Response to Newbie in need of advice!

The short answer is to get any miniDV camera and Adobe Premiere to originate and edit the production.

There are, however, options. For one thing, the "video look" may be very discouraging. It is almost sure to add an amateur look to your production (unless you're going for a videit look ala 'blair- witch'). On the consumer end of the spectrum look for cameras offering a proscan (progressive scan) option.

Progressive scan captures and entire "frame" of video at once (much look real film). Typically video is captured interlaced. Interlaced video arrives to the monitor in two halves. First all the odd horizontal lines, then all the even. This essentially produces a 60 frames per second (fps) display of motion. This motion is smooth and as such is the biggest indicator that you are watching video (for better or for worse).

Cameras like the Canon XL-1 and the cheaper GL-1 offer a FRAME mode which is a basically "progressive scan" video (whole frames not interlaced) at 30 FPS. There is a loss of 25% of the vertical resolution (for reasons too complex to explane) but the result is far more "filmic" than regular video. The Sony VX2000 also offers full progressive scan video but at a dismal 15 FPS; too herky-jerky for feature production (great for web video though). But it does have, in its digital effects arsenal, a FLASH feature which captures sequential stills at various durations. Adjusting this one-up-from- off will set the camera at 30 FPS non-interlaced. This has only 50% of the vertical resolution but is passable and much more "filmic" in appearence. The setting is independent of shutter speed or iris size so you can adjust the depth-of-field (very important to achieve a good cinematic look).

So the three main contenders are the Canon XL-1, GL-1, or Sony VX2000. They are all 3-CCD camera's with great pictures. From there it is a matter of budget and person preference.

I own a VX2000 and have had pretty good success with it's picture.

Otherwise you could always go Super 8mm film. I use that too. I tranfer it using my VX2000 into my computer using a home-made telecine setup. I get great results and there isn't any need to TRY and make it look like film; it is film!

I hope I've helped a little.

Thanks, R. Tate

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