There are things just don't say when we are in certain company. If you are with your parents you don't talk about your proclivity for wearing ladies undergarments and if I'm with one of my guy friends I never say "you know that part in The Devil Wears Prada". These are all minor foibles compared to what I am about to lay on you. If you are talking to people in the Broadcast Industry then you must steer clear of one particularly heinous acronym.
I regularly read several of the indie filmmaker websites to try to get the lowdown on what type of gear is availible in my price-range. Right now there is an inexpensive format called HDV - high definition video. This is a very efficient way to get a high definition image on a mini DV tape. Many argue it's not true HD but it looks a hell of a lot better than standard definition video.
These tapes can be purchased for $4-$10 a piece and they can record an hour of footage. the cameras are anywhere from 1500 to 12000 dollars. The one I am eying up is around the 5000 dollar range(the Canon XH A1). Everyone should be really excited, right?
Well they aren't.
Sure this technology has it's drawbacks but I've seen the images and they look great. If you see these images on a 42 inch HD plasma you will be too. For documentary it seems like a perfect fit.
But there is a problem.
Yes, in the broadcast industry you never admit you are filming your project on HDV. Why is HDV getting such a bad rap? There is Standard Definition (SD) and then there is High Definition (HD). In between these two formats HDV protrudes like a canker sore on your prom date. I wager that if you gave one of these industry types a project done on HDV they wouldn't be able to distinguish it from real HD.
Back in the 90's when I used to record bands, the recording industry hated these terms -- project studio, Home recording and four-track. If you were a proponent of those you weren't professional. Basically if you didn't spend a ton o' cash recording your album at a industry sanctioned recording facility they didn't want to have anything to do with you.
What the hell does professional mean anyway?
The thing is, in the audio and video world they have standards. Who sets up these standards? Accountants. These financial wizards are always finding creative ways to keep their bloated machine alive. The rental houses, the overpriced post production facilities...the old guard. As independent filmmakers we are in a powerful position. We can afford to shoot, edit and deliver high quality films. They don't like this because all they can control is the broadcast and distribution of your original work. These are things they should only be doing in the first place. So, when you say you are filming on a 5000 dollar camera and not a 100000 beast (that takes several people to run, rent and insure) they get scared. They feel they are being left out. Where's their peoples cut? They point out all of the drawbacks of your format and act as if theirs' is bulletproof. There is no perfect format or camera for that matter. All formats are temporary anyway, nowadays even more so.
I say employ the same technique the US Navy does: Don't ask, Don't tell. Just deliver the final cut to them in 1080i (the standard format for HDTV broadcast) so they can play it on their precious channel. Chances are they won't notice as long as it shows up on their monitors in 1080i everyone should be happy. Remember these are not technical people and most of them can't tell the difference.
Go out now and shoot your original idea (i can't stress that enough) with whatever you can get your hands on. Thankfully even the sub 5000 dollar cameras are way better than what was available for ten times that only 5 years ago.
I am a filmmaker not a film-developer or someone who lunches. I want to be actively making films not just writing proposals for overpriced TV shows that have a great chance of not getting made. That is what HDV allows me to do and what is so bad about that?
Mona and I are going to make our Rock Documentary on our puny HDV cameras...and guess what...it's gonna look great because it's who's doing it, not what you use. The thing is, the opportunity is here right now and waiting around for a better camera is a great way to avoid making a film.
For more info go to these sites
www.hdforindies.com
www.freshhdv.com
http://www.bluesky-web.com/prosumerhd.htm
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