DSLR's

[mussonman]

Hi, I'm just wondering what everyone here thinks about DSLR filmmaking, as I just purchased the Canon T2i to shoot my short comedy sketches, and my independent feature when the time comes.

[mussonman]

also, anyone got any tips for it?

[wheatgrinder]

you are so behind the times.. T2i is soo last year

Search these boards for more informaiton then you can eat in a week!

Had one it works great. My advice?:
Use a tripod
Hack it
Love it
Make a movie

[fernando97echeverria]

They're incredible, versatile and if you shoot/edit right, it can even look like film.

Try to shoot at the highest resolution possible, and don't shake too much, the DSLRs suffer from the horrible Jello effect. (things bend when the camera swipes across the screen).

[mussonman]

"you are so behind the times.. T2i is soo last year "





Yeah, I'm aware that i'm behind the times... but I need to save me some money

[Zensteve]

Originally Posted by mussonman

Hi, I'm just wondering what everyone here thinks about DSLR filmmaking

mmmmm... well... anything in particular?

Like most things, it can be done well or done terribly.

Fwiw, we had a film playing at the Lake Arrowhead Film Fest recently. It was shot on a DSLR. With the exception of one film, all the other films in our short-film block were also shot on a DSLR.

Spoiler: The film that wasn't? It was shot on a iPhone.

Get a good story. Learn how to take a good image, both composition & lighting. Probably pay some attention to sound... or sumthin'. Know how to pace the edit.

Or if you can't master any of those yourself, get someone who can.

And have fun makin' movies!

[FernandoAndre]

Originally Posted by wheatgrinder

My advice?:
Use a tripod

Originally Posted by fernando97echeverria

and don't shake too much

Really do not shake this.
The shaking of a DSLR is the worst possible shake. Really ugly and troublesome, even when you try to stabilize it on a software.

Get a tripod and/or any kind of steady.

[mussonman]

i've gotta tripod, but i would also like to learn how to make either my own dolly or glide rig

[FernandoAndre]

There is a lot of DIY tutorials on Youtube. Look for a slider too.

[Steve_in_MD]

I recently purchased a T3i to get into DSLR filmmaking. I still own my Canon HV40 that I've had for two years. It's a good camera but for image quality, the T3i absolutely blows it away for about the same price. The main thing that's different about DSLR filmmaking as opposed to making films with a more traditional video camera is that it requires more attention to detail with certain things. I don't want to say it's "easier" to shoot with a video camera because obviously it takes a lot of skill and practice to make a good film with a video camera just as it takes skill and practice to create art in any medium, but with prosumer and pro camcorders you're going to have XLR inputs, so you can record audio directly with your mic to the camera as opposed to using an external recorder, which you're going to want to do with your T2i. Also, there's a lot more to learn about lenses and their uses with the DSLR's, plus the stability issues, etc. However I think learning to use the DSLR's is worth it, because it's going to give you the best image for the price.

[Ernest Worthing]

A relatively cheap tool which can help you accomplish your vision.

[Ewan]

DSLR's are fantastic for aspiring filmmakers. They're affordable and also professional, the T2i is anyway.

[fernando97echeverria]

What Ewan said. And editing only makes them look more like film

[mussonman]

I'm glad everyone seems to think highly of them... I posted on another forum what people thought of using one for an indie film and I'm not even sure most people knew that they shot video... and ARGUED with me about it...

[Sucramdoow]

I read somewhere that you should treat the camera like a big-ass feature film camera, because of the jello effect. So obviously it's best not to go overboard on panning.

Saying that though, I've only had one proper experience with a DSLR so I could be wrong. I plan to use one for an upcoming short.