fuzzynormal

Not sure how AI could do editing better than talented people, but, sure, you're right, it'll probably prove me wrong. I concede that AI right now can do automatic editing better than some people in general, but these are typically the content creators that just want to slap some shit together. The standards are lower. But, seriously, how could AI ever surpass some gal or guy that has earned wisdom (plus the context of it) and knows how to use that experience artistically? I mean, I'm in edits all the time where I'm debating the need to drop or add a single frame --or knowing when to use a flawed shot because it has more "heart" than a previous take where the camera didn't loose focus. Now, what happens when you're the creative and you're doing the artistic 'algebra' where you have to consider how various takes combine over multiple edits to create a scene... Yeah, I just wonder if it can replace that sort of vibe. Maybe.

Filmmaking will remain an art for more careful consideration. AI will be for bland content. AI will (and does) significantly help with the technical aspects of craft, but actual art is an intangible. Even if AI eventually learns how to manipulate the various elements of filmmaking into emotional "beats" --I still think it'll feel fake. That'll be good enough for non-discriminating people, but it'll remain in an emotional uncanny valley for others.

Ultimately, it's not a big deal. It's like people that are fussy about the type of wine they drink. They can understand and appreciate the nuances and subtleties -- and get incredibly particular about the flavours and details of it all. Other people simply don't care, they just like the buzz. As a filmmaker, you pour the wine you want to drink.

Art is conceit. Cinema is a altered from reality by default. Because of that, it's perfectly fine when some filmmakers decide for it to absolutely fail to be accurate in certain ways. Flaws are beautiful. They invoke an alternate reality. Some filmmakers like 48 or 60fps. So be it. I like 24fps and a 360 degree shutter. My preferences ain't wrong, they're simply mine.

This topic thread has been with us for awhile. This movie my wife and I helped make has been around for a few years too. Still, it's the holidays, and this is a "1930's" Christmas film. So, if you're interested in that sort of thing, take a peek for a half hour:

FYI, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra does not enable 10-bit recording through 3rd party apps like the mcpro24fps. Not a big deal for me, but if you're in the market, be aware. Best bet is to just ask the developer directly if the hardware you wanna use is compatible with 10-bit.

If you're gonna shittify the footage this much to achive the "film" look (which is not a criticism, I actually like doing that sort of thing myself) then you don't really have to worry about what camera it's shot on. As long as the source footage isn't a mess you'll be fine.

Yeah, from what I've seen it offers video-paths similar to the old Grass Valley switchers. Intuitive, but also deep in certain ways. Also, I like how the old half-million dollar equipment is now ridiculously cheap. Of course, who wants NTSC? but still...kinda neat. https://cutt.ly/FwEfAsoc

Just popping to to say I still have a working Video Toaster sitting in my closet. I've often thought about doing live streaming with it just for giggles. Never worth the effort, but still... Did you know they officially retired the Newtek brand as of this summer?

I used this camera for awhile and liked it as well. Some of us just want that smaller form factor I guess. Honestly, my fav cam of all time was the imperfect but really fun GX7. Man, that was 10 years ago already?

FYI, went for a used Xiaomi 12S Ultra. Will report back after using it a bit. Thanks yet again for the advice.

How about massive HMI lights to create the crazy over-exposure while shooting the light through motorizing reflective flags --which would be on some sort of a slit cylinder and forced through a big snoot? That might create a neat randomizing strobe effect? That idea might be more fun in theory than practice. I bet it would look cool though. I've also once made strobe type of effect for a cheap low-fi music vid simply by having a bunch of people turn the lights power on and off and rapidly while they were waving the light toward and away from the stage. Very organic look when you have people do it. 😉

Also, just an aside, but Xiaomi is absolutely horrible at naming their devices.

Trying to track down reputable sellers of these Chinese cameras in the US seems to lead into some scammy corners of the internet. Be that as it may, I'm still considering going all in on a The Xiaomi 12S Ultra 'cuz I'd like something to use for a long stretch before upgrades, say, 5 years or so. If I can find a cheap used Mi10 from a vendor that's not too sketchy, I might use that as a trial run and see how I like the Android side of things. Thanks for all the suggestions!

M43 @f2.8 is a nice sweet-spot DOF for me, especially on vintage lenses. Soft, but not too much out of focus, ya know?

Thanks for the heads up. Luckily, I'm not locked into any specific carrier so I can bounce to whatever is required.

My old Nikkor lens is like this. I can't take it to 1.4 without the halo'ing and chroma aberration, but that stuff is mitigated when I put it on my full frame 5D. That said, not really a fan of FF for video. It still hits me as just too weird when it's super shallow DOF.

Appreciate the insight. My tendency is to hang back behind the tech curve so it's good to hear advice supporting that.

Anyone using the Samsung S23 Ultra?

Nah, definitely looking for a phone.

Anyone know what’s best? I’m occasionally shooting supplementary doc footage with a iPhone12. It’s okay However, I’m wondering what the superior options on the market are right now. I’m platform agnostic.

I like a single prime around the "portrait" focal length. For me, that's a fast MANUAL 50mm on a 4/3rds sensor. I'm near-sighted so using the cam's display is very easy for me. That's about as simple as it gets. Camera. One lens. You want a wide shot, move away from things. Want tight, move in. The longer focal length almost always makes people look flattering and cinematic. I also like footage where focus can drift and the shooter pulls it back into focus. Feels real and organic to me. I don't want perfect, I want something that's a deeper truth than that. "Quiet" handheld is a technique I've practiced for years. Finally, another technique I use is to "dirty the frame" to add to the aesthetic. Overall that's kind of my jam anyway. I'd suggest trying it; you might like it. Less techy, more human. It's a loosey-goosey way to shoot and, personally, I do find it low stress because gear is minimal, I don't fret about anything but the shot, and it's just fun.

It's a "no excuses" filmmaking world now. Obviously the new tools basically mean that creative folks can make studio level cinema. For instance, there are super-talented colleagues in my town that have made feature films on their own with pretty much zero crew. Their latest is a wild and lovely silly movie, but it's better than most things out there and looks just as good. Literally made on 1% of a studio budget. https://www.heavenofhorror.com/reviews/the-island-of-lost-girls-2022-fantasia/

Working on a doc and my wife and I use it every now and again to grab stuff off the cuff. Works good when doing car tracking shots, for instance. We're not trying to make studio level color grades with our work, and typically we just push and pull iPhone footage by eye to get it close to our Acam and call it good. But, yeah, our standards are a bit more loosey-goosey than most, probably. Still, we're plenty happy with the results. It's not hard to get them close. At the end of the day, in my world having the shot is more important than have the correct bit depth and all that pixel-peeking stuff. It needs to exist first, then we'll worry about it.

Indeed. I couldn't even push it to 3200 without worry. Had a fast lens with a speed booster to take it as wide open as possible, but then you suffer from the glass making things soft and mushy, so the struggle was real. Always a trade off. Regardless, having small cameras for docs is default mode for me. Not a fan of demanding attention with big gear when you're trying to get intimate; still a bit amazed when I see industry folks being okay with a lot of gak on location for a documentary.