Daniel Isola's Lounge Discussions

Paris, getting the Ursa is a smart business move. You have all those large monitors on both sides. You gain the confidence of producers, and they'll love you twice as much. As a "Power Shooter," sometimes you have to flex those muscles and nail the shot like a boss!

As a screenwriter/director/producer with (3) copyrighted scripts going into production, If it looks clean and sharp and clear and is excellent use of skill. Than why do I care or would anyone care what camera you're using. There is a lot of egos in this business and sometimes you have to check it at the door. Really. That guy who rejected you after liking your reel. Please! Maybe someone just pissed in his Cherrios that morning.

Sadly they are probably expecting an actual Cinematography camera. Example: Red, or black magic ursa. Its expensive and not really worth the money since cameras are updating all the time. But if you want more gigs I would suggest to start out with the mini black ursa.

They saw you had a dslr and thought their bts photos on instagram wouldn't have looked as cool.

i'm getting the ursa mini in two weeks. looking forward to it.

The cinematographer creates the image, not the camera. The choice of tool however is not the same as a painter's because film by and large is a collaboration not a solo art.

That said, there are compelling reasons to chose a camera(s) over another based on project parameters, and intelligent producers allow a seasoned DP in on that decision. There are non-compelling reasons one may have to accommodate based on economic decisions, delivery parameters, or mere tastes of those with the checkbook.

The idea that a cinematographer "is" the camera he uses or owns is widespread, and people of that mindset cannot be dissuaded as they are utterly in the dark about the craft.

Well I know few movies that were made with hand hand cameras and made it huge, That Witch project film was a low low low budget and made millionaires. I know few films made with Iphones and made it big. So the Camera has nothing to do with going on the big screen, not worry about that. It's all about the lighting lens, the camera is the bonus. Look at the Gopro camera been used in films. So I know what can't be used, I know how many films made it big, because it took years to planned, I bring this horror film for over 2 years now, So I have the picture in my head. Just don't have the money for a 4k camera at the moment, plus this film is to help raise money.

Jermaine, you're getting too hyped on one thing. Let's take the iPhone/GoPro production scenario first. Just because a few films were made with a certain type of camera and managed to be successful does not mean that should be your focus camera-wise. Those films out of how many thousands in a given 1-year period made it? 1 or 2 out of 10,000? Duplicating luck or a 1-time opportunity (like the opportunistic techniques of Blair Witch) is not a chance a savvy investor is going to take, and if you know of any who will take those chances I have a file of 2 dozen films I'd like to run by them. Be smart and stick to proven filmmaking techniques, especially in a first-time or early career film. Take the time to learn the basics – 2 years is a pittance to put into a film (22 years for When We Were Kings) – because you will need them to make a career. Along the way you will encounter opportunities to be innovative and cutting edge and you will have the skills in place to take advantage. That is a much better bet to take, not to mention a better opportunity for an investor. Let's look at hand-held. Most hand-geld footage is useless. A standard 'good' shooting ratio working with a premium camera package is 4:1; hand-held that drops to between 6:1 and 10:1 because of motion blur when you don't need blur, difficulty pulling focus while on the move, etc. to go with 8-hour shoot days turning into 14-hour shoots. It will drive up your production costs, not keep them down. Ask any DP worth having what it's like to shoot an entire feature hand-held; your camera people get worn out and you eventually get trash footage no matter how well you start out. Oh, you can just shoot fast, get good stuff and stay on schedule, but that is not likely unless you have a very experienced crew that has worked together before – that's an expensive crew. Please don't think I'm talking down here, only writing fast as I have to get ready for a Saturday night shoot. Just trying to influence you to make decisions that will make your production the best it can be for the budget you have while acquiring experience you can use on the next film. If you are making films to get rich quick or have overnight success, a Wall Street career is a better bet. But then what you do with the money you make on Wall Street will depend on the risk posed by the ventures thrust your way. Would you put your millions into a hand-held iPhone with a GoPro back-up film by a first time Director who discounts the use of a good tripod and a camera that will take a full range of cinema lenses?

The Canon Rebel line are solid cameras. Since they're 1080, it's perfect for DVD and any web distribution. Since 1080 is just a tad below 2K the footage can be bumped up which will permit theatrical distribution, projection. The important bit is to ensure you have good glass (lenses) for a crisp image. You will have a rolling shudder effect (i.e. jello'ing) if a lot of quick pans are done -- this can be corrected in Adobe (there's other programs and plug ins available). Shoot "flat" and have good lighting. Do not record the sound directly into the camera: use the camera as a back up, and record sound to a stand alone device.

Blackmagic pocket cinema camera...very filmic looking (high dynamic exposure range)...$995.00 HD 1080. You can pick many different lenses to use. Unless you have a brilliant DP with great half held skills...Forget handheld...extremely passe' now...AND BORING! Good luck! Dwight Lay

Thank You everyone, I'm asking around if anyone with a BlackMagic or 4k camera wants to help with my film.