ll tell you the secret, spend 90% of your money in lighting and a great production designer after that it won’t matter what camera you’re using
100%
לוקיישן, תאורה, ארט, מחלקת הלבשה. אם הפרמטרים האלה ברמה הגבוהה ביותר אז גם אם אייפון הסרט / סדרה תיראה מדהים
@@flush5081 ?
ditto, maybe spare a little change for a sound pro or 2 also
Haze machine
"pick the gear that has least amount of barriers between you and the thing that you want to create" - Patrick Tomasso
The 'cinematic look' is mostly about lighting, style and grading.
Art direction *
What does “style” mean in this statement?
ugh this is the "cinematic" definition that people use that I hate, I much prefer it when the term is used to refer to a motion picture that uses the cinematic language for lighting, grading, movement, etc.
saying "cinematic look" reminds me of a bad youtube tutorial.
I doubt great directors described or pictured a scene as "cinematic", "hey DP make it look "CINEMATIC", how about using words like "realistic", "gloomy", idk something more descriptive.
I dont know about the "cinematic look", but I know that there's alot of meetings and planning in the pre and post production process to nail down exactly how the outcome of the project should/will look.
You mean "production design" lol
The C300 MKI was a real gem. The 4K sensor downsampled to 1080p gave a really beautiful image, one of the best 1080p cams ever IMO.
We bought our house thanks to the C100 MKII. It was hard to say goodbye to those cameras.
I still use my C100 MKI (yes, MKI) on projects. It still makes a great image if you use it in the right scenario.
@@rainymorningpictures The C100 MKI and MKII were basically slightly stripped down C300 Mark I with 1/2 bitrate compression options (and color depth) but the image was basically 100% identical. I think they sold a *ton* of those for a reason. Quality/cost balance was unbeatable for many years and if you had an external recorder for the 422 10-bit, it could still compete today against a ton of things (save for the dynamic range or extreme low light).
We still can't find a camera that's better out of the box for unpredictable documentary-style shooting. @@KyleProhaska
Get yourself the best of both worlds with a C500. If you're lucky enough to have the Odyssey 7Q+, you can pull out a glorious 4k CRAW or 444 2k image out of it.
Soderbergh has been using unorthodox cameras for decades. He shot Full Frontal on a Canon XL1s. He shot Unsane on the iPhone 7. He shot Che on the RED One prototypes. He used 1940s lenses on The Good German. When it comes to mainstream directors making experimental choices for cameras, Soderbergh is the archetype.
Yup
unsane was insane
Netflix certified was such a reductive thing. Like who tf care if you’re camera can shoot 4K raw, there’s like a million other things that are important to make a movie good. It honestly shows with the quality of Netflix originals today with how bad that type of thinking is.
agreed
that's what Sam Hyde was saying, he was mocking people who were really into the "netflix approved" thing.
@@PASTRAMIKick David Ayer was talking about it on X last week too.
You can shoot the project on the lastest camera, lighting gear etc..but to me, if you dont have a good story your film can flop. I've watched many movies that were not shot the best nor lit the best, but i continued to the end because it had a good story behind it.
@@recardosands9948 "your story is good and all, but... you filmed this on a garden hose, we can't accept such a low-quality image, goodbye".
no way, tis was my favorite movie for like 5 years. stoked and shocked to see a video with this many views talking about it!!! "green room" is it's sister movie and another great watch
Blue Ruin was so insanely good. It never recieved the attention it deserved, IMO.
But it's never left my mind ever since I saw it. It had such intense energy. Everything felt so REAL. The tension, the violence, the emotion - I never doubted the veracity of any of it for a second.
It's definitely in my personal top 50.
Green Room was haunting too. Really underrated director.
I recommend the films a History of Violence (2005) and Out of the Furnace (2013).
"green room" that he made after is also realy great
Soderberg is a pretty famous director, more so than Edwards in my opinion.
to film bro's but hes making small streamer films now. he doesn't have "FROM THE DIRECTOR OF STAR WARS" on his trailers.
"FROM THE STAR OF DIRECTOR WARS."
very much so..
@@impatrickt he directed the oceans franchise and the magic mike franchise
He’s pretty legendary lol
Great "rant!" I love this mindset. It’s not anti-gear, just open-minded! You just earned my follow!
love when you do these talks about equipment. The interwebs with all these tech reviews vs “hey do you know how to capture a scene, moment”. Keep it up. People might even listen. Have a great one.
What I like above all is how accessible all this gear has become for the masses. For Steven Soderbergh any camera is within reach, but what is far more interesting is that a Canon C300 mark I or a Sony FX30 is within reach of the next Steven Soderbergh that is now between 16-18 years old and saved hard for it with their side job next to school. That will allow them to experiment, hone their craft and even allow them create their first own independent films or documentaries with minimal means. There is no longer a dependency on film studios to get in and to get noticed. The gear to produce high quality film, and the platforms to publish it, have never been more accessible than they are now. The art of movie and documentary making will be better for it in the future.
I agree to some point but I suggest to read the Linklater interview (from Cannes 2023 on Variety) talking about the current state and the future of independent cinema. There will always be great talent, and yes these cheap tools will let them utilize their vision and talent, but it will be extremely difficult if not straight impossible to reach an audience and thus become "the next soderbergh". The satisfaction of living off of your art may become an ancient concept soon, we will see.
@@TheReelportIs it easy for you to link the interview? I can’t find it.
You can buy two C300s for the price of one FX30 right now pretty much T.T
@@Viewer-ld5rcsure! I don't think RUclips let's you post links, but I just googled "linklater on independent cinema" and it was for Hollywood Reporter and was in Venice film festival. The nofilmschool summary maybe better, the original one is too much about the film "Hitman"
@@Viewer-ld5rcsure! It was from Venice and Hollywood Reporter btw. You cannot post links in the comments, so I just googled "linklater on independent cinema" the NoFilmSchool is a good summary.
3:16 The lamp joke / callback to the lamps video was perfect 😂
Bro really flickered his lamp to say "look at my conscious lighting decisions"
I have many long and amazing conversations about this, but you perfectly articulate the whole matter here. Nicely done, well said, and many thanks for taking the time to create and share these insights.
I love how this is even seen on social media, people using camcorders again, digital cameras from the 00s and 35mm film. Its exciting that Hollywood is allowing a bigger variety of equipment because it opens up many more doors for many more people!
I was assigned to watch Blue Ruin in Cinematography 1 because it was shot on the same standard high def camera (C-300 Mark I) that we used for most of our projects.
Hit the nail on the head with loving the era we’re in. In 2001 with Sony vx2000 being the standard, I could only DREAM of what we have today at its prices!
-C
Other nice examples of directors opting for ‘budget’ cameras because it enabled them to make the film the way they wanted to make it are David Lynch (Inland Empire) and Danny Boyle (28 days later). Both went for 3 chip mini DV cameras even when film was available to them because those cameras gave them the speed and light sensitivity they needed for their vision.
Classic examples for sure but they don’t hold up today and I don’t think they’re a solid argument for Hollywood not caring, because nothing else got shot on them after.
@@impatricktyeah no argument for Hollywood (couldn’t care less about Hollywood) more a case of directors successfully reaching their audience via whatever means are available and suitable for the piece. Whether they ‘hold up’ today depends on whether you’re looking at them from DP’s technical standards I guess. Beyond that they still have their audience. Of course there are also great films like No which intentionally used a technically outdated 80s news camera but that was obviously to take us to the immediacy of the period. Anyways, all that to agree with you that the gear should be the right tool for the story.
Yes. Love this film. Blue Ruin is my go to whenever I fool myself into thinking my gear is holding me back rather than my skillset. Also Steve Yedlin ASC’s in depth presentation on perceived resolution vs spatial resolution.
I love how you concisely present the information here. Learning about some of these cameras makes me want to track them down and try them out. But, I appreciate you telling it how it is. Great shots and storytelling require experience, skill and talent, the gear is just the tool we use. Thank you.
I'm not a filmmaker, but I love Blue Ruin. Pleased to see that it hasn't been forgotten. It's such an incredibly grounded revenge story and an excellent use of a small budget.
Great to hear Jeremy Saulnier shouted out! We took Michael Carmine's cinematography class at NYU film school together back in the 1990's. He is a good guy.
Thank you for talking about Blue Ruin. Criminally underrated, with a truly next level performance by Macon Blair.
that Kirkland doggo sweater was the caboose I waited around for!
The Kirkland Signature doggy clothing is the best part of this video. And I need to get my friend's dog some. LOL.
Every frame a picture hits home here
Thanks to your shoutout I just watched Blue Ruin which hadn’t been on my radar at all. Really enjoyed it! Good film, very beautifully shot
Niko from Corridor once said the most beautiful statement... he says "Any camera is capable of creating an emotionally compelling image" not necessarily any image, but leverage the specific strengths and weaknesses of a specific camera and you got something you can work with.
Soderbergh has been a revolutionary since his first film. Absolute genius.
I currently own a C100 and I’ve been discouraged because everyone has the latest gear, but knowing this was shot on the 300 is proof that it’s the person behind the gear that makes it special
Loving Blue Ruin!!!!!!! Great story telling, and a great example of great cinematography.
As someone that’s always felt the camera/equipment should be decided based on the project, this video is very refreshing!
Although I’m more of a writer than actual filmmaker, I’ve been shooting shorts/skits since middle school. And it’s always been hard to express my opinion to my DP friends who would laugh at me for shooting skits on iPhones or camcorders.
Love your content! Thank you.
Can you do a video essay on how to know which camera to use, based on the feeling you want your film to give off? Maybe specifically for beginner film makers? (affordable cameras)
Use whatever camera you want I wouldn’t even know what to say otherwise
You say this now... but just wait till the Ronin 5D comes out. 🤔
plz don't make me a shoot tour with it
Today I learned one of my favorite movies "The way of the gun" was shot on a "Moviecam Compact" and a "Moviecam SL." I never made the connection between the camera used and the look of the film until this video. For some reason, I just assumed all movies were shot using the same type of camera. Definitely earned a sub from me.
saw blue ruin because of you mentioning it in this video and it was a great and wrenching experience. thanks!
Pacification screened at Cannes and was shot on a bmpcc6k with an old super 16 zoom lens. Probably the most beautiful film of last year!
Really loved your thoughts and analysis about this topic!
Blue Ruin, one of my top 3 favorite movies ever made.
so good!
I now know another reason to go see Civil War
I can’t wait to see it in IMAX
Garland's director filmography has been pretty solid up to this point. I'm looking forward to it.
its going to be absolute dogshit
@@crunchybones2528 This comment held up.
i have a c300 mkIII and c100 mkII that my work uses as daily cameras. its unreal how they hold up against everything else. sometimes you just need a workhorse camera over anything else. everyone who owns a ferrari usually still needs a toyota to get them to the mall and back.
Interesting take. Just a note, probably the main reason Gareth, Greig and Oren chose an FX3 for the Creator had a lot to do with how gear rentals in Thailand works. In order for them to rent something like a mini LF they'd need to take on crew from the rental house who would mind the gear. They wanted more flexibility and wanted to be more nimble, so they chose to buy everything and have multiple FX3s rigged up for multiple scenarios. They also bought the entire lighting package for similar flexibility. There's also a trickle down effect from the camera size when it comes to support gear. Going with a larger camera on a larger gimbal means a larger crane for some specialty shots, heavier support gear etc. Their approach gave them a lot of flexibility to react and shoot quickly and strip down to bare essential basics when they could.
Yes, the creator was shot on The Sony FX3, BUT the post production process was treated and handle like it was shot on an Alexa etc...Post pro. played a very important part of how this movie looked on the big screen.
have you seen my video with Oren?
They didn't handle it like an Alexa. No offense, but have you ever worked with CGI/compositing? I have, and so has Gareth Edwards if you know his history. The Creator was specific with its locations, and they sculpted compositing/CGI around that while also using HDRIs from the actual locations. They likely used Sony cameras for HDRIs to stay within the same color science. The ambient lighting/GI is mainly why the CGI blends so well. Yes, this could have been possible with the Alexa but not without color transfor issues due to how color space works inside 3D software like Maya, Blender, Houdini ect. Personally, I would only use the Sony line of cameras because the Alexa is too idk....clithe, if that makes sense.
@@captureinsidethesound I did a video with Oren the co-DP. The FX3 was chosen for size.
ACES works super well for combining pretty much any footage.
And yes, as an oldtime compostor i can echo the fact that lighting and set design/art direction is the true key to all happiness Hehe @captureinsidethesound
I believe that but I doubt it’s the only reason. So many fall for the “industry standard” hype based on ignorance, loyalty and/or familiarity.
Garret is too experienced on both sides of the fence to waist money on “industry standard” crap that is clearly used in quick-fix/cash cow cinema, at least in Hollywood.
The Creator and Godzilla Minus One are just a few examples of “less is more”. I mean seriously, you can’t get more goofy, overly hyped and overpriced than Godzilla X Kong. I call it the Ubisoft syndrome; it’s the same $hit ingredient, just different icing.
I've been out of the loop with cameras for sometime because I got into graphic design.. 4 years later and I'm starting to think I should have continued with getting into film school. Cameras in general are just so fun to play around with and someday I would love to shoot a short film of some kind, see where it takes me. The only thing that's stopping me is the funds. Perhaps in a year I will go back to school and get into film. It feels really motivating to find stuff like this, knowing that you don't need the top tier products to achieve the style you want.
One thing that should be noted here:
One of the BIG reasons for going for Alexa, Venice, RED, etc. is the ease of working in a team - i.e. rigging follow focus, zoom gears, wireless video, etc etc quickly and conveniently. A lot of these rigs for smaller DSLRs or iPhone run into a lot of Frankenstein problems regarding how to make it work fluidly for the TEAM around you. You may be okay to deal with those issues if the payoff is meaningful, but just something to consider when you plan! Great vid and thanks.
I used a red and the camera audio is garbage and it's terrible in low light, so I used a Gh5 instead, once again people can't afford a Alexa or a Red, it's about the eye. All in all work with what you got, I hear all the tech talk and it just goes in one ear and out the other.
gonna shoot my movie on a yukon gold
With a sour cream container pinhole lens?
@@gregelgie ideally
I feel that another, even more extreme example of this, is another 2013 movie called Coherence. It was shot on a Canon 5D-II in the director's LIVING ROOM. And it is my top 20 films.
Blue ruin is such a great movie. Thank you for the reminder.
For me and the level of production I'm at... THIS is exactly the case. Blackmagic provides me exactly what I need for when I'm having do to most of the work on the indie movies I have shot. At this point I go in assuming I'm bringing Camera, Lighting and Grip. Nothing too big but I'm providing all that and I have very little help. The URSA Mini Pro G2 and now the Pocket 6K Pro combined with the RS3 Pro and LIDAR are an amazing combo. I can go from my tripod to dolly to jib to handheld super quick!
Usable screens on both cameras, simple menu system, false color, LUTS, BRAW, build in NDs, EF mount for my photo lenses/vintage lenses, easily swap to PL mount for PL Lenses all these things make them great cameras for me to actually own and not break the bank cause I know I'm going to be using these cameras for majority of the projects I shoot and don't have a crew to help.
I would love to shoot ARRI at some point but until then if I'm hired and I don't have a crew, I'm using my BMs
Great channel! love your vibe!
From the trailers I didn't notice that anything looked different until you said something. Now I can't unsee it.
For Civil War that is.
Thank you Patrick for you work. This was inspiring and helpful.
“I’m not saying to go out and shoot your next film on an iPhone or GoPro”
*flashes back to seeing compressed macro blocked GoPro footage blown up to a 700+ inch screen in The Hobbit*
Michael Bay used it around the same time in Pain and Gain. It actually looked dope!
@@impatrickt Huh, I wonder what the difference was. To this day, I hold onto that memory as the compression artifacts completely killed my immersion
@@EposVox i mean i like the hobbit shot but it's all subjective
All true. I watched Hollywood DOP Shane Hurlbert talk about the Sony Burano and its auto focus being useable for filmmaking.
Finally, the penny is dropping in Hollywood. Cameras are amazing right now and I really do think that the key area for filmmakers is to come up with better, original scripts. Great to hear your views on this PT
Damn, I've been a huge fan of Jeremy Saunier ever since I first watched Blue Ruin in 2014. I had no idea he used such an inexpensive camera! For my three little short films, I used a BMPCC4K with a Canon FD 24mm 2.8 vintage lens. All for around $1,500. I also overlayed a faint filter of fake 35mm film over the entire project. Everyone told me not to, but it ended up looking fantastic! The filter cost $30. And I received Davinci Resolve editing software for free with the camera. I'm new to all of this and never knew you could make a professional looking film for so cheap.
Reminds me of how El Mariachi is done, the camera for the story you want to tell, or telling a story based on the gear available to you
DUDE Blue Ruin!!!!! Love that film so much! It is amazing we have all this gear that we can create with. We become to infatuated with it over creating the thing itself. Also love your content man and love what you say in this vid. It's hard for beginners to understand for we always think if we get that camera or lens, we will instantly level up.
Another important aspect is to have a good DOP, as a director myself I know nothing about cameras but I really know what I see in my mind and the DOP knows what to use and what is possible with the budget available.
Blue Ruin is one of my favorite movies ever. Great video.
the story, lightning, set design, wardrobe .. they all add up. camera and lenses are just one component.
Was half-expecting a mention of Inland Empire tbh
Gareth Edwwards shot with a Sony EX1 with a 35mm lens adapter which is what we had to do back then to get shallow depth of field, it had some sort of active spinning mechanism inside
yup I’ve done entire videos about it
4:43 . Least amount of barriers between u and what u wanna make
Seeing directors like them at work, makes me at ease on how dorkey we sometimes look as DP's and videographers in contrast to the image we produce 🤣
Worth mentioning Civil War also used a Venice.
It’s not worth mentioning given that my entire video is saying it doesn’t matter lol
I didn't watch it
Lol just watched I agree with what you're saying.
Would love a video on Dogme 95 and Von Trier/ Vinterberg if you haven’t already done one.
That’s actually insane what they got from the C300! 🔥 Time to dust off my 5D ii
Great video and ❤ for the dog!
This is a great video man. I keep saying this when I'm pitching big horror movies to streamers. They're all so stuck on what has worked in the past, but it's really just to cover their ass. But... You're right, all the sensors these days are incredible, even the iPhone. If you have a good script, production design and actors combined with a director/dp team and most importantly an interesting eye... almost anything could be amazing.
Hardcore Henry is another great example of the right camera for the right film. sounds like an exercise in self-flagellation on all other aspects though
I saw presence at sundance. It looked great! I couldn't tell it was shot with the new Sony A9iii. The camerawork was very fluid and you get lost in the perspective of the ghost. I didn't notice any clipping, banding, etc. but it also didn't have that soft arri look or a look shot on film. It was more contrasty and sharp which was most likely due to the color grading, but looked more like RED footage. With the camera movements used though, the Sony A9iii makes more sense.
Great film, highly recommend.
Also, look for Ghostlight and Porcelain War when they come out. Great films!
Also out of my mind is a good family film from Sundance that should be on Disney Plus.
Give Roger Deakins an iPhone and he’ll shoot more gorgeous footage than most people with a full IMAX rig, because he understands composition. Lighting, framing, movement, all part of his planning for composition, hence why he didn’t care about going digital, gear is secondary to compositional understanding. But nicer gear in the hands of a pro, that’s how you end up with Blade Runner 2049 or Samsara.
You should check "Monster" from Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda from a short story by Haruki Murakami. I believe it was shot on a DJI Ronin 4D for most of the scenes. Very beautiful movie about kids, family, and bullying.
You can't overlook how fast technology has improved over the years. 20-40 years ago "cheap" high quality tech didn't exist. When Kevin Smith was getting started, if you wanted cheap, you went with black and white film. Back in 2018 I bought a Sony a7 full frame for $1000. It's still worth $800 used. With a simple "hack" I unlocked 24FPS video but limited to 1080p which doesn't cut it today for cinema. The a7 iii gets you 4k at up to 30fps and is around $1700. USD.
If you're an aspiring filmmaker, you can get access to plenty of cool stuff to learn with without needing a professional salary.
I can hear your heart more. You have definitely changed over the last 6 months. This video sounds like you on your other channel. Good job, keep it up!
The C-300 MK 1 holds up surprisingly well. It had a 4K sensor that produces a great looking 1080P. I still use one to shoot TV Commercials.
I'm a kid of the 90's who aspired to be a filmmaker. I remember being extremely frustrated that my Hi-8 camera footage looked like complete trash. Unless the goal was to make a Blair Witch knockoff, the imagery just couldn't be taken seriously. And the camera wasn't cheap either! The camera I saved up for and bought in 1999 costs $1100US in today's money.
I find it incredibly cool that relatively affordable tech can be put in the hands of more people now. It feels like a democratization of the tools of art, which I think is great.
I could have sworn it was shot on an LF based on the trailer, crazy that it was the ronin 4d!
Good, consice message. WELL DONE!
KNOWLEDGE is everything. This video is epic
wouldn't call a camera that cost 20k at the time of shooting a potato
i would
@@impatrickt wtf are you filming on???
@@amitklain4199 russet
@@impatrickt they used those on MASH
The film Rush was also shot on C300s and fast / Furious 5 was on a c500 Blue ruin is also amazing and has a great look to it. Its amazing what can be achieved this days for relatively so little
Reminds me of a quote, "The best bike in the world is the one you're riding."
One of the best outros in the history of RUclips
I don’t shot movies, but I feel blessed to be able to shoot what I do in 10bit log for less than $3000. The problem for me will never be the quality of the camera, and that’s a great feeling.
Such a great and to the point video! I’ve slept on Blue Ruin and now I won’t!
I remember this exact conversation happening when Danny Boyle used the XL1 on 28 Days Later and David Lynch used the Sony Z1 on Inland Empire.
I think it’s also worth noting with Soderberg that he’s done a lot of experimenting with formats and equipment throughout his career so it doesn’t feel weird that he’d shoot another film with a weird camera
Yup I mentioned that
Completely agree! I owne a good camera but more and more, I understand that first the story, second the art design, after the lighting and last the camera/lens is important.
But we are so lucky now, plenty of affordable tools!
what camera + lens combo are you using for your talking head shot??? I love the look
thnx a7iv and 16-28 sigma
Blue Ruin is SUCH an underrated study in visuals and tension!
so so good
@@impatrickt Solid video man!
I remember David Lynch hot off Mulholland Drive started using the Sony PD 150. I was blown away that one of the greatest directors ever was using an affordable camera to shoot an entire movie.
that sony fx3 clip made me chuckle! Blue Ruin is such a good looking movie
haha
movie "The Raid" 2011 was shoot on camcorder Panasonic AG-AF100 4/3- sensor that cant even do 1080p instead 1080i, and did 10mil in box office.
that Panasonic shot raw though it wasn't a slouch. resolution rarely matters. bitrate matters.
@@impatrickt Its an 8bit camcorder there is no raw, AVC/H.264 24 Mbps
@@universaInformation it does uncompressed raw over SDI. it’s the GH1 sensor. they recently did a 4K restoration with a completely new color grade too. that bitrate held up well.
hello, i have sony a7iv at work with a kit lense, how can i achive the kind of color of your videos? what kind of lut you use? we shoot at 24f and log, i think, we pick the scene file 10 and then color in premiere pro, doenst look like that, though, thnks. great video btw
It's all about the lighting. There are several movies that were shot with incredibly expensive cameras and the image will still be devoid of any depth or color.
Lighting and art direction.
@@impatrickt absolutely
Great video, and great movies! Thanks!
A hand of applause for the glitching lamp in the back.
fireplace mode
What's that song at the end?