Strike, day 92; Production, day 1
Instead of picketing, I spent today in production on the short-film-slash-web-pilot, details of which I’m keeping infuriatingly mum so that there’s some tiny bit of surprise when I can start showing it to people.
Today went really, really well. We’re shooting two cameras — the HVX-200’s I was all a-twitter over before they came out — with six actors in challenging sets. It’s a very different kind of shooting than The Nines, looser and less planned, with many departments and amenities absent but (largely) unmissed.
I’m tired, but happy tired, which is a huge difference.
Tomorrow, call time is 7 a.m. We’re wrapping early to allow cast and crew to vote in the California primary elections.
Added: I got the same email all WGA members got this evening, with word of important progress but significant points still to be resolved. So don’t pop corks just yet. But that’s not to say you couldn’t stockpile a few bottles. And get email addresses for those folks you met on the picket line.
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February 4th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
John,
Will you be continuing on the picket line after wrapping your project? Good luck with your shoot.
February 4th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
My brother and I picked up an HVX-200 over the holidays. Worth every penny. Are you using P2 cards, a hard drive, or otherwise?
February 4th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
@Greg (#1):
Yup. I’ll be back on the picket line Thursday.
@Lex (#2):
We’re using four 16GB P2 cards, dumping them to a MacBook Pro (and two external hard drives) after every completed scene. Jennifer, our 1st AC, has done a lot with the HVX-200, or else we’d be screwed.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Nice to hear you’re keeping creative. I shoot with the HVX too, cool you’re into it. Great workflow! I just dump all onto a 500gb Mybook with my old G4 titanium Powerbook (has a p2 slot). For some reason I thought you were going to originally shoot w/ it for The 9ines… but after reading your notes realized you did not for conceptual reasons.
The HVX & HD is amazing at 720 & 1080. Footage has some amazing capabilities if you spend some time in color correct w/ the Da Vinci, etc. Beautiful colors & look.
Red is the next hot camera, but I’m still lovin’ the Pany w/ a firestore. The time code sync is nice too for multi-cams; guessing you guys are using that feature w/ two units.
Good on ya John
February 5th, 2008 at 5:07 am
John…
HVX200 is a very nice camera, no doubt about. Have you heard of Sony’s new solid state camera? The ~ $6,500 Sony XDCAM EX1? It shoots to SxS memory cards that are ExpressCard34 compatible. You just slap the card in the EC34 slot standard on the left side of current MacBook Pro’s and copy over. Speeds seem to be averaging 6-7x real-time copy which includes rewrapping the clips to QuickTime and storing them in Final Cut bins. Seems like a lot of people are really excited about it and there’s obviously a lot of comparisons with the HVX200 as they are in direct competition. There’s a very in depth 6 page write up over at a ProVideo Coalition that might be worth a read if you’re looking to shoot something on cameras in that price range sometime in the future. Haven’t used it myself yet, but I’ve got one rented for a shoot on the 14th and I’m excited to see it with my own two eyes. Here’s the link if you (or anyone else) is/are interested… http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/awilt/reviewsonypmwex1123cmoshd_camcorder/
February 5th, 2008 at 7:10 am
BACK YOUR FOOTAGE UP IMMEDIATELY. I just finished directing my first feature film on HD (the HVX200 with mini35 lens adapter and Zeiss Superspeeds)and the HD we had the footage stored on died during backup. There’s no chance of data recovery. We’re shooting it again (I must have done something right if the cast and crew all demanded we do it again) but yeah, filmmaking is heartbreaking.
Also, I love love love the HVX200. Best purchase I ever made… well, next to the big backup system we have NOW. sigh
February 5th, 2008 at 7:14 am
May I have quick clarification on the email sent out by the WGA? Did it say that negotiations will not continue until after this weekend, meaning the earliest possible resolution would be Feb 11?
February 5th, 2008 at 8:30 am
You can buy a portable raid array to store your stuff on. I also shoot on the HVX and for features, its good to have a DIT on set whose only job it is to manage the data.
February 5th, 2008 at 10:06 am
I’m still curious about this HVX 200… our college has a HVX 200 now, but we’re not yet allowed to shoot with it argh
February 5th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Re: ADAM
I wish I had known about that during the filming. My cinematographer had run out and bought the hard drive without much research. We were also on a hanging by a thread budget. Oof. The advantage of this is that now we have a very awesome backup system in place for the reshoot/future projects.
Sarah: why won’t they let you use it?
February 5th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Yes, the EX-1 is a great new camera, with a faster workflow and an awesome built in lens. Only negative are the CMOS sensors, which can wig out in extreme unpredictable settings (lots of strobe lights, camera flashes). Strap one of those babies to a 35mm adapter and you’re rockin’.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Glad you’re working with what you got, Mr. Auvgust! I once made a pecan pie without the use of pecans. How?? I used walnuts! Don’t tell my husband or his friend Larry though. lol
February 5th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Data Backup is the hidden cost of shooting digital. Word has it that Collateral is the first major feature film to destroy all of its B-roll based simply on the expense of storing it (an unconfirmed techie-insider rumor). With film, you get “free” long term storage. Digital shifts the expense from up-front film stock and processing costs to storage costs, but the buzz amongst techs is that HD and Film are about the same cost end-to-end, and that another hidden cost is that non-film cameras have enough bugs, sensor variances, and unexperienced operators that way more time is spent in postproduction fixing stuff than with your average film shoot.
Digital is great for shooting cheap and staying cheap. If you don’t care quite as much about final look and long term storage, digital is a cost win. To try to achieve parity with film, though, costs roughly the same. I’ve been involved with two HVX-200 shoots so far (not on camera crew, but I’ve reviewed footage, and color graded one of them). I’ll definitely do many more, but I’m not fooling myself that this stuff really looks like film, or that the data will last very long. Even with a P+S Technik adapter, Zeiss arri mount lenses, a matte box, and a Fisher dolly for the moves, the HVX-200 doesn’t quite look like film. That film looks especially good for video, but the look wasn’t as cheap as “we shot on an HVX-200″ might imply.
February 7th, 2008 at 4:57 am
@Michelle
I think it’s because we have just left our freshman status G We’re currently shooting our “reportages”. As soon as we start with the bigger production of our music videos in April or so, they’ll let us use the HVX :)
February 7th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
oh man. I’d kill if someone took away my HVX. I don’t miss college all that much. Good luck with the projects! I love shooting music videos.
February 8th, 2008 at 4:15 am
Michelle… which college did you attend? I’m attending the SAE Institute in Cologne. I think I’ll miss it a lot when I graduate.