Using VX2000 for a 16:9 film job

I have a customer who has hired me to shoot underwater footage with my PAL Sony VX2000 in Gates housing for a 16:9 job that will be transferred to film.

The VX2000 will not do 16:9 natively and an anamorphic lens is not an option so I reckon the options we have for achieving 16:9 are as follows:

1. Shoot 4:3 (576 lines) and crop in post production. This gives the flexibility to move the cropped area up or down for fine tuning of the composition. In this case I could mask the top and bottom of the underwater housing's monitor so I know I am composing shots correctly for a 16:9 result. Result is 432 lines of resolution.

2. Shoot 4:3 and reduce the aspect ratio ("squeeze" the height). Result is 576 lines of resolution.

3. A combination of 1 & 2. Some cropping, some "squeezing". Result is somewhere between 432 and 576 lines of resolution.

4. Shoot with the camera in 16:9 mode. This "letterboxes" the 4:3 image and gives 432 lines of resolution. One drawback is that the image on my monitor would be stretched vertically to 4:3 so it is not so easy for me to compose shots, but I can still work this way.

5. Tape the lens frame to mask the captured image. This is what the customer has suggested but would be difficult to do accurately. Result is 432 lines of resolution.

Can I ask you guys, are these options correct and which would you recommend? On previous 16:9 jobs I've just shot in regular 4:3 mode and I think the customer has just squashed the height (option2), but they may have cropped too.

Nick

Well for film out it's a little different than broadcast. You ultimately want to go to 24P for telecine.

Obviously you should reconsider using the anamorphic lens. It'll keep the most resolution natively.

Then again, quite a few films were uprezzed in post using various techniques like 5D Spark or Inferno driven techniques before telecine.

Assuming the post is handled by those guys, the easiest technique is to do a mask on photoshop and import it via a memory stick and use that at the VF. I can't remember if the VX2k allows that but I think it should. And also get a SWA lens if you can.

Take a few test shots for their post guys. Many people (including the Beeb) use the Snell/Wilcox ARC (Aspect Ratio Converter) machine via SDI. There are a few software programs much cheaper than Inferno.

As for technique, keep the shutter speed at 1/50.

Thanks very much Dru.

I'm set up for the memory mix method now but I'm recommending to the customer that I shoot 4:3 with the external monitor masked top and bottom with black insulating tape.

For film transfer would you shoot interlaced or progressive? Bear in mind my camera is PAL.

Nick

Hey Nick

Dru away for a bit so might not get your question...

Hopefully someone else can answer that...me? no clue! ..

Thanks Mike. I now hear the VX2000 shoots progressive at only 12.5 fps which would be too jerky.

Nick

Hey Nick,

Loooooong time...... we need a proper phone chat so I can tell you about the hilarious one-sided conversation (hurling of abuse) that I received from a certain European madame who runs liveaboards out here...... That's all for later.....

Anyways, just to say - my PDX10s (two of them) shoot proper native 16:9..... is it too late to be of any assistance?

Speak to you soon...

Chris

Thanks Mike. I now hear the VX2000 shoots progressive at only 12.5 fps which would be too jerky.

 

Nick

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The advice is to shoot interlaced. There is the old, capture thru firewire from the camera direct, which is progressive apparently. But you'd need a firestor device of some kind.

You also can use Magic Bullet by Red Giant software to change your interlaced footage to progressive 24 or 29 and then go from there.

Steve B)