IronFilm

Now that my 2023 season (weddings mainly) is drawing to a close; all shoots in the bag, just 4-5 jobs still to edit and finish up, I am thinking about next year.
I’m always thinking about ‘next year’ actually because one eye on the future and all that, but as is so often the case, thoughts and plans over the course of a season begin to stack up, the season ends and I’m exhausted/run out of enthusiasm to see all of those plans through.
Year on year.
But 2024 is going to be different…
First of all, I am not carrying the fatigue off 33 jobs as I was at the end of last year with a more controlled 21 from this and a strict cap of 15-20 going forward.
The two Covid years of ‘20/‘21 caused another kind of fatigue, a weariness due to lack of development, due to lack of work and funds; just 6 from what should have been 60 jobs over that period.
So after 4 very inconsistent years job-wise; 1+5+33+21 and some kit and work practices that I am less than enthused about, I am not only making, but will be sticking to some fairly fundamental changes that I will be putting in place over the Winter.
The first of these is volume of workload with 15 jobs as my minimum and perhaps ‘fully booked’ target but with the capacity to go as high as 20 depending on my level of interest. That is the point I have already hit actually…
The second is tightening up what or rather who, I take on. Most of my clients and jobs are exactly what I was looking for but could still be tighter, so turning up the screws in that dept. 
Third, revising my approach to capture, ie, kit. My lighting is nailed down as is my audio but cameras and lenses less so and I have been frustrated with all the combos I have been using since…well since forever actually. The hybrid nature of my work requires not only a specific skill set, but a specific set of tools. Fortunately, those do now exist with various brands so it has become a question of who and what rather than hoping the next gen will deliver. All of the current main players deliver, it’s just which will suit me best. (It’s a Nikon/Lumix mash up for me BTW going forward).
Fourth, workflow/edit. From the photo side of things, not unhappy and my only plans there are to refine a specific look over this Winter based on what will now be Nikon rather than Lumix files. On the video side, less than happy. Not unhappy, just not quite where I want things to be and whilst I could do an @kye and ‘learn colour grading you fool!’, it does not interest me enough beyond a point. I’m not even sure I’ll stick with log and may go back to shooting a profile because whilst it might not have the ultimate scope, there’s a lot more consistency (*for me*) with that approach. I love editing pics, but hate grading video! Possibly if I shot raw video, I’d enjoy it more and that is an option I am at least going to explore…
So in a nutshell:
1. Take on less work.
2. Tighten up who I work with.
3. Brand switch including more compact set up/less tools.
4. Revise/refine output.
5. (Bonus Ball) All of the above combined = greater enjoyment = greater job satisfaction = greater output = leads to more of the same.
How about you? What plans do you have? Any direction changes you might be making?

Yup, lots of smaller non-chain stores won't be carrying a FX6 in stock but might have a FX3 on the shelf. 
Sure, and I'm not saying there are just as many sales of the video cameras as stills cameras. But just simply suggesting there is a broadly similar ratio of sales going on here with prosumer cameras (which in the case of stills cameras, means the likes of say Nikon D7500 or Nikon D610. Which certainly had more sales to consumers than professionals), that more sales (or at least, a very large chunk of them) go to consumers vs professionals. 

24p movies with this one will be very expensive. 🙂

Oh for sure, but we're in a thread talking about filmmaking to do with a recently released film. Thus I'm writing from the perspective of film sets (or tv sets).
As for going on a side tangent about corporate / weddings / music videos / etc... I think you'd be surprised by just how many of them are being shot with cameras that are at a higher level than a FX3. 
I think you underestimate those numbers.
It's just like with sales of stills cameras, there are likely far more hobbyists who were buying say a Nikon D5 than there are professional sports photographers buying a D5. 

In my case, Porsche 911.
I could probably just about stretch to a 10 year old (or however old it is now) base spec 997 Carrera, but…
…but I bought a motorhome instead that is: transport, a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, an office, for work, for family and actually in this instance, saves money over a 10 year lifespan compared with just board & lodging on the work side alone.
But then, not all purchases have to be rational or cost-effective. I may very well still switch to Nikon over the coming Winter even though in pure financial terms, it does not make sense 🤔😉

Not really, compared to the FX3 is cheaper than almost any camera on productions that I would usually work on. 
For reference, this week I've been working days on a tv series shooting on 2x Panasonic Varicam 35 (yup, the big heavy one! Not the Varicam LT).
The previous production I worked on before this one, the DP was using a Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro. And funnily enough, the previous DP before that was also using a Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro! (the only two times this year though that I've worked with a Blackmagic camera, no other production has) 
Then the film before those, it was shot on an ARRI 35. 
Can't recall far enough back as to what it was on the production before that, all the various productions I'm on tend to all blur together. 
But I think so far this year the only times I've worked on a production using a camera "below" the URSA Mini Pro would be a little short film I helped out on for one day that was a total sh*t show, big time amateur hour, and they were using a Panasonic GH6. And I think that's it. I am scratching my brain searching for any time with say a mirrorless or a Blackmagic Pocket, but nope. Not this year, perhaps a few rare times last year or the year beforehand. 
That's why I call the FX3 "prosumer", it straddles the worlds of both consumer and pro worlds. Largely purchased by more consumer orientated purchasers, but also is a handy camera for a B / C Cam for pros (or A Cam for aspiring pros). Although, I haven't came across the FX3 being used for even that myself, just not the circles I'm moving in. However, I did do one day (again, it was just one day, because they were ultra micro budget) on an indie feature film shot entirely on a FX3 last year. 
Oh wait, I'm just remembering, there was a student short film I worked on which was shot with a Panasonic GH5! That might have been early this year? Or perhaps it was late last year. 
I think you're missing the point here, at least that I've been making. 
For myself, I very rarely ever work on productions using a "FF" or 6K or 8K camera. 
Also, it's a bit unusual if they're shooting raw. 
And before this year, then the most common camera type I'd shoot with wouldn't even do 4K! 

There has been an EXPLOSION in recent years of super affordable cine lenses. 
However most are prime lenses. But there are a few zoom options out there, DZOFilm perhaps is the most famous low / no budget option. 
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1701864-REG/dzofilm_dzo_ff3580e_blk_catta_35_80mm_t2_9_e_mount.html
Some other options:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1684620-REG/chiopt_xtreme_zoom_28_85mm_t3_2_e_xtreme_zoom_28_85mm_t3_2.html
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1708655-REG/sirui_jupiter_zm_pl_jupiter_28_85mm_t2_full.html
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1772955-REG/venus_optics_ran2875plef_laowa_ranger_28_75mm_t2_9.html
Otherwise, the next cheapest options is pushing up into the lower end of professional priced lenses:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1292121-REG/angenieux_ez_1_pack_ez_1_30_90mm_cinema_lens.html
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/895001-REG/zeiss_2008_990_28_80mm_t2_9_compact_zoom.html 
  
Yup, something like say a black pro mist quarter filter would be a popular choice for many 
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/55639-REG/Tiffen_44BPM14_4x4_Black_Pro_Mist_F_X.html

Exactly, it's the same reason I don't own an Aaton Cantar X3, even though I really really really want one. (just maybe, I might commit financial suicide one day and just buy a Cantar X3 anyway!) But I'd never earn another extra penny for having a Cantar. 
Ditto why I don't own Schoeps or DPA shotguns. My 2x MKH60/MKH50 + 2xCS3e / 2x CS1e / CSM1 can do the job just fine enough. 

There has been an EXPLOSION in recent years of super affordable cine lenses. 
However most are prime lenses. But there are a few zoom options out there, DZOFilm perhaps is the most famous low / no budget option. 
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1701864-REG/dzofilm_dzo_ff3580e_blk_catta_35_80mm_t2_9_e_mount.html
Some other options:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1684620-REG/chiopt_xtreme_zoom_28_85mm_t3_2_e_xtreme_zoom_28_85mm_t3_2.html
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1708655-REG/sirui_jupiter_zm_pl_jupiter_28_85mm_t2_full.html
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1772955-REG/venus_optics_ran2875plef_laowa_ranger_28_75mm_t2_9.html
Otherwise, the next cheapest options is pushing up into the lower end of professional priced lenses:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1292121-REG/angenieux_ez_1_pack_ez_1_30_90mm_cinema_lens.html
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/895001-REG/zeiss_2008_990_28_80mm_t2_9_compact_zoom.html 
  
Yup, something like say a black pro mist quarter filter would be a popular choice for many 
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/55639-REG/Tiffen_44BPM14_4x4_Black_Pro_Mist_F_X.html

i guess prosumer is more correct, but its kind of an arbitrary distinction imo. its a technically ‘good video camera’ that you could buy in most camera stores for not that much money. Ive never had a pleasant time using it, but some people made a movie with it, so my opinion is irrelevant. 

I'd say it is prosumer, it straddles the range across from consumer cameras to "pro" cameras. 
Just like how the Zoom F8n is a prosumer recorder. And the Sennheiser G4 is prosumer wireless. 
The Sony a7 series of cameras, are also prosumer cameras. 

Late, but I support xs20 over anything else, unless you have the budget for xh2s 

Ok, two days from this post, I have an X-S20 on the way. Looking forward to trying it out. 

Well that is one I’m eyeing! I think I might go for it since the XT3 has sold and if something comes out better I can always flip it. The raw video features have me thinking too. Crazy.

its a marketing stunt obv, and nothing will change because of this movie, but it’s still a cool accomplishment to shoot an ambitious feature length film with a consumer camera. I wish i was shooting features.

If I was you, I'd swap out your camera for a X-S20 (or perhaps wait a few more months, until a few more X-S20 show up secondhand). 
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1765968-REG/fujifilm_16781852_x_s20_mirrorless_camera_black.html/overview
https://www.newsshooter.com/2023/05/24/fujifilm-x-s20/ 

Exactly, any minor slight arguments in favor of the FX3 being their main/only camera is totally irrelevant once you look into how they were actually using the FX3! (for instance, always with an Atomos recorder and two timecode boxes on it, etc etc etc) 
In my opinion, they should have used half a dozen or so FX6 bodies with maybe a couple or so FX3 bodies for the very niche uses of crash cam / drone camera. (although it appears they used GoPros as well??? Again, I'd lean towards choosing a Sony RX0 mk2 instead... you can get s-log with 4K 10bit 422 files out of it, with a S16 sized sensor)
 
Or $8M to spend on the production itself during filming. 
Interesting, the Cam Op isn't even using the Atomos as a monitor! But has added a SmallHD as his monitor for operating with. 
 

If I was you, I'd swap out your camera for a X-S20 (or perhaps wait a few more months, until a few more X-S20 show up secondhand). 
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1765968-REG/fujifilm_16781852_x_s20_mirrorless_camera_black.html/overview
https://www.newsshooter.com/2023/05/24/fujifilm-x-s20/ 

https://www.indiewire.com/features/craft/the-creator-ai-director-gareth-edwards-interview-1234908016/
 
He used 10% budget for the actual shoot, and rest goes to post.
So 8 million for the actual production and 72 million to vfx/sound/design.
 

It is not just while recording, but simply being on that apparently it can overheat under certain conditions 

Could have been someone on the Panasonic size pushing for it, or it could have been someone shooting a Netflix production with a Varicam LT who wanted a good C Cam / crashcam to use alongside their Varicams. 

I'm eagerly awaiting the Sony GX3  
 
 

In the meantime, somewhere in Japan...
https://www.43rumors.com/ft3-new-gh6-successor-with-phase-detection-af-is-in-the-works-and-will-be-named-gh7-and-not-gh6ii/
 

Exactly!
Many many DoPs might never have shot with a Canon camera since the era of the Canon C300mk1. 
I feel like even Blackmagic gets talked about more than Canon! As they're now the default go to for low/no budget filmmaking recommendations. 
 
Not just 16mm film, but consider how many productions got shot on a Sony PMW-EX3 or Panasonic AJ-HDC27 or Sony HDW-F900 Cameras. (or many other similar such cameras)
https://shotonwhat.com/cameras/sony-hdw-f900r-camera 
https://shotonwhat.com/cameras/sony-hdw-f900-camera 
https://shotonwhat.com/cameras/panasonic-aj-hdc27-varicam-camera
https://shotonwhat.com/cameras/sony-pmw-ex3-camera
And all of us have "better" cameras at home than those!
Keep in mind that Tangerine had easily at least $50K+ of sound gear being used. And probably easily double that in terms of lighting gear. 

Give us a livestream! ha
I want a brown retro case for my Fujifilm X-A3 too! Lost the case one night while out drinking, but phew, didn't lose the camera itself!!