Music Video with Bmpcc4K in CNDG and Bmmcc with old 16mm Russian Lenses

[alvaromedina]

This is a videoclip that I shot mixing the Bmpcc4k (C/Y Zeiss Primes + Speedbooster) and the Microcinema with russian 16mm Lens (Meopta Largor and Openar), both in CDNG.
 

I also use the Microcinema as an A cam with a more modern look, like in this other videoclip, shot with speedbooster and Sigma 18-35mm (car interiors) and Tokina 11-16mm (day exteriors)
 

I´m still learning and trying to get a more organic look from the Bmpcc4k. I have test the new Gen 5 (not in this videoclip) in Resolve 17 and I found it more pleasant than the Gen4 as most of users says but for now I´m still prefer the more organic texture of the old fairchild sensor.

And sorry for my english!

[kye]

Great stuff!

You are taking on a mammoth challenge by trying to match the Fairlight sensor from the Micro with the Sony sensor of the P4K.

I would suggest the differences are in colour, texture, and resolution.

To match the colour, I'd suggest building a test scene with a number of colour swatches and lighting it with a high-CRI light, then shooting the same scene with both cameras.  After that you can adjust one camera to match the other.  I'd suggest matching the WB first, the levels second, and then paying attention to the Hue of colours, the saturation of them, and the luminance of them third.  That should get you into the ballpark.

In terms of resolution, I'd suggest filming a test scene with some high-contrast edges and fine detail.  One thing I have used in the past is a few grass seeds that have been backlit as they tend to have little hairs and other textures, like this:

Once you have that scene, shoot with both cameras, match the framing between them, and ensure to stop the lens down (I'd suggest 4 stops from wide-open) to get the sharpest image hitting the sensor.

Then, in post, match the cameras by either adding sharpening to the Micro so it perceptually matches as closely as possible to the P4K, or adding a small-radius blur to the P4K, potentially adding the blur at a lower opacity than 100% (experiment with it).

Lastly, we deal with texture.

I'd suggest doing the above matching first, then leaving this one last.  Texture is a funny thing, and is very subjective, but I'd suggest experimenting with some combination of adding NR and film grain.  Maybe you don't need any NR but maybe you will.

Obviously matching the Micro to the P4K will be very different to matching the P4K to the Micro, but it's probably worthwhile doing both so you have these things worked out later on when you want to use these on real projects.

It's also worth noting that you won't be able to match these exactly, and that it won't matter.  Firstly, you won't be shooting the exact same angle with both cameras (and I'd suggest avoiding that if you can), secondly, on a real project you would probably match the cameras and then put a look over the top, which will partially obscure any differences that you didn't manage to match, and thirdly, you don't have to match cameras at all, you only have to match them so that the differences don't draw too much attention to themselves and break the viewer out of the experience of the content of your edit.

Good luck!!

[alvaromedina]

Wow, thank you very much Kye. This is a very good information and very well explained. In the first project that I mixed the Bmpcc4k with the Micro and the Old pocket in the same scene, I was really shocked  about the video-ish texture of the Bmpcc4k, and because I had a very short time in post, I couldn´t test anything to make it more filmic. This is the scene:

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/493122238

The wide shot is the Bmpcc4k (also the insert shots)

 

In the music video, I have used blur (I don´t remember which one) in the Bmpcc4k shots to get rid of the video digital look and also add grain (also to avoid Youtube banding in shadows and gradients).

All in all, I think that the Bmpcc4k is really a great camera and it can do a lot of things, and also it can look very filmic, I wonder if the Bmpcc6k worth the upgrade or maybe I should get an old Bmpc4k if I want a S35 sensor with more filmic texture than the Bmpcc4k. I will follow your tips Kye, thank you very much!

[BenEricson]

Really clean work with the BMMCC. The P4K with nice lenses in that environment is also really nice. I just followed you on Vimeo. I've seen the "Calvas y Bellas_Trailer b" trailer when searching for BMMCC footage on Vimeo. 

I'm shooting a piece right now, mixing 16mm and the bmpcc. They match really well and I can use the same set of Kern lenses on both cameras. 

Have you ever shot 16mm? You can get a K3 for really cheap. Bolex prices kind of Sky Rocket unfortunately.

[alvaromedina]

Hi Ben and thank you for watching my work! I´ve been enjoying yours right now, I liked a lot. I only have shot once in 16mm here in Spain and the workflow is not simple (there are no labs in Spain), so even I would love to try it again, I have many other preferences right now to learn and improve...and spend money, unfortunately ajaja. I just started in the DIY anamorphic world now and I want to improve my gear in this area...but in the future, I would love to shot in film with any doubts so I will start to look for those K3. Thank you again.

[Grimor]

On 5/3/2021 at 5:48 PM, alvaromedina said:

Hi Ben and thank you for watching my work! I´ve been enjoying yours right now, I liked a lot. I only have shot once in 16mm here in Spain and the workflow is not simple (there are no labs in Spain), so even I would love to try it again, I have many other preferences right now to learn and improve...and spend money, unfortunately ajaja. I just started in the DIY anamorphic world now and I want to improve my gear in this area...but in the future, I would love to shot in film with any doubts so I will start to look for those K3. Thank you again.

Eres Cordobés? Un saludo desde Málaga la bella!! 

[alvaromedina]

¿Cómo lo sabes Grimor? Mañana me voy pa Torre del Mar a quitarme una semanita del calor, jejeje.

[Grimor]

On 7/19/2021 at 12:23 AM, alvaromedina said:

¿Cómo lo sabes Grimor? Mañana me voy pa Torre del Mar a quitarme una semanita del calor, jejeje.

Pues agárrate que viene terral!! 

[pashaxxl]

wow wow wow! I liked it so much)
just a great work 😍

[alvaromedina]

Thank you pashaxxl !!!