Independent film production & filming advice...?

Question

My friends and myself are trying to get a film production company going (we're getting LLC soon), and the thing I'm asking about is mainly filming. And also, mainly the camera. I recently came into a little bit of money, enough for a prosumer camera. I've wanted a Canon XL-2 for almost 3 years now (since my high school film class), and I am still considering it. I was wondering about anyone's experiences with said camera, and any feedback for anything of production work. Pre- and Post- production, we have down, but we've never actually done such a project. We've run test shots with our nifty little Sony Cybershot (DSC-T1), and I feel we'll do a good job, but how about this camera? I've read all the specs (I've mainly stuck with my original decision of the XL-2 because of the versatility/adaptability and cost). Does anyone have any advice, comments, or suggestions? Thanks.

Answer 1

Hey, welcome to the filmmaking world :-)

I think any serious answer would be beyond the scope of Yahoo, so instead I'll point you to some links.

One of the best cinematography resources online is CML - the Cinematography Mailing List. This is where all the heaviest guns -veteran industy DP's and AC's - share information. For example, the link below will give you more information about the XL2 and DVX than you ever wanted to know...

rec.video.production is a good Usenet newsgroup to know, about professional production - you'll get a lot of knowledgable answers in there. See the other two linkes.

Remember that lighting and knowing how to light is what really makes a picture look good. As any experienced DP will tell you, you can make it look like crap on 16mm, and great on a DVX. Depends on how it's lit. So hopefully you're budgeting enough for basic lighting AND SOUND packages.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Man, you're lucky to have a film class. At my school, we only have a crappy radio/tv program that uses ag-dvc60's and we do nothing but study guides. Anyways, it sounds like your in almost the same position as me. My friend and I are planning to start a video/photography company to make some money, and then I'm planning to have a separate film production company on the side. However, I don't have that much money, so I'm only getting a GL2, which is a good cam, but cant measure up to the XL2. If I were you, I wouldn't get an XL2 just yet (but this is my opinion, so feel free to ignore it). Although the XL2 has an advantage over other cameras by the fact that it has interchangeable lenses, a lens will probably cost you at least $200-$300. I think since your going to be using it for filmmaking, a dvx100b will probably be better because it creates a film-look. Im guessing you already know how a film-look can improve people's first impressions of your film. Also, it is slightly cheaper than the XL2, so you can buy stuff to improve other aspects of your film, and not just picture quality. Yes, I know, you can do the film-look in post with Magic bullet or something like that, but rendering often takes hours if not days, even on a decent computer. So that's my take on it. If you agree, go out and get a dvx100b. If not, stick with your original decision and get the XL2. Either way, its not a bad decision.

Anyways, I hope this helped, and I always like meeting other filmmakers, so feel free to contact me any time at [e-mail]

Answer 3

I've made features on both the XL-2 and the DVX100. I thought the DVX gave us a better result. You should be aware that the DVX is best used with a certain mini-DV that is a little more expensive. The new Sony FX1 is also an excellent option. I recommend renting each for a day and trying them out. If you rent from a place that also sells, they may well give you a break on the rental. Spending a couple hundred to test them is worthwhile when you are looking at spending several thousand.

These are all fine cameras for making movies for yourself or the festival circuit. However, you should just know that most distributors will pass if you want to get any decent distribution. Movies shot with these cameras do not sell well in the foreign marketplace and unless they are exceptional will be overlooked domestically. Both my films (a genre horror and a relationship drama) are not selling as well as hoped and some of that is attributable to the choice of format. The festival world is much more forgiving and more focused on content. Any of these cameras is an excellent choice to learn filmaking, and to make great small films.

Having said that you may wish to consider getting a used camera from a reputable dealer. In any case, best of luck and have fun.