Widescreen, HD, 24p are all irrelevant. The only things that matter are a great story, good actors, an innovative director, exceptional sound and a well lit picture. If you can can achieve all that shooting full screen, SD and 60i you will have a good chance of getting into a film festival.

That camera, along with the GS500, has a mic input, 3 CCD's and manual controls which make it a fine camera.

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

I'm afraid I would exert caution when faced with the advice that "Widescreen, HD, 24p are all irrelevant."

Actors attend casting sessions to assertain their suitablity for a role; DoPs showreels are studied to find one with the right style; Make-up artists have their portfolios scrutinised to make sure they can pull off the effects required by the production and similarly camera kit is chosen based on it's technical abilities.

This is NOT to say that the latest HD camera with a thousand buttons, the brightest, most expensive lights and mics that can hear a pin drop in Tokyo are best suited to your project. It is up to you to determine what gear you need to get the results you want. Every film is different.

To answer your question, it is not a mistake to shoot on widescreen - most productions are these days. 16:9 will certainly give your film that 'cinematic' look and feel, but, as I said before, it's all down to what is right for your film.

All the best ?:)?
Ross
Video dept.
XPotential Media

"Photography does not so much confirm our experience of the world as it actively constructs it." AS-G

i've attended a lot of festivals, and i don't think i've seen even student films shot on a camera below a 3-chip...

sure, if you have an amazing story, with great acting you could probably shoot on a 15 year-old 8mm sony handycam, but having a great picture is a part of filmmaking.

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I disagree. My point is that it's not about having a 'great' picture (whatever that may be) but rather having an 'appropriate' picture.

When I was at uni, we shot on all types of camera. We didn't choose our shooting format because it was the most expensive, the most up-to-date, or because it gave the brightest, crispest images. We chose our format because it was appropriate to what we hoped the film would communicate.

I've seen great work shot on 35mm, 16mm, 8mm, MiniDV, BetaSP, HDV, DVCPro etc, etc, etc... We would frequently scratch, paint on or otherwise distort our reels so they looked less "great".

So I reiterate. Film making is not neccesserily about having this mythical 'great' picture but about 'appropriate' picture.

Ross
Video dept.
XPotential Media

"Photography does not so much confirm our experience of the world as it actively constructs it." AS-G

Yeah, your both right though, but think of it this way. If you hear a song, and it hasn't been recorded very well at all, but it is so good, the performance of it is perfect, the mood is just what you want, and everything is perfect except for the recording, your still going to like it. The same goes for film. Now of course it would be that much better if everything shot was perfect looking, but given the fact the most film festivals are ametuers or semi-pro's, it is a given that the look of everything isnt always going to perfect. But if everything else is done right, then that won't matter as much. If i were you, i would really pay special attention to your story, your acting, and your lighting. Dont try to do too much that you know you cant. Do experiment, but dont lose yourself in a project that is way over your head. Sit back and pretend to watch your movie before you even shoot it. Is it something that oyu would enjoy watching. Not because you made it, but because it is actually good. If not, then adjust it to make it so.