FranciscoB

Yes, it isn't for me. When did I suggest otherwise? 

People overthink and overpraise raw format for video. 

For photography? Great. For video I think is overkill for the majority of us. Log and 10 bit 422 is a great compromise for quality and space. 

But anyway, to each his own. As I said before, no thank you. 

I don't think so. Sure, with smaller productions you don't have so much freedom with space but who wants to keep rolling and rolling? Pick a format that's right for your job. Only a fool would try to do a long day's shoot with few cards and heavy files. 

Ps: I worked as an assistant in a job like that. Two cameras with three cards (total) in a controled environment. Three different talents so you had a few moments to offload the cards but it was an unnecessary headache. 

Well 1tb for a roughly 70 minutes of 5.5k 25p raw... No thank you. The 10 bit seems like a good enough file for my needs. But such a pain to edit h. 265. It's too bad that prores isn't readily available on more cameras. 

They're probably going to be good cameras. As most Canon cameras are. My main issue with the new models are the massive file sizes and the lack of clog 2 or 3. One thing is 1080p raw. Great. Manageable. 4k or higher in raw format is great for spending a small fortune on cards and drives. 

Ibis is great. I usually use it when I'm shooting handheld, with a shoulder rig. Works great for me. I never understood the mindset of having ibis and just using your camera handheld, with no support and wanting tripod style shots. Yes, I understand the value of a small footprint and being incospicuous but you can do that on a tripod and a long lens. But I tend to just "be visible" like a clueless tourist and let people relax over time with my presence. Otherwise I feel like a creep. Is it just me? 

In the end, I always choose the style of movement regardless of ibis. Shoulder rig, gimbal or good old tripod. I love the peace of filming with a tripod, without pressure.

I agree that you'll probably be just fine recording in full HD. You will save time and space when you're editing. 👍

https://helpguide.sony.net/ilc/1710/v1/en/contents/TP0001667428.html

this is for the a7r iii but check if those settings exist in your model 👍

Updating your computer will help. Transcoding files to prores will be beneficial, even if you maintain your current Mac. You could also buy a video recorder and get prores files externally.  But the cost of the recorder and more ssds might not be worth it. The a7s II has proxy recording for 4k files. Maybe the a7iii has that function as well? 

@Alpicat

Nice, I've wondered about this combination. 

Thanks.

Yes, I have a little bit of that as well. I'm very critical of myself and others. But that's why I want to direct. I'm more critical of others and think I can do a better job. Sometimes I'm wrong...😅

I started a documentary project two years ago and I'm finishing it next month. My biggest lesson from it is that it's better to do than not to do. That famous sentence that perfect if the enemy of the good. Yes, I made plenty of mistakes but learned a lot. And next time i'll have those mistakes in mind. If I stayed at home, thinking of projects and criticing others in my head, I wouldn´t have meet a lot of great people and do some of my best work with this series.

I had some friends that didn´t believe on the project and bailed on the beginning. I understand some of the reasons for bailing, since it was a long project with no money at all. When they saw the rough cut, they regreted not being part of a project like this. A "big" finished project ( big as in length of the final videos ).

If you make the jump to a video, project, etc it's not only the reward of finishing something, it's also the places you visit and the people you meet on the way.

It's better do to than not to do. If you make something, it can lead to more opportunities in the future. With better conditions. And you'll have more experience to do a better job. If you do nothing, nobody will know of your best ideas and intentions.

As a direct answer to the title of this topic, video is difficult but that's why it´s so rewarding when you make one. 

So... in the range of 350€ you guys recommend the zoom f4? There's a few on my local market. Not going to buy anything now but if I need a recorder in the future.

My advice is to stay away from the samyangs if you can. The bokeh isn't that great and most of them aren't very good wide open. They're capable lenses but if you can, go for something else. Zeiss ZF are quite cheap now but unfortunately not all of the lenses are great wide open. The milvus line seems to correct that a bit.

fortunately very few people need to know about those jobs😅

Does it manage to downscale the 6k to 4k prores externally? 

That's tough. While I understand your wish for privacy and security, what made you choose to make that doc? We all don't have a name until some of us do. Do you plan on working on other docs? Maybe use your name under initials ou just first name and the first letter of your last name? That's a difficult decision and managing another identity must also be challenging. I guess you must decide how much of that security risk is enough to make you keep your identity a secret. Because that could be a decision for the long run. 

I think we're missing something important here. In this area communication is key. I've directed, I've dp'ed, operated, was an ac and done just photography. Some jobs it went well and others not so much. Luckily none was a disaster. When I direct, my main difficulty is explaining to people what and how I want things. I know a little bit of the technical side and that way I don't think I have crazy expectations. The jobs that didn't go so well was when I was on the other side and the director couldn't explain shit to me and was mostly unprepared. Other times I didn't listened properly. It's easy to point the finger but if we're hired to do a job, we need to have the information so we can do it properly. It's a two way street. If your boss isn't explaining correctly, ask better questions or just ask again.

What's my point with this? We all have expectations, deadlines and budgets to abide to, so it's crucial that we communicate and make sure our team understands it. When you're directing, the main part of the job is just answering people, so they can do their job properly. And allowing them do to it without being constantly behind their shoulder.

Why some things fail comes mostly from lack of preparation, communication and just being human. Somedays we're more confident and can explain easily what we want. Other times we''re going through something in our life and don't want confrontations and let go of certain things. That's why we need to keep asking for information and listen when we're on the other side.

Other times the weather just does not cooperate. Fucking weather.👍

It's crucial that we have realistic expectations and that comes from preparation. If you're working with natural light and don't want it to look like shit, don't go out at 2pm. Go in the early morning or late in the day. Easy. But just managing that little detail is a constant struggle.

4 hours ago, Kisaha said:

Don't make this a wedding thread please. Make a new one if you need info about it.

@thebrothersthre3 it is pretty simple, if you have to do something really important, it doesn't have to be an opera, even a traditional dance group can be important, then you have to watch a rehearsal of the show/live performance or better, the prova generale, maybe you have to keep notes as well.

Pre production is part of the job description!

Yes. So many people forget or dismiss the pre-production and then lament any surprise on the job. Scouting and preparation are so important. That way you can plan for a better execution. Time of day, sun position, shitty lighting, ugly decorations, the lenses and lighting that can improve your approach. Even the aspect ratio choice can be impacted by just scouting the places you're going to film. 

Yes. Correct. 

Only the ursa models had and have the prores 444 so it doesn't surprise me and it seems totally coherent with bm record. On the lower models you have prores 422 flavors and raw. On the higher models you have several versions of prores and raw. 

Probably a distinction between models. Better versions of prores exclusive for higher models. 

Hows the 6k with the new firmware? Is it now usable? I'm curious because I like the aspect ratio of the 6k.

15 hours ago, Stab said:

Thanks. 

I find the Sigma's very sharp and clinical. They are nice for many applications, but dont really have a 'cinematic' look to me. 

The zeiss milvus could fit the bill. Do they posess the classic zeiss look? 

I never used them but heard good things. My impression is that they have the classic formula with newer coatings that improve resolution and sharpness.

Some frustrations come when you change your gear constantly and you get mixed results. If you take the time and effort to know your camera, exposure and post workflow, your luts and how much can you change your image after, you might be surprised how good an old camera can be. That's one of the reasons why professionals stick with certain gear. They get to know it and push it as they go on the next job. If you keep changing your gear, you might be surprised when it doesn't get you the results you wanted. 

You can argue about his films and whatnot but I think this director is a great example for this post:

The wedding industry would lead to a whole different conversation.😅 I find it bizarre that the weddings i've worked on, the couple never rested, was hungry and tired by the time dinner was on. Always taking pictures and doing something for the video. It's ridiculous but it has become a show for the cameras and not for the couple and family. Anyway, I think that would be best to speak of this in another topic.

I think it would be usefull to separate the several areas of filmaking and not generalize. I did a few weddings during one summer and I hated it. People are unconfortable around cameras and just want to enjoy the wedding. As for photography, people have an instant gratification and can later post the pictures on social media, so the attittude is different towards photographers.

For commercials you have to deal with the client. Most of the times you have to compromise or do what your client wants, even when you know it's shit. There's less chance of creating "your" own commercial, as you're getting paid for a specific purpose. My stuff is low budget, so the hability to do something great is more difficult. What I've gotten from it is that I don't mind to get a little less money for more time. It's less stressfull and more enjoyable. But it's not always possible.

For corporate, my experience is that I had less people watching over my shoulder but people rely a lot on interviews. There's a formula that the client wants and that's it.  Normal people don't do so well on camera under pressure. So It's always a huge amount of time for people to be able to speak full sentences for the camera. I think I would behave the same way. And then you deal with terrible lighting and ugly ass interiors.

I watch this forum for a while now and it's mostly about gear talk. That's great but it's only a small part of the conversation. Some people work on the industry and some don't. There's a lot of cynicism towards the industry and some is valid. My recommendation is for people to lose the gear addiction and think of a theme that they would like to explore. In photography or video. Some ideas don't need a lot of money. Just time and dedication.