Welcome to filmmaking.net!

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what i don't know is how filmmaking works in terms of the equipment and lighting techniques.

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You're right - lighting techniques are very similar to still photography.
It took you some time and experimentation to gain the experience you
have lighting for stills - the same thing when making a movie.

I'm sure the first time you picked up a musical instrument you weren't as
good as you are today. Same goes with making movies. You learn how
filmmaking works by making films.

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the best camera i have access to is one of those Sony HDD cameras. the one that costs around a grand. not sure if this camera is any good for filmmaking, but it's what i have.

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Nothing like starting with what you have. You won't be making a movie at
the quality of the Bourne series with your current camera, but it's a fine
place to get started.

One thing to remember, the look of the films you mention isn't from the
camera alone. Don't dismiss the skill, talent and experience of the dozens
of people involved in each of those movies. Hardware quality is a big
part of sound engineering/recording, but you know that a complete
novice/amateur sitting in the best equipped studio in the world isn't going
to be able to produce the product you could using a 1980's four track Tascam.

Please check out these threads - they will help with some of your camera
questions. And feel free to ask more!

http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7034
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6195
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6316
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4527
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4479
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4183
http://www.filmmaking.net/fnetforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4555

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

One thing that could help you get the visual style of these films would be the pictures contrast, many of these films use a high contrast picture, making feel more gritty and giving it deeper shadows and more vivid colors. Another thing you could do be to films in either 24p frame rate, or even 15 fps in progressive scan (if your camera can do that, it will give instructions how to set it to this), but it will make your video look more like film by giving it a slight flicker.

You've got a lot of questions in there. Let me address some of the issues you bring up and then attempt to summarize what plan of action might be best for you...

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Originally posted by Z3R0

what i don't know is how filmmaking works in terms of the equipment and lighting techniques. the lighting might be similar to photography lighting, but still shots are different than constant motion...

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Lighting is lighting, no matter if you are capturing a moment in time or 24 frames per second. The WAY Stills Photographers light a shot is different than a motion-picture Cameraman will light in that we use "constant" lights rather than strobes or flashes. With that in mind, it can be easier as you more or less see what you'll get.

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Originally posted by Z3R0

i know software, now a days, plays a role in Hollywood Film making next to the kind of equipment you use and techniques.

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Um, sort of. But acquiring your images on set doesn't really involve any software, just skillful lighting and camerawork by a qualified Cameraman.

Now, having said that, many DPs will take their footage through a Digital Intermediate (DI) step. This replaces the traditional "Hazeltine" process which manipulated color, contrast, brightness, etc. chemically. Film is now digitally scanned and manipulated which can provide a measure of more precise control.

Computers also, obviously, have a role in Visual Effects. A Visual Effects Supervisor will often be on set to help guide the technical elements during principle production.

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Originally posted by Z3R0

Hardware:
this is where it starts to get interesting for me..
First on the list is the Camera and it's the only one on the hardware list as of now...
the best camera i have access to is one of those Sony HDD cameras. the one that costs around a grand. not sure if this camera is any good for filmmaking, but it's what i have..

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I'll return to this at the end of the post as camera/format choice has quite a bit to do with the purpose of your finished product. Suffice it to say at this point, not just any camera will do. But more later...

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Originally posted by Z3R0

i've read on some forums that FPS plays a role in filming styles.. i know FPS is how many frames the camera captures per second ( captain obvious), but still not sure exactly how that works.. just like with SLR cameras,

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Modern movies are shot and projected at 24fps.
Standard Definition NTSC video is 29.97fps.

High Definition cameras have various fps speeds as well as compression/resolutions. Most non-professional HD consumer/prosumer HD cameras shoot at a compressed 4:1:1 resolution. The next level up (such as the Sony HDW F900R) captures at 4:2:2. High-end cameras (like the Panavision Genesis) captures at uncompressed 4:4:4. A brief explanation of what this means is here: http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/162/814247

HD also gives you a choice of shooting Interlace or Progressive. The Sony F900 shoots in 1080I (interlace). The earlier Panasonic Varicam shoots in 720P (progressive). The Sony has less lines of resolution per FIELD than the Panasonic, but more per FRAME.

You also have control over the SHUTTER. When you see "jumpy" images, usually in action sequences, the Director of Photography has adjusted the shutter rate, not the fps. "Normal" shutter in film is 1/50. To get that more staccato look, the shutter might be set for something like 1/500. Of course, as you already know, you don't get something for nothing, so this adjustment requires more light or a more wide-open stop (if you have any left on your lens).

To avoid going through an overly complicated quick lesson in all of this, just know that if you were going to shoot a movie using electronic image acquisition (read: using a video camera instead of a film camera), the BEST you could do at this point in time would be to use a 4:4:4 1080P camera at 23.98fps or 24fps with a 1/48 shutter. Those settings would most closely emulate a "film look."

To shoot at those specs (particularly the 4:4:4 part) is mostly cost-prohibitive for anyone without major financial backing.

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Originally posted by Z3R0

CCD is also something to look for in a camera...

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The larger the imager, the better your picture. Just like above, the larger your CCD, the more expensive the camera will be.*

*See ?url? http://www.red.com?/url?.

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Originally posted by Z3R0

light metering and stuff like is a total brain scratcher for me.

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It's all about math. Your film ASA (or the rating on your HD camera) determines how you set your meter. Then you make all of your lighting/exposure choices as you would in any kind of photography, taking into account your lens size, aperture, shutter, desired DOF, etc. More on this topic at the bottom...

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Originally posted by Z3R0

Sound:
this is not an issue. i have the necessary tools for that and that'll probably the only good thing about my films 😛

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You are mostly correct here. While picture is important (as it is a visual medium), it has been said that audiences will forgive "problems" with a picture, but will not tolerate a bad soundtrack. If they can't hear the dialogue or if the sound is just "bad," they'll stop watching.

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Originally posted by Z3R0

not sure if i'm leaving anything out, but any help is appreciated.
thanks a bunch! i hope to introduce my book/screen play soon and possibly gather up a crew to shoot a full length film or short film soon 🙂

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And herein lies the most important part of your post. Based on your last statement, it seems as though your aspiration has more to do with Directing your project than in being in charge of any of the technical aspects. Far too many "filmmakers" go into this process and career believing that they need to do everything...shoot, sound, edit, etc.

Here's my advice to you: Don't do it that way. If you're going to put in the effort to gather the resources (finances, equipment, people, etc.) to create a feature-length movie, embrace the specialization of the film industry. What I mean by that is that you shouldn't concern yourself with the minutia of what camera to use and what software will be used in post. Instead, concentrate on the script and the creative elements. Once you know that your story is as great as it can be on paper, go out and find others to help you...others who specialize in the various aspects of creating a movie. There are people out there who want to Produce and are good at it. There are Cameramen/women out there who already know more about shooting a movie (cameras, camera accessories, Grip, Electric, etc.) than you ever likely will. There are Sound Mixers and Boom Operators who want to capture the best dialogue possible on set.

And on and on and on. USE those people who want to do those jobs for a living... let THEM help you to create the best project possible while you concentrate on directing everyone toward the same goal. Directing isn't just about being that creative guy in the chair who talks with Actors... directing is about directing and managing the technical and creative people so that everyone is working on the same movie.

Before you really begin, though, you have to know what your own goal is. Is this movie just for you and your friends to see at home? Do you want to just upload it to YouTube? Are you only interested in the Festival circuit? Or would you like to recoup your investment and sell it to a distributor so that it will be in theaters or released on DVD?

That is a VERY important question to answer FIRST because that choice will drive the way your script reads, the Actors you hire, and the camera format you choose to shoot with.

If you have aspirations to get your movie into theaters, then you cannot just use any old camera. 35mm film is the standard. 16mm usually won't cut it. For video, HD is a must and 4:4:4 is pretty much the choice. 4:2:2 doesn't blow up without noticeable degradation. The Cameraman you hire will be able to explain most of this and help you to choose the format that is right for your story and right for your budget.

There is a lot to think about before you roll one frame through a camera. Technical requirements are definitely important to consider, but it is equally important to know how a movie set works, who everyone is, and what they do. While you're working on your script, I urge you to visit ?url? http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com?/url? for the book that can help you to learn all of that plus additional resources to guide you through the rest of the process.

Making movies is fun so the more you know about everything before you bring in other people, the better your entire experience and project will be.

Good luck!

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com