Party Monster

[tsumake]

Hey Guys,

I'm working on a low-budget (really low budget) feature film and we've been juggling around various types of prosumer DV cameras. I'm not a fan of DV at all, but this is my first job and you work with what you got.

Have any of you guys seen "Party Monster" with Culkin? I caught a bit of it on cable tv several months ago when I was home and I was intrigued with the image, especially the color rendition. What do you guys think of the look?

I have read several technical websites, all of them lambasting the Canon XL1s. Most seem to laude the Panasonic DV100 as the most "film-like" but after seeing a student film that used the camera, I'm left non-plussed. Granted, in low-light situations it looked quite well, but anything above, I don't know, 3 stops and it's back to videoville.

From what I've gathered, it's best to shoot with less light if want a more "film-look", but then again what's the point when you're shooting digital anyway? I guess right now I'm frustrated that I have to use a digital cam instead of a nice 35mm camera. That's why the XL2 interests me: I like the look of it.

Have any of you guys seen "Party Monster" with Culkin? It was flimed on an older model , the XL1s. I caught a bit of it on cable tv several months ago when I was home and I was intrigued with the image, especially the color rendition. What do you guys think of the look?

 

[lordofduct]

hrmm... well I'll start by saying that I agree 35mm is much much MUCH better, but for cost purposes digi works good. Still expect to spend several G's on the camera if you expect anything quality enough to make something actually watchable. (well depending your look)

well I've seen Party Monster (didn't like the movie, but that doesn't matter for the topic) and the look is rather interesting. A lot of colors and they make it work on their crap tastic camera. It just takes some directing ingenuity. Like Boyle did in 28 days later, use the downfalls of the camera to your advantage! Boyle used the grainy and just down right horrible look of the "true color" on his XL1 to make a dreary look in 28 days later. In a movie like Party Monster which had a lot of color you need to work hard to make this work.

I shouldn't need to explain to deeply as you must be a movie maker and know what the fuck your doing. But stay consistant in colors. The less varied the colors the better it will look. If something has bright colors make sure everything is bright and vibrant and close together on the color spectrum. Never set a lot of purples with a lot of yellows, its gonna look crap. Also the brighter your colors you have (if your going with the Party Monster look) you need to offset it with flat whites and blacks. Where you want detail put black inside of it and surround the other areas in white.

Watch the movie and you will see what I mean. Your not only gonna use lighting but also use those two colors as a major lighting scheme.

 

[tsumake]

Thanks for the tip. You know, I never paid two cent's worth of notice with DV after I made some projects in 16mm and 35mm. Now all of a sudden my first job is working with DV! I hate the look, I hate the latitude, and I'm trying to figure out a way to make this feature look interesting.... Oh I miss celluloid.

Duct, what's your background? I stuidied 16mm and 35mm production at FAMU in Prague.

Btw Duct, I am also looking for a way to resize/rotate a video I have for a short film I'm making. Do you happen to know if there is way to do this in Avid Xpress Pro? If not, could you recommend any good progs for it? Thanks!

 

[it290]

VirtualDub will do resize/rotate.

 

[lordofduct]

Really I have no formal education. I do have formal education in photography, and a lot of experience in film. I have assisted many friends who are in school for film... Also being a huge film fanatic for the visual aspect I have spent much time picking apart films to understand why it moved me so much.

[tangent erased]

yeah, I just kinda tought myself by paying attention to what my favorite directors would do and see why it moved me so much.