Do you think a Canon XL1S is a little over the top for someome making their first film???

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Yes

 

Describe the project.


*Goes back into secret lair*

 

Just your typical fanfilm. I honestly am starting from scratch. First film. Never tried any of this before. It's about a half hour film. 12 to 15 actors & actresses. 5 to 8 different locations. I will have someone else do the effects. I don't know anything about it. I just heard that if I bought a camera under $800.00 bucks it wll look like a home movie.

 

In your case specifically, since you make it a point to repeatedly emphasize that you're JUST DOING THIS FOR FUN!!!!1!!!, I would say that an XL1S is probably not worth the investment.

M. Scott

 

^I agree with Michael. XL1S is more of a professional camera. Not really for "just having fun". Try your hand at a regular MiniDV camcorder from either JVC, Panasonic or Sony.

 

Here I will ask a dumb question,

I own a Canon ZR70, if I shoot a Fanfilm with this will the film quality be good enough to be hosted by TFN (granted the film and effects are good enough)

I am just asking about film quality. I read on the conditions to get hosted they only accept the highest video quality, can my ZR70 cut it?

 

"Video quality" is dictated by things other than your camcorder, directly.

For example; if the lighting is bad on a set with an XL-1, the resulting video is not favorable, or if the footage shows many interlacing artifacts, or things of that nature.

I've seen Digital8 that looked better than some minidv, just because of the effort put into the shoot and compression.

 

You are right, my test lightsaber fight was outdoors it looked real good. Other test clips I shot indoors look kinda crappy.

Well I cant afford a GL-2 or anything like that, ZR70 will have to do hopefully. Thanks

 

It is definitely for fun. I just want it to look good. Lighting, effects, sound and a million other things will all be important factors as well. Is there a camera that anyone can recommend for shooting a fan film? I looked at the GL2 but think that might be a little to much too. Maybe buying something cheaper to start with might be a better idea. This is why I'm asking the experts. Thanks everyone.

 

I would LOVE to have that camera. But for someone just starting.. it's probably a bit much.


If you wanna buy me one tho, I won't stop you.
=P

 

You got it VP. I'll send it right out. ;^)

 

I use a Trv-950, which sells for about 1600.

It's pretty good for it's size, In hindsight, sometimes I wish I had saved up and gotten a GL2 or XL-1, but I find that the smaller size of the Trv 950 is advantageous for my model shots.

The 950 is supposed to have a higher effective video resolution, but I'm not so sure.

There's a couple features that you'll probably want if you go with a cheaper model though, like a mic jack so you can get a shotgun mic on there.

Other than that, I don't think there's a whole lot of difference in minidv cameras. (who cares about onboard effects anyway....)

 

By the time you compress for the internet, much of the superior image quality that an XL1 offers will be squashed out of existance.

Yes, the XL1, even in full-auto mode, will produce a cleaner overall image. Truthfully, though, the incremental improvement vs a sub-$1000 home camera is a minor factor in overall fan-film quality when you consider the entire package which includes, story, screenplay, acting, sets, costumes, effects, AUDIO (!!!).

Get a good miniDV camera, (a Canon ZR model should be fine), and add a shotgun mic like an Azden SMG-1X. Practice and learn (I mean REALLY practice. Shoot an hour or two of reall video per week) for a month or two in lots of shooting situations to fully understand what the best settings are.

Practice with proper lighting in front of the camera.
Learn the difference between what you THINK you see on set in front of the camera, vs what is actually captured to tape. Learning to shoot really well on a ZR is going to make you a better shooter in general and develop skills that are useful with any camera.

Personally, my fan film was shot on a ZR25. It's still in post production 3 years later, but the results were good enough to land me paying video work that ended up covering the cost of all my fan film video gear and software put together. A year later I'd saved enough to buy a GL2 with cash.

Get a camera you can afford.
Get a mic.
Get shooting.
Have fun.

 

Thanks again Nick. I think I'll go something cheaper then. I do need practice. I'll film a bunch of stuff and let you know how it turns out.
Nick, do you have anything available from your film yet? Any teasers or trailers yet?

 

On this subject, sortof. I picked up a VHS camera the other day at a garage sale for $5. It has manual everything, a wide range of different shutter speeds, and even can shoot at more than one framerate. Hurray! It's going to be a GREAT practice camera.

 

Or duct taping to the front of a motorcycle!

 

Nick, do you have anything available from your film yet?
Just what's on the site for now. (click the Hidden Phantom button on my JushHome site.)

The About section as a few clips burried in it.
There's been so much non-fanfilm stuff going on this year, I really haven't had much time to work on it lately. I've been trying to find time to put Scene 1 together for something of a Prologue release, but even that is a couple months away right now.

Thanks for asking.
Have fun.