OT - Story Telling

Very nice, Ken!

Some tech questions: what codec did he shoot in? UHD (3840x2160) or possibly RAW? I can see that the camera has a terrific sensor.
The camera's critics say it's not good in low light yet it appears to be shot entirely in available light and looks great.

Did he shoot in some log format? The image looks a bit flat. Does he plan to grade it in DaVinci or has he done all color work
in FCP X? Was this desaturated look the look he was going for or will he do more?

Re: the audio: is that a Beachtek rig he has patched into the camera. BTW, one of the little girl's first lines sounded a bit funky.
Again, the camera's critics say the audio features are inferior and suggest recording audio separately. I would love to hear what Jim did.

What monitor is mounted on top of the camera?

Finally, I would love to hear anything about the workflow and how easy it was to work with the camera's built-in recorder which utilizes removable 2.5" SSDs.

-Phil

Hi Phil
Thanks for looking at my film. I shot the film in RAW mode at 23.98 fps.
When shooting raw there are 13 stops of exposure, it does very well in low light.

I brought the raw files into Resolve and did some basic exposure work. I exported the files into ProRes HQ for FCP X.
I did some color correcting in FCP X, but I am not a colorist so some final corrections will definitely be needed.

I used a 'Sound Devices' mixpre as a pre amp for my wireless lavs. I am not an audio guy so some of the audio issues are pilot error. It works great if you know what you're doing. The audio also needs some work.

The monitor you refer to is actually an Atoms Samurai Blade recorder. I used this to record ProRes HQ so as to have back up files. it a great unit that also provides scopes and audio levels.

The workflow could not be easier. Mount the SSD card and then import directly into your Mac. It's a one step process.
Again, thank you for your interest. The Black Magic 2.5 Cinema Camera is an incredible tool but it helps to use good glass (I used Nikon primes).

Jimmy Biberi

Thanks for the info, Jimmy.

A few more questions: Were the RAW files huge? I'm assuming they were full 4K 12-bit CinemaDNG RAW at 4000x2160. How many GBs do the SSD cards hold.
In FCP X, did you transcode to ProRes HQ as part of the FCP X import process? Did you make proxy files in order to make the edit easier on your system? Did you maintain the full 4K dimensions through the edit and export or downgrade the FCP X project to 1080p?

Does the Blackmagic have XLR audio inputs?

What other formats do you plan to export to? Blu-ray, DVD?
Finally, are you planning to enter any film festivals with it?

In any case, best of luck with it,
Phil

Thank you for posting this, Ken. I really enjoyed watching the video. Well done, Jimmy!

Best wishes,

Ronny

Hi Ronny,

Considering this was Jimmy's first 'one man band' movie making experience, I was impress with what he accomplished, particularly considering he had to write, act in and direct as well as shoot and edit. Because the BM Cinema Camera 2.5 has no XLR ports and at that time did not even have audio VU meters, using both the Atoms Samurai Blade and the 'Sound Devices' Mixpre was essential.

And as you know, for us visual people, audio is a bit of a mystery (read possible nightmare) and not an easy thing to work with in post. That's why God invented 'audio engineers'.

Most importantly, what Jimmy's movie demonstrates, is that if you have a story to tell, you can tell it and tell it well.

--ken

Hi Ken,

I entirely agree. The story will always remain the essential part of any video or movie. Give people a good story to watch and they will happily forgive any little technical imperfections, in fact they will never even notice them. And this story is simple, touching and well told. A great achievement for a first movie. If you ever want to show this to a larger audience and you would like to add some advanced audio sweetening or grading to the movie, send me the FCP X project with the media and I will have our audio guys and our colorist do their magic on it. Free of charge, of course.

Best wishes,

Ronny

Hi Ronny,

What a generous offer, that would be so cool. I will let Jimmy know.

Thanks,

--ken

Phil
I shot RAW 2.5K resolution not 4K. My camera does not shoot 4K. I shot with a 480 GB card which gave me a little over an hour of shooting RAW. I imported the RAW files into my computer and brought them into resolve. I then did a minor color correction in resolve and exported the files as Prores HQ to use in FCP X. The camera does not have XLR inputs but uses 1/4 in. inputs, that's one reason for using the MixPre, it does have XLR jacks and then from the MixPre into the camera via line in.
I am deciding which festivals to send it to,
thanks
Jimmy

Congratulation, very well done.

Kent

Thanks Kent!