Creating a Professional Film with a single CCD MiniDV Cam?

Rydel · Jan 23, 2006

Has a professional film ever been shot with a single CCD MiniDV camera?

Filmosity · Jan 23, 2006

I suppose that depends on your definition of "professional." But according to my definition, to my knowledge, no, one has not been made with a one CCD camera.

BigBeaner · Jan 30, 2006

Dead Wrong.

Tarnation.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390538/

He used everything from 8mm, Super 8 film to Hi-8/DV video and all edited using iMovie. Really, it's not that big of a deal. Of course this wasn't originally set to be a professional movie but it's earned a huge profit for the $200 it cost to make it.

David Mullen ASC · Jan 31, 2006

The Dogma film "The Celebration" was made with a single-chip Sony DV camera.

Sort of depends on what you mean by "professional". That movie was made by professionals using non-professional techniques by design.

BigBeaner · Jun 1, 2006

Or this is a trick question as you said traditional film and if you want to be a stickler, this would be a professional video or you mean a feature length movie using only a one chip camera. It wouldn't be a big deal if you use the right lighting and post production you can get really great images.

Jackboyh · Jun 14, 2006

28 days later was filmed on canon XL1s

David Mullen ASC · Jun 15, 2006

But that's a 3-CCD camera...

alonerdottiearebel · Jun 29, 2006

I'm guessing the original poster meant fictional narrative as opposed to documentary.

"Tarnation" was essentially a documentary. It was made "for $200" but there are other costs that most film budgets include like food but he probably did not include... also do you include donations of time, money, camera, computers, software, etc?

It is well publicized that there were $400,000 in music and video clip royalties. Also, I believe Gus Van Sant and the distribution company paid additional fees to clean up, color correct, etc. before final release.

Still it was an impressive feat and quite an interesting film.

Gohanto · Jul 23, 2006

Collateral was shot with a one CCD camera. Although the one CCD was the same size as 35mm film so it had perfect DoF.

David Mullen ASC · Jul 23, 2006

That's incorrect. "Collateral" was shot on 2/3" 3-CCD cameras like the Thomson Viper and Sony F900, plus it was also shot in 35mm. See:
http://www.theasc.com/magazine/aug04/collateral/page1.html

And the greater-than-35mm DoF was visible in that movie.

There are only three 35mm-sized single-sensor digital cinema cameras available right now: the Panavision Genesis, the Arri D20, and the Dalsa Origin. And none of them were used on "Collateral" -- they really weren't available then for one thing, or were in an early prototype phase.

The only movies shot on a 35mm-sized single-sensor digital camera and released theatrically have been the ones using the Genesis: "Scary Movie 4", "Click", and "Superman Returns". Soon also "Flyboys" and later "Apocalypto."

Even Michael Mann's next movie, "Miami Vice", was shot on 2/3" 3-CCD cameras.