To HD or Not HD

While I have ultimatly arrived at the need for a proper shoulder camcorder, the more pressing question of what format it should record in still elludes me. While HD video is the way forward the format is still in its infancy and most people I’ve seen are trying to figure out how best to use it. SD is the established format and both recording and playback equipment are readily available and cheap.

Since I do not have many constraints – like existing equipment – to consider the decission should be an easy one. But it isn’t because I’m limited to how much money I’ve got and the small choice of available “pro-sumer” gear on the market.

Before I should get deeper into this subject I should set a few anchors:

[list]
[*]HD is new
[*]HD is expensive
[*]HD is the future standard format for film and tv
[*]There is few “prooven” equipment in the entrylevel professional sector.
[/list]

The real questions when trying to make the right choice are very subjective though:

What format is my current equipment?
If you have invested in a lot of SD gear you are looking at completely replaceing it with HD! Lenses, VTR, monitors, …

What do I want to shoot?
There’s a big difference between shooting small indie films and doing ENG or documentaries.

If you just want to do ENG or TV documentaries and make a living right now, you are probably best off buying used SD DV gear. It’s cheap, reliable and delivers outstanding broadcast quality.

If you are like me getting back after some time doing other things or just getting started, and have no pressing need to make your money back right away, you should look at HD DV.

Here’s my (current) checklist:

• Budget: around 10k EUR for everything (Mac, Cam, Tripod, Lens, Filters, Bags, Lights, Mics, Misc stuff…)
• What type?: Documentaries, shorts and small feature films
• What media?: The Internet (vBlogging, Bit Torrent and DVD)

I also need to consider that in order to get back in the saddle I need to get back on the ropes and shoot film, experiment and learn how to get my gear to do what’s inside my head. This will take time to perfect and any ideas of making money out of this “hobby” are far off.

Most people I’ve spoken to have suggested to pick up SD DV gear and get started. 10k is not a big budget by any means but seems overkill for someone who does it as a hobby and wants to produce for that flimsy evil called the Internet.

Taking that advice on board I look into the future and where I want to be in ten years time. I want to make films because I am passionate about sharing my experiences, ideas and love the idea of creating something that truely moves people. Do do that I need a lot of experience and that comes from doing stuff. I need to learn how to put my ideas in a format that other people can understand and use (i.e. Story, Script, Storyboard). I also need to understand what can be done in technical terms.

Being a firm believer that keeping things simple is best, I would like to learn how to shoot what I want without relying on post production to apply filters and other trickery, let alone 3d FX. Good old fashioned craftsmenship and a carefully set-up shot are better for the resulting end product and production budget. I never cease to be impressed what can be done with lights, colour settings and whitebalance.

My reasoning behind choosing HD is simple: If I have to learn something almost from scratch, I should learn what will be used when I’m ready for prime-time! That’s HD afterall and looking at the awful clarity of that format and miriads of new unexplored pitfalls it gives me plenty to learn and a good challenge too

Reality Check: Does my reasoning hold up to scrutiny? Are my asumptions based on real, hard facts? I hope so but I will continue to discuss this in the forums and am looking forward to hearing your experiences, thoughts and ideas.

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