Head Trauma cont'd.
by Noni Jones
(...continued
from previous page)
Post Production
The post
production on the film was done really well. The subtle layered
images and tricky editing were nicely paced. The key was that it
wasn’t OVERDONE. There were a few after-effects-like tricks up their
sleeves that lead you to believe the post team could’ve taken it a
lot further in terms of trendy scary/eye candy effects, but they
were wise enough to know that they didn’t have to. Kudos!
According to
Weiler, most of the shooting with the DVX100 was done with his DP
(Sam Levy) using natural light, practical bulbs and Chinese lanterns
all with no actual lights exceeding 1k. Because they were at the
mercy of the sun’s position, they were limited to specific shooting
times in certain rooms. But surprisingly, the DVX 100took really
well to the natural lighting and sometimes I actually forgot I was
watching a DVX-made movie!
In terms of
pixelation which is always an issue with DVX100 films, the overall
clarity came out very good – considering that he shot the film in
24P standard mode and not 24PA. Weiler says that at the time he shot
the movie, there was no editing program that supported the advanced
pulldown removal upon capturing (ie. Final Cut Pro 4.5). It wasn’t
until he got halfway through production that FCP 4.5 made its debut.
Technology claims another victim again!
All in all, Head
Trauma proves to still be lucrative while holding its own within the
independent movie production market - raking in more than the cost
of its production through self distribution in national and global
markets. Not bad for the little camera that could!
Let’s recap:
Title:
Head Trauma
Director:
Lance Weiler (remember to do a search on his first feature…”The Last
Broadcast”…real interesting stuff.)
Writer:
Brian Majeska and Lance Weiler
Lead Actors:
Vince Mola (the low-budget Paul Giamatti) and Julian Thompson
Budget:
$70,000. Yikes.
Camera:
Panasonic DVX100 and DVX100A. Both shot in 24p standard 2:3 or 3:2
in camera pull down.
Overall Score:
6 out of 10 mini-dv tapes. Good story, Great budget, Good actors,
and a cool car explosion!! It’s definitely one for your Netflix
list!
Don’t forget to
stay updated with all our Panasonic DVX100 movie updates. It’s a
great way to experience the finished products of semi-big budget
indies shot on the DVX 100 and see how far the bigger budgeters can
push the DVX mini-dv cameras.
Do
YOU have a cheap, low budget, do-it-yourself DVX100 tip or trick that
you'd like to contribute?
If so, just email it to
us and we'll post it up!
Thanks
for helping the grass roots grow!
