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The success of
Paranormal
Activity and
The
Blair Witch Project shows that video is indeed a viable medium
for feature film making. The amazing thing about The Blair Witch Project is that it was
shot on Hi-8 (a low level video format), rather than HD. The camera had one color chip instead of the
three found in professional equipment. In addition, the filmmakers used
only a simple camera mounted light. They pushed the envelope with this
approach, yet it takes audiences only a few minutes to adjust to the
movie's grainy look and minimalist shooting style. As you probably know,
it went on to make cinema history by earning over two hundred million
dollars!
Complete DV
"Studio" - Under $4000
Today,
state-of-the-art digital equipment is capable of stunning quality. The
typical audience often doesn't know whether they are watching DV or
film, and there are several interesting production strategies that
capitalize on this. Some filmmakers originate on DV and transfer to 35mm
film for theatrical release, while others shoot on 16mm film, transfer
to DV for editing, and then transfer to 35mm for release (no match-back to
the 16mm negative).
Inexpensive
broadcast quality equipment has democratized both production and
distribution, but interestingly, it has opened the floodgates for
substandard movies. The Independent
Feature Project (IFP) reports that entries are at an all time high,
with 50% of last year's entries originating on digital media; HOWEVER,
quality has fallen dramatically. Why this sudden drop in quality? Why can
one movie become a Blair Witch and another fall by the wayside? The
answer to these questions is what this filmmaking website is all about...
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