Sunday, April 11, 2010

film vs. digi shoot out

the debate goes on. i'm known as a surf "filmmaker" and i'm proud that people relate my work to shooting 16mm. since finishing One California Day, i've had the opportunity to work as a freelance shooter on various HD systems, RED, Varicam, F900, f35, hvx, hpx, etc - with new formats being released everyday, it's hard to know what the best system is for you and your production. cost, aesthetic, logistics - taking all of these factors into consideration, i've been amazed by the quality of the new Canon DSLR systems.

truth be known, about %75 of the production budget for Singlefin: yellow and One Cal Day went to film, film processing & film telecine. for a low budget project, that's a huge number. in the current market environment, where people aren't buying as many dvds - i've been searching for a creative solution to keeping the aesthetic high but the budgets low. In playing around with my new 7d, i have a reinvigorated personal excitement towards guerrilla filmmaking.

here's a system that delivers gorgeous imagery. it is small & compact - i made both my films with one bolex camera and a back pack. my canon system now lives in that same pack.

i'll be posting a few short projects we have been working on in this format soon. but moreover, i'm excited to have a cost effective alternative to shooting film that holds up to my visual standards. for some pretty amazing insight into this new technology check out these videos.

below is a short clip regarding low light photography.