movie filter for vegas 9

[mol3000]

is there a filter i can use to make movies from video cam look like a tv feel or movie feel

[guns1inger]

Depends how much money you have. There is Movie Looks for Vegas from Red Giant Software. VASST has collections of filter sets, many free, that might help a little.

However most of the issues that make video look like video is inherent in the way you shoot and light. Little to no control over focal length, auto-white balance, cheap optics, using zoom instead of dollying the camera. These have to be addressed before you shoot.

That saidm here is a little reading for you. Some of these are old, so the links may not all work;

http://www.urbanfox.tv/production/filmlookindex.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3xs3HNT3TY
http://www.sundancemediagroup.com/tutorials/filmlook_in_Vegas6.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq5u1m3Ape8

[lowellriggsiam]

The question is best asked what "movie feel" you are looking for. Have an example?

[mol3000]

When i say " movie feel " or " tv commercial feel " i mean just that. For example, when you look at most of the videos on youtube you can tell its been recorded by a digital video cam and not tv or movie cams. I guess its the lens or the type of tape they record on.

[Soopafresh]

This is shot on video but looks filmy. You need a camera with the ability to shoot short depth of field to approximate film. You can do some things in post, such as adding grain, color grading, slow motion, but you can't replicate short depth of field, which is 75% of the equation for film look.

[guns1inger]

A major factor in the look is also the lighting. Most home videos are shot under standard ceiling lights, or perhaps a single large spot. This give a flat feel, with no balance and lots of highlights and flare outs, or too much shadow. Film is usually shot using multiple lighting sources, very little direct lighting that isn't diffused in some way, and a much more even level across what is being filmed.

However, even if you have a film budget, high quality HD digital video cameras and a professional, experienced cinematographer, you don't always get it right. One of the (many) things I found disappointing about Michael Mann's Public Enemies was that the night time footage, especially the night time action scenes, looked like cheap, shot-on-tape-straight-to-DVD 'B' grade stuff. With all the processing and post production work to try to get a film look, sometimes it just isn't possible unless you shoot on film.