Moving Still Media

The killer app for new video cameras will be low light performance and high ISO capability.

Budgets are collapsing for advertising.  They have been minimal for a long time in music videos, documentaries, and short films.  Feature film production is dividing into studio mega-blockbuster special-effects spectacles on one side, and low budget character-driven films on the other, the middle is vanishing.

As discussed previously with still photography, working on a low budget film or video means finding ways to reduce shoot days and get more done in less time. Every hour or day of production time is burning money. One of the most time consuming parts of prepping a set is typically lighting, particularly if there are more than one setups with multiple lighting transitions.  The ability to use small low-powered lighting, often mixed with ambient light, is among the most effective strategies for delivering on a tight budget.

Filmed by Divid Fincher on Red at ISO 2000

Furthermore, the ability to operate with small, lightweight lighting setups will open up high quality video production to an entirely new category of clients who never could have afforded 30 second spots in the previous environment, but need content for their website and can afford an efficient, cost effective production to create their branded content. Higher ISO, lower light shooting is helps make such productions possible.

The New Canon 1D Mark IV takes low light capabilities another two stops beyond the previous champ, the Canon 5D Mark II according to early users like Vincent Laforet who have found 6400 ISO to be very usable.  The 5D Mark II is well established as a capable 1600 ISO video camera.  Filmmakers have been willing to put up with the HDSLR’s limitations to get this low light capability at a low price.

On the higher end, Red’s new Mysterium-X sensor is getting rave reviews at boundary-pushing ISO levels by testers like OffHollywood and experts reviewing the footage like Rodney Charters, DP for the tv show 24.

The Resolve blog recently reported on young filmmakers able to shoot a short or trailer for virtually no money using the low light capabilities of the new video cameras, which they are then using to raise money through professional channels for the full feature.

And of course, even when budget is not holding you back, low light capabilites allow for shots that cannot be lit with HMI’s, like the image here of Leonardo DiCaprio lit by a match for Director David Fincher shot on the Red One camera with Mysterium-X at ISO 2000 – larger view at Red User.