You Don't Need A New Camera

[Andrew Reid]

What is wrong with the artistic appreciation of a camera and an image exactly guys?!

[Andrew Reid]

And what is wrong with discovery and learning?

so glad I discovered anamorphic early enough to get hold of the gems

[fuzzynormal]

What is wrong with the artistic appreciation of a camera and an image exactly guys?!

​Nada.  But for me, because of what I do and what I'm striving for, I'm not going to make acquiring the technically best camera and image a top priority.  It feels like a distraction from other ambitions.

[mercer]

I think the point of this post is very simple... It is very easy to get sucked into the next best thing, especially during this digital revolution but there are cheap cameras available to the masses that are more than capable, tech-wise, to make a great film. A good filmmaker can make a great movie on a low end camera, and a bad filmmaker can make a bad movie on an Alexa. 

[fuzzynormal]

The majority here just occasionally checks if there are any new technical developments they should be aware of and then return to their creative work

Smart productive people!  I need to get to that place.  ​

[mtheory]

This is related to the film making tangent going on in the motion cadence thread.

I like new cameras.  I own way too many of them.  But, I also like to remind myself that the camera doesn't really matter all that much.  We can accomplish more by worrying about the storytelling craft rather than the technical craft.  And I really enjoy the technical craft, but it's not expression.  It's engineering.  Sure there's certain creativity there, but I'm now trying to be more of the architect.  (not succeeding yet, but trying)  

As indy film makers I believe too many of us strive for technical achievement at the expense of the other ingredients.  This website is aimed squarely at jack-of-all-trade sorts of people, but ironically focuses it's editorial content mostly at gear.  Not a bad thing, mind you, it is what it is for practical reasons.

Still, many new film makers don’t need motion picture cameras at all.  This is a cool evolution of the craft that is happening more and more as we move deeper into the digital era.  Some directors are so creative and inventive all it takes is their imagination —and a lot of time locked away in their bedroom in front of a computer.  Well, okay, the camera is a requirement for some of the work, but it’s not the priority.

Has anyone been following the film making career of Don Hertzfeldt?  His films are gems of emotional existential storytelling.  Hardly any of his techniques rely on fancy camera gear.  Rather, using lush soundscapes and crudely drawn stick figures the guy is able to make narratives that are completely engaging.  It’s decidedly low-fi film production, but by no means does it lack in sophistication.  Quite the opposite.

On the other end of the spectrum are technical achievements such as Erik Wernquist’s “Wanderers”

It’s a CGI masterpiece.  By Hollywood standards it’s not CGI that’s an overwhelming violent spectacle, but it’s spectacular for so many other reasons.  His images, familiar narration (a famous scientist), and storytelling prowess, combine to create awe and inspiration.  Images used to create his short were mostly from NASA.  With a large dose of patience at the seat of his 3D software he’s created an extremely memorable film.

These are just two examples that I’ve been impressed with over the past few years, but many many more are out there.

When it comes to films wherein the motion picture camera is not the primary tool what are some of your favorites?

It's such an exciting era of film making!

​

Fuzzy, you need to understand that unlike technical skills, creativity cannot be taught. ( Though I believe it can be nurtured by parents/teachers by not getting in its way ). This website helps those who already have the artistic part figured out and need to find the best tool to express it cinematically. Creativity itself comes from inspiration and life and imagination...you are disappointed because you expect a tutorial on how be creative. Sorry, kid, this part is fully your responsibility...maybe instead of pointing fingers and finding faults in others you should take a good close look at the mirror and ask yourself if perhaps that person is to blame for the emptiness and disappointment that you feel. Go out an experience life more deeply, you will eventually realize that YOU will have all the answers. 

[Axel]

​Creativity itself comes from inspiration and life and imagination...you are disappointed because you expect a tutorial on how be creative. Sorry, kid, this part is fully your responsibility...maybe instead of pointing fingers and finding faults in others you should take a good close look at the mirror and ask yourself if perhaps that person is to blame for the emptiness and disappointment that you feel. Go out an experience life more deeply, you will eventually realize that YOU will have all the answers. 

​Two things. First of all, you are right. Then, just like in my 'being careful'-thread, your tone seems to me somewhat patronizing, if not self-righteous. In the Adobe thread in your conversation with Mercer, I suspected my untrained english ear (excuse the awkward idioms). 

If I got fuzzynormals point, I am in a similar situation. It became clear to me recently that my time is too limited to live a family life, meet friends, go to work (not film-related), follow my creative plans and discuss gear in minute detail. The latter clearly is procrastination to a high degree (again, obviously not for everyone who reads this, so don't feel addressed).

That's coming out, confessing, debating a personal concern with others who might (or not) share the problem. It was no request for a sanctimonious and simplified answer. So please don't offer more of those platitudes. Nobody expects a tutorial how to be creative, and certainly nobody wants to hear The Secret of how to experience life more deeply.

Other than that, you are right. It's only my problem if I act like a consumer, if I spend my precious time with calculating future gear purchases and what I then could do with them.

[anchoricex]

Kendy Ty is an excellent example of shooting on a 200-300 dollar camera with a 200-300 dollar lens and getting the job done well. He is clearly focused on the end result and does what he needs to do to get there using the few tools he has, akin to a sketch artist using nothing but a pencil or ballpoint pen. It's been covered many times on this site that chasing equipment will often hinder your ability to focus on the art of it all, and Andrew has quite a handful of blog posts that touch on the humility of this all. With that said, it's still exciting and important to embrace and use new tech when available, I see nothing wrong with it so as long as everyone stresses the importance of actually shooting and making things.

[fuzzynormal]

Sorry, kid, this part is fully your responsibility...maybe instead of pointing fingers and finding faults in others you should take a good close look at the mirror and ask yourself if perhaps that person is to blame for the emptiness and disappointment that you feel.

Well, I've been qualifying my post with some existential dilemma​, so that's pretty much spot on; except for the kid part.  I wish that were true.  

[Andrew Reid]

What the hell is with all the existential dilemmas and de-motivational posting, that's what I want to know.

[Andrew Reid]

Kendy Ty is an excellent example of shooting on a 200-300 dollar camera with a 200-300 dollar lens and getting the job done well. He is clearly focused on the end result and does what he needs to do to get there using the few tools he has...

​Kendy Ty is a professional who shoots Alexa. The 550D was a side project, simple and small.

[Liam]

There's a weird way to be obsessed with gear. It's true. Sometimes you do actually need more than you have. Find a balance.

[mtheory]

Well, I've been qualifying my post with some existential dilemma​, so that's pretty much spot on; except for the kid part.  I wish that were true.  

​Haha. 

​Two things. First of all, you are right. Then, just like in my 'being careful'-thread, your tone seems to me somewhat patronizing, if not self-righteous. In the Adobe thread in your conversation with Mercer, I suspected my untrained english ear (excuse the awkward idioms). 

If I got fuzzynormals point, I am in a similar situation. It became clear to me recently that my time is too limited to live a family life, meet friends, go to work (not film-related), follow my creative plans and discuss gear in minute detail. The latter clearly is procrastination to a high degree (again, obviously not for everyone who reads this, so don't feel addressed).

That's coming out, confessing, debating a personal concern with others who might (or not) share the problem. It was no request for a sanctimonious and simplified answer. So please don't offer more of those platitudes. Nobody expects a tutorial how to be creative, and certainly nobody wants to hear The Secret of how to experience life more deeply.

Other than that, you are right. It's only my problem if I act like a consumer, if I spend my precious time with calculating future gear purchases and what I then could do with them.​

And I find your tone somewhat entitled, if not self-pitying. I've never found victimhood comfortable or noble, and when someone delivers a dose of sobering criticism to me, I am humbled but grateful if I agree with it deep in my heart. Im noticing that some members on the forum are (ab)using this forum for personal psychotherapy, channeling their personal emotional and political grievances into rather straightforward discussions, it's sort of strange to me, though it's not what irritates me.

What irritates me is how casually this very site and its owner gets bashed, and it's happening more often now...perhaps, in the midst of all the self-pity and victimhood you guys should consider that your own comments might be quite hurtful and abusive towards the person who single-handedly runs this site and who is decent enough not to cram 50 banners down your eyeballs because he is trying to maintain honesty without conflict of interest?

I've seen a great forum like cinema5D ruined by a bunch of hacks who couldn't wait to sell out, and I don't want to see this one fail the day Andrew gets enough of this negativity and decides it isn't worth it. I don't know how it doesn't get to him, because it's starting to get to me. I'm being dead serious here, please pause to consider this : your words have impact...when you bring your pain here it creates a toxic environment...no need to hijack a thread about ML raw and turn it into bash-EOSHD fest...no need to turn your personal creative crisis into bash-EOSHD fest..remember, creatives CREATE, not destroy...let's detox the forum with less negative posts and less drama from now on please. 

End of rant, this was more of general address than specifically at you Axel.

We need more of this:

 

We don't need, don't need, no haters
Just try to love one another
We just want y'all have a good time
No more drama in your life
Work real hard to make a dime
If you got beef, your problem, not mine
Leave all that BS outside
We're gonna celebrate all night
Let's have fun, tonight, no fights
Turn the Dre track way up high
Making you dance all night and I
Got some real heat for ya this time
Doesn't matter if you're white or black
Let's get crunk cause Mary's back

 

[Ed_David]

​

Fuzzy, you need to understand that unlike technical skills, creativity cannot be taught. ( Though I believe it can be nurtured by parents/teachers by not getting in its way ). This website helps those who already have the artistic part figured out and need to find the best tool to express it cinematically. Creativity itself comes from inspiration and life and imagination...you are disappointed because you expect a tutorial on how be creative. Sorry, kid, this part is fully your responsibility...maybe instead of pointing fingers and finding faults in others you should take a good close look at the mirror and ask yourself if perhaps that person is to blame for the emptiness and disappointment that you feel. Go out an experience life more deeply, you will eventually realize that YOU will have all the answers. 

Creativity caN be taught. Its called riffing in jazz. Boogie nights riffed off the opening of i am cuba. People can talk about creative rigs etc or mood or color or editing. Just not always about camera ghdhdhsud4 or rumors. Thats what i think fuzz was sayin

[Ed_David]

 

​Haha. 

And I find your tone somewhat entitled, if not self-pitying. I've never found victimhood comfortable or noble, and when someone delivers a dose of sobering criticism to me, I am humbled but grateful if I agree with it deep in my heart. Im noticing that some members on the forum are (ab)using this forum for personal psychotherapy, channeling their personal emotional and political grievances into rather straightforward discussions, it's sort of strange to me, though it's not what irritates me.

What irritates me is how casually this very site and its owner gets bashed, and it's happening more often now...perhaps, in the midst of all the self-pity and victimhood you guys should consider that your own comments might be quite hurtful and abusive towards the person who single-handedly runs this site and who is decent enough not to cram 50 banners down your eyeballs because he is trying to maintain honesty without conflict of interest?

I've seen a great forum like cinema5D ruined by a bunch of hacks who couldn't wait to sell out, and I don't want to see this one fail the day Andrew gets enough of this negativity and decides it isn't worth it. I don't know how it doesn't get to him, because it's starting to get to me. I'm being dead serious here, please pause to consider this : your words have impact...when you bring your pain here it creates a toxic environment...no need to hijack a thread about ML raw and turn it into bash-EOSHD fest...no need to turn your personal creative crisis into bash-EOSHD fest..remember, creatives CREATE, not destroy...let's detox the forum with less negative posts and less drama from now on please. 

End of rant, this was more of general address than specifically at you Axel.

We need more of this:

 

We don't need, don't need, no haters
Just try to love one another
We just want y'all have a good time
No more drama in your life
Work real hard to make a dime
If you got beef, your problem, not mine
Leave all that BS outside
We're gonna celebrate all night
Let's have fun, tonight, no fights
Turn the Dre track way up high
Making you dance all night and I
Got some real heat for ya this time
Doesn't matter if you're white or black
Let's get crunk cause Mary's back

 

dude calm down moderator.

Go out and experience life.

[Axel]

 

 No it isn't. Aimed at artists. 

That's why all the content-is-king threads never had a long lifespan.  Why should an artist talk about his motivation, when film is his medium? Actions speak louder than words.

We should really not even treat each other like this

(...)

No need to attack Andrew or the others, I'll do the job.

I don't see where Fuzzy or I attacked anyone. I also can't see why this should be a de-motivational behavior. The cap doesn't fit? Don't wear it. 

There's a weird way to be obsessed with gear. It's true. Sometimes you do actually need more than you have. Find a balance.

​Isn't that the point? Finding a balance? The serenity to accept the things I cannot change (time, money, experience), the courage to change the things I can change (making full use of what I have, which isn't little)?

Im noticing that some members on the forum are (ab)using this forum for personal psychotherapy, channeling their personal emotional and political grievances into rather straightforward discussions, it's sort of strange to me, though it's not what irritates me.

What irritates me is how casually this very site and its owner gets bashed, and it's happening more often now...perhaps, in the midst of all the self-pity and victimhood you guys should consider that your own comments might be quite hurtful and abusive towards the person who single-handedly runs this site (...)?

I apologize for having abused this forum for personal psychotherapy, for openly wallowing in self-pity and for bashing anyone who might feel bashed. I just don't know what you are talking about.

[sanveer]

Why are posts like these, and discussions like this even allowed on this Forum Andrew. I thought Admins had been appointed to helping sort things out. 

 

Could you please remove all the PMSing people and people suffering from ED here? We could do with some constructive discussions, rather allowing for whining and negativity.

 

Thank you.  

[Ed_David]

Why are posts like these, and discussions like this even allowed on this Forum Andrew. I thought Admins had been appointed to helping sort things out. 

 

Could you please remove all the PMSing people and people suffering from ED here? We could do with some constructive discussions, rather allowing for whining and negativity.

 

Thank you.  

Running a board aint easy. Its like hosting a party. But at a certain point you gotta just let the discussions go. Thats the irony. If you dont people start to think the board is being unfair then the leave. Its gotta be tought because andrew and mtheory are emotional like the rest of us.

and it gets heated because people can say the darnest things and not see the reactions it causes. Good old online interactions amongst strangers.

[Taranis]

 

What irritates me is how casually this very site and its owner gets bashed, and it's happening more often now...perhaps, in the midst of all the self-pity and victimhood you guys should consider that your own comments might be quite hurtful and abusive towards the person who single-handedly runs this site and who is decent enough not to cram 50 banners down your eyeballs because he is trying to maintain honesty without conflict of interest?

Everything happens for a reason. If the owner gets bashed, there's a reason for that too. In the end he is a person just like the rest of us, regardless of what he does for the community.

[Cinegain]

While it may be Andrew's site with his articles on the frontpage/blog, the rest of the threads on the forum its content is decided by the userbase mostly.

So... if you're coming across a lot of tech stuff, that's mainly because that is what the userbase is into. That doesn't mean it's just a place for techies. The content on the forum isn't dictated by Andrew. I see it as an open platform where you decide what's the topic of the day. So if you feel like there's too little stuff going on in the artistic/creative direction, blame yourself, it's up to you to do something about it.

Although I prefer when it's actually about something fresh and useful that benefits and motivates everyone, rather than the old flamewar debate that the best camera is the one you have with you, that you can enter a festival with something shot on an iPhone, that Kendy does great things with the T2i and that content is king. Yeah yeah, we've been over that before, heard it a thousand times, we even agree, we know. But imho there's nothing wrong with discussing the tools that make filmmaking possible. Cameras, lenses, lights, mics/recorders, monitors, stabilizers, et cetera. You can go full nerdgasm on any of these things by the way, not just camera bodies. But the way I see it most just want to explore new territories and open up new creative possibilities that allow them to create what they have envisioned. Nothing wrong with that. And in the end we all choose our own paths. You choose yours, let others choose theirs. Maybe you're oozing creativity and ideas, but are limited by the execution of things. New gear can enable you to move forward, to take it to the next level. Of course if you haven't even unlocked the full potential of your current gear, it's questionable if you really need that new bright shiny toy. But hey, as long as they don't ruin themselves financially, let them buy that RED Weapon Dragon or whatever and let 'em find out the hard way that it takes more then just buying stuff, right?

Anyways. To end on a cool note, I like to share a video I came across the other day...