Canon 5D Mark II used to shoot entire House season finale, director says it's 'the future'
By Vlad Savov 
posted April 13th 2010 8:02AM
posted April 13th 2010 8:02AM
[Thanks, Ben K]
posted April 13th 2010 8:02AM
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I love this camera. If only if i can shot videos as great as some i see online. but i'm just a novice when it comes to shooting videos.
The camera does a great job with the shallow depth of field but i'd have to ask why the change. Does anyone know what cameras they were using before? I can't imagine dumping the studio cams for the 5d. It's unbelievable video for 3 grand but not better than most studio cams
@dswatson83 I wanted to find the Twitter link so I can ask that very question. I would have to say though, they most likely either use a P2 or an XDCam. They seem to be the most popular HD studio cams these days from what I can tell.
@dswatson83
It's probably an experiment. And I think a studio camera is a lot heavier, so a 5D Mark II would allow for some harder shots with less expense of rigging support for the studio camera.
Of course, it's only going to shoot 1080p, so this thing will never be used for movies.
@LordHelmut
On the linked Philipp Bloom Blog, Phillip says:
"Don’t forget…this is a show that has been shot on 35mm film until now…this is a bloody big deal!"
Isn't that uncomfortable for handling?
@Atkins That's what she....nah too easy.
@Atkins
Not after the camera is fitted with a shitload of accessories (Matte box, view finder/ext. monitor, follow focus, big ass base plate, etc....). By the time everything is rigged up, it actually does look like a real camera. The camera body is the cheapest part.
Check this out:
http://ic2.pbase.com/o2/03/24503/1/112547204.oVil5Wjg.Precisionshooter_762.jpg
@joe23521
Wow, it still works out to be expensive (for the common consumer) if they want to get the same quality.
@joe23521 Wow, just checked the picture. So basically it's a videocamera without the case?
In some ways I am loving the fact that top quality video production is now within the grasp of just about anyone however conversly, it is now making it harder that don't have the hip pocket or people in the know as there is now sooo much of it online now. Are the only creative types to break through are those with a clever gimmick?
Again with the Last Supper theme. This is really getting old. It was a novelty with BSG, Lost, and intro to the Watchmen but they're beating a dead horse now.
@jabber yes but at least they did something that fits the show and not just folks at a table
Why is Cuddy handing House the scalpel blade first?
@jveteran That's why she's an administrator instead of a practicing doctor :)
No Olivia Wilde, no care.
Compressed HD in the wrong form factor is the future? I hope not.
Does this mean we need to pay less for TV shows?
@lecti
You pay for tv shows?
@hankpalan Cable?
Camera aside, it sucks there are that few episodes left. And yeah....Forman and Taub trippin in the basement was crazy!
"How did you manage to stabilize the camera in tight spaces? Any special kind of brackets?"
GY: no. mostly gave it a hand held feel. or on a small tripod"mostly gave it a hand held feel. or on a small tripod"
Wow, I can't believe the director of one of the most successful TV series never heard of Zacuto....
@HackxBox
Zacuto products look as cheesy as they are engineered. Check out www.cinevate.com for excellent engineering and form factor.
Whats even cooler is the fact that you can buy a rebel T2i for $800 that has the EXACT same quality video processor and lens selection. I wants it!
@Bhima The t2i has a crop sensor and different video processors. You can get away with much higher ISO and a much bigger DOF with the 5D. I own both.
I'm a bit surprised. The 5D2 can only record 14 mins at a time and also the sound inputs aren't high enough quality for pro use. So you have to record like film, short sections and separate sync sound. That's expensive, and if you can afford to do that you can afford even better equipment than the 5D2.
@spin cycle you don't really have any idea how TV/films are made do you?
i doubt they'll ever continuously film for up to 14 minutes. and traditional cameras are rarely ever relied upon for sound anyway. they likely still have their sound people with their boom mics off camera.
@spin cycle According to Cali Lewis House is usually shot on 35mm film cameras (she was on set during this shoot). Also when have you seen a 14 minute long take on House? I can't even remember one that goes for a minute.
Big TV shows aren't really cheap to produce... according to IMDb DS9 took between 2 and 4 million dollars per episode, and that was in the 90s. Desperate Housewives is supposed to cost 2 million per episode. So yes, I think they do record the audio separately (wouldn't be too surprised if they do ADR too).
Now this reality TV BS may be recorded on video cameras with their built in mics and with long takes, but they look crappy anyway.
Ok, watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sep73E6z8Qc&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcA5_LWV0b8&feature=related There you can see how they are producing House MD.
@aztek You both just said the same thing I said.
Yes, this show is recorded with no take longer than 14 minutes, and yes this is no different from nearly any other movie or TV show.
My point was, that both of you missed, is that because of these limitations, it's really only good for big productions which already use these techniques (like House) and once you use these techniques you are already spending enough money that using a 5D instead of something doesn't save you an amount of money worth counting.
Also, as to the sound, this camera not only has a crappy internal mic (of course), but the inputs aren't balanced and so are useless with external mics too on a soundstage. You just have to go to sync sound, which again costs a lot.
What I'm saying is they got nothing of value from this except PR, I don't know why they did it. I don't expect the 5D2 to take off as a motion camera in general because of the limitations I listed. By the time you use a setup that doesn't care about the limitations, you don't care about the minuscule savings from using the 5D2 instead of a true pro camera.
@spin cycle Hm. A real film camera is quite expensive though, and for each minute you shoot you have to pay. I think indie filmmakers still love the 5D. Yes, you do have to get some gear, but it's more of a one time purchase I guess instead of renting a 35mm camera + all the film + developing the film + scanning it. I agree that these DSLRs are for professional shoots, but instead of buying a $3000 video camera or shooting 16mm you could buy the 5D, and get a much more cinematic look and much better low light capabilities (seriously, the D3s looks fine at ISO 51200! Who needs light anyway?), for the same price.
As for House... didn't they say that they used the 5D because of the size? The 5D is much smaller and nimbler than those film cameras, which in tight situations might be a big advantage.
Too bad that there is this rolling shutter effect, that does limit the use of these cameras (I hope that Michael Bay and Paul Greengrass will never ever shoot with these cameras...).
@kadajawi Actually I think the Amazing Race (which is Reality TV) does a pretty decent job with photography considering it's all recorded with long takes of people running through the streets and into cabs, etc. But it's definitely in the minority.
So now the only read difference between a camera and a video camera is the way you hold it.
Searching for Sonny never happened. They only shot a trailer. The first full feature film shot and completed on the Canon 5D Mark II was Sybil Ludington found at www.sybilludingtonmovie.com
Cuddy is fine, but Thirteen owns all. Also, it's not lupis.
Wow! Must've cost a lot for Canon to pull this off especially since this is one of the popular tv series. I believe this is a part of Canon promoting their product/s.
Yeah, I've seen shots and footage taken by Canon 5D Mark II and they look awesome. I guess it just depends on the photographer and/or director in this case. I hope this won't end up a disappointment for House. Can't wait for it to watch the episode.
somebody please move this thread to dpreview where it belongs
@jveteran
This thread belongs here as well as on dpreview.com.
We have this camera at our 25-year-running photo studio and just shot our first test sequence. It's an awesome camera for the price, and all the other examples of its capabilities online tell the complete tale. The proof is out there - and all the people dogging it?... haven't used it.
What size memory card did they use to shoot House, and how many did they have to use for one episode?
House is a one hour program, drama is normally shot on about a 10:1 ratio.
So for each episode they probably shoot 10 hours of footage.
So 5 x 32 Gb cards would cover the whole show i.e. less than film and processing for a single roll of film.
@Mike V Sounds like they saved some money.
I guess as long as they don't pan beyond a super slow pan nobody will even notice the horrible rolling shutter problem that CMOS video camera's have.
@dataninja
The general rule for film is that you don't pan across something fast anyway (unless it's a very quick whip-around). If I recall correctly, you want to give an object seven seconds to cross the screen. Any faster than that, and it would be jittery on a 24FPS viewing. The same rule should stop the Jello effect on the CMOS sensors.