Filming Video

At the time of this famous quote, the French filmmaker was trying to illustrate the differences between his films and those of Hollywood. Godard was also commenting on the power of the psychological effect of the stroboscopic phenomena of 24 frames-per-second on the human brain. This quote, and the hold this film speed has on audiences, is clearly not lost on video camera manufacturers as many are offering cameras in standard and high-definition in 24P (progressive) as well as gamma and scene settings which offer a film look.
24P is quickly becoming the tool of choice for productions planning on transferring the video signal to film, or "film-out". It is for this reason that the concept of progressive, instead of interlaced, scanning was designed to mimic a film camera's frame-by-frame image capture. As a by-product of this, film/videomakers became interested in 24P even if their projects were not planning to film-out because of the cinematic "look" that 24P gave them.
Sony introduced 24P HD into the language of filmmakers four years ago with the CineAlta HDW-F900 camera. Boston Camera Rental Company was the first rental house in New England to feature the 900 in its inventory; its first job was the USA/Scout Films feature SESSION 9 starring David Caruso.
The camera's format is 1080i (vertical) by 1920 (horizontal) and is capable of shooting 24P, 25P, 30P, 29.97P, 23.98P or interlace formats (60i, 59.94i). HDCAM, the tape format the camera records, is attractive to producers because of its versatility. The camera can deliver a video signal that is ready for film transfer or down-conversion to Standard-Definition (SDTV) in NTSC or PAL for broadcast. In addition, the camera is native 16:9, an aspect ratio which networks are increasingly demanding new content be composed in for broadcast.
Not to be outdone by their competitor, Panasonic offered their own HD camera two years ago, the AJ-HDC27F, commonly known as the Varicam. This DVC-PRO HD format camera distinguishes itself as being capable of shooting variable frame rates (4-60fps). This ability used to be singularly the province of film cameras and in order to achieve fast or slow-motion effects in video the tape speed had to be altered in post-production. The Varicam's scanning format is 720P (vertical) by 1280 (horizontal) and continually shoots at 60 fps. When the user selects to shoot at other frame rates the frames are "flagged" in the camera's meta-data which are then extracted using Panasonic's Frame Rate Converter (FRC) to be viewed in real time. Shooting at a conventional speed like 24 fps does not necessitate (with the exception of film-outs) using the FRC, only a Panasonic DVCPRO HD VTR is needed.
In addition to variable frame rates the film-like quality of the camera extends to it's circuitry. The camera has two gamma files that closely mimic the tonal range--also known as a film's characteristic curve--of film as well as a gamma setting for video recording. The film settings extend the camera's ability to reproduce a wide array of colors in addition to gradations of light where other video cameras may not be capable.
Prior to two years ago 24P was only the domain of High-Definition video through these two cameras. Since then, Standard-Definiton, and even Mini-DV cameras are now 24P capable.
The Panasonic AG-DVX-100 is a three 1/3" CCD mini-DV camera that stands out in the DV crowd because of it's ability to scan progressively or interlaced (24P, 24PA, 30P, 60i). It is priced competitively with the XL1s, features one of the widest lenses (10x4.5) and has 2 XLR inputs for sound recording with professional-style microphones. The progressive formats are performed in-camera and 480 interlaced lines (traditional NTSC) is what is recorded on tape so there is no extra equipment needed to post.
Panasonic's latest video camera is the AJ-SDX900P. It is a three 2/3" CCD camera that is also capable of both progressive or interlaced scanning (24P, 24PA, 30P, 60i). The tape format is switchable from DVCPRO-50 to DVCPRO. The 50 Mbps format will yield a better picture though the user can get twice as much footage out of the tape at 25Mbps than they would at 50. The SDX-900 is also capable of shooting either 16:9 or 4:3 and has such options as a pre-record board, where up to 15 seconds of footage is stored in a memory buffer until the user pushes record, and a GPS locator, ideal for wildlife, news or military applications.
Just having the progressive look is one aspect in making video look more like film. There are many tools available to the filmmaker in the look department in an effort to make standard or high-definition video look more like film. Some of these tools have patents that are only slightly younger than the first motion-picture camera itself and some whose ink is still wet. In the constantly evolving arena of production equipment the digital video revolution has inspired many innovations.
Any cinematographer will tell you that a chief concern when putting a camera package together is the lens. It is through the video lens that we see the filmmakers' vision realized and therefore lens choice can be the most important decision. Before high-definition, lens choice was generally limited to zooms because video formats were the workhorses of electronic news gathering , or ENG. The reason for this is largely because of the variable focal length the zoom brought. ENG style zooms feature a servo motor controlling the zoom through a rocker switch on the ergonomic handgrip, an iris motor for auto-exposure and a built in 2X, or doubler, to extend it's effective range.
Prior to HD there was little reason to consider another way of shooting. Now more network television shows, feature films and productions of every shape and size are going digital and their shooters are demanding more "film-style" lenses.
Fujinon introduced some of the first HD prime lenses and was quickly followed up with versions from Canon, Angenieux and Zeiss. Prime lenses are fixed focal length optics and are typically faster than zooms. This means they have a lower effective T-stop and are capable of shooting in darker lighting conditions. In addition, shooters have always been looking for ways to reduce the depth-of-field in video formats to mimic film; using primes one is able to "open up" the lens, or shoot a wider aperture or F-stop in order to lower the depth-of-field.
HD prime lenses are popular with camera assistants as well because of their cine-style lens markings and upwards of 300 degrees of angular rotation. ENG style lenses have markings that are parallel with the lens barrel and have 90 to 100 degrees of angular rotation which some focus-pullers find difficult to work with.
Filmmakers are not only limited to using lenses that have been designed for video cameras. P+S Technik manufactures the Pro-35 adapter for use with 2/3" chip video cameras (standard or high-definition) that allows the user to mount lenses designed for motion-picture cameras. The driving force behind this invention was not only to take advantage of high-quality film primes and zooms but also an effort to reduce depth-of-field thus mimicking film. Within the Pro-35 is a spinning screen, or ground-glass, like the screen in film camera's viewing system. The image created by the lens on the screen is what the camera is recording and spins at a speed so that the screen itself is not visible.
These are all tools and techniques that aim to put a film quality onto videotape. It does not stop at these as a full list could extend well beyond Imagine's pages. This column does not address post-production techniques nor does it address the contributions a professional camera assistant, production designer and lighting designer can make to a video production. Making films does not necessitate physically shooting film but taking the best ideas, personnel and equipment from it.

Timothy Coughlan is a Senior Technician at Boston Camera Rental Company. He is a 1998 Emerson College graduate and has received extensive training with Arriflex technicians. Tim teaches part-time for BFVF’s 16mm Production and Professional Movie Camera classes.