Lately I've heard that the powers that be in Hollywood are pushing for the 5d/7d and not just for inset shots, or background plates but for principle photography.
Depending on who you talk to it's either the end of the well crafted movie or the beginning of innovation. It depends on which side of the fence your sitting on.
Nobody at the write the check level is talking about the Panasonic, but that could be because they don't know what it is, or better put they just lump all the new cameras into one brand name, the 5d.
I have the panasonic GF1 which is the same sensor as the other Panasonics and it's ok, but doesn't seem to go to high iso as well and at the write the check level, Hollywood isn't looking at these small digital cameras because of the cost of the camera, they're looking at speed, both in higher iso which allows for smaller lights, less crew, less money on set.
Still and motion photography are beginning to have parallel development and the 5d mindset has changed everything in both professions. It may not be great at anything, but it's good at almost everything. (Some would say good enough).
Also as much as dedicated videographers are not comfortable with the short dof of a 5d, the new bread of cinematographers embrace the ability to toss focus by the inch.
But there is a big difference in what a cinema style artist wants to capture vs. a videographer is usually hired to do.
The only real innovation needed with video on the camera side is the ability to autofocus with accuracy with artistic options.
Other than that I think motion cameras are begging to mimic the development of still cameras and are beginning to hit a plateau.
Not that there won't be new hardware, God there is always new hardware, but I think the most changes will come from the back end in post production.
A few years ago a full blown effects house paid in the millions for licensing of software and purchase of dedicated hardware. Today you can do a full professional suite for a hundred thousand, tomorrow it probably will be the price of an adobe cs liscense.
(BTW: a few years ago the high end effects houses in Hollywood had 24 effects directors where today they have a freelance list and three full time sales reps).
Today I don't think anyone believes you can turn on your PC and produce a full special effect, cinema quality movie from your desktop pc, but just like in stills, there was a time that nobody thought photoshop would become a $500 still effects suite that every photographer could and would own.
Regardless, changes are coming to high end motion and the roadmap to cinema has already been laid by the professional still photography industry.
Today when you look into the sound stage a a movie or episodic television set you don't see 24 people standing around waiting for their call to do their specialized craft. Now if there are 30 people on set, all 30 are working.
Don't be surprised when you hear the Cohen Brothers or Robert Rodriquez shoots a blockbuster on 4 hand held cameras and edits on an I-mac.
Maybe not today, but it's coming.
IMO
BC
