November 30, 2008

The Devil's Whore

Okay, so us poor VM customers can't get to see the highlight of Channel 4's autumn season, The Devil's Whore, in glorious HD - that's only for Sky customers, but it's still great looking TV even in standard definition. Being shot with HD cameras benefits everyone...or does it? Over on the site broadcastnow.co.uk director Marc Munden reveals that HD cameras aren't universally loved by the technicians:
"Munden shot in HD, albeit grudgingly. "I hate it. It can look great but it's just a pain. You're always linked to a monitor and the cameras are huge. I use a lot of zoom lenses and if you've got a zoom on an HD camera it's like a tank. I like to be free to pick up the camera and run with it," he says.
"Apart from the low budget BBC2 drama Shiny Shiny Bright New Hole In My Heart, it's the first time he has shot on HD. "It's a cost thing, 16mm film is much more expensive. I can be a bit out of control shooting stock and, if that does happen, it gets very expensive. On HD you're just using tape and it doesn't cost any money."
So HD is actually cheaper to shoot than film? Interesting. If it makes financial sense for productions then it definitely will be the media of the future, regardless of any qualms the creative folk may have.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I've enjoyed watching it. This and other things like Catastrophe is why I would be thrilled if we get C4HD early. I'm biased, C4 is one of my favourite channels and so watch anyway so a simulcast in HD is fab.

On the picture quality front I'm not surprised, Hollyoaks was always nuts picture qualitywise since it went HD. (on Sky). I think people knock C4HD as it is a simulcast but in the long slog it is the way to go.