APS Completes Post Production of 'Nicolas' — First American Feature Film Shot Entirely in 24P HD
Summary
American Production Services completed post production on 'Nicolas,' the first full-length American motion picture produced and edited entirely in 24p HD using Sony's HDW-F-900 CineAlta camcorder. Producer-director Peter Shaner shot the feature in just 18 days on 34 HDCAM tapes for under half a million dollars, demonstrating HD's cost and creative advantages over 35mm film.
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APS Completes Post Production of "Nicolas" First American Movie Produced Entirely in 24P HD
Los Angeles, CA-- American Production Services (APS) has completed the editorial of "Nicolas," the first full-length American motion picture produced and posted entirely in 24p HD. Considered a digital cinematography breakthrough, the 24p HD format lets filmmakers shoot video with near film (1920 x 1080) resolution, with 24 frame per second progressive scanning that further enhances the film look.
But unlike film, HD allowed "Nicolas" Producer/Director/Writer Peter Shaner and Director of Photography S. Douglas Smith to see the recorded material on a precision HD color monitor during production, as well as see the dayís work HD-projected on a big screen each night. So, rather than waiting a day or two to screen film dailies, HDís immediacy made it easier to modify and reshoot scenes while the set was still hot. Shaner shot the entire movie on 34 52-minute HDCAM tapes, or 1768 minutes of footage. Had he been shooting film, however, he would have needed almost 200,000 feet to accomplish the same job. ìHD proved more efficient because I could let the takes run longer, even while I interrupted the scene to make changes, and this preserved the mood and continuity of scenes,î says Shaner. "The faster production pace allowed me to shoot the entire movie in only 18 days." Then, in post production, in APS LA's fully digital HD edit suite -- with state of the art Sony gear, including an HDS-7000 3 M/E production switcher with primary and secondary color correction; companion HDME-7000 two-channel digital video effects system; and the BVE-9100 edit controller, and four HDW-F500 (24P segmented frame) VTRsófilmmakers can enjoy unprecedented control over the color and composition of each movie frame in real-time. "If you treat HD with the same respect that you would 35mm film, using proper shooting and lighting techniques, the result exceeds film. HD offers filmmakers greater creative latitude and aesthetic freedom than film, yet it eliminates costly film stock, lab processing, telecine, film opticals, and other film related expenses," says Shaner. "By choosing 24p HD over 35mm film," he adds, "I was able to apply visual effects aggressively and still produce a full-length feature film for under a half million dollars, without compromising the quality of the end product." Attesting to HD's cost-effectiveness, Shaner produced "Nicolas" without the backing of a studio, something that would have been impossible were he shooting film. Instead, he formed Reef Point Pictures, LLC, and raised money privately from a group of investors. The HD on-line edit of "Nicolas" was performed by APS's Walt McGinn, who also applied extensive color processing and effects to create dream sequences integral to this supernatural thriller's storyline. In the movie, a young woman named Laura (Gretchen Egolf) is haunted by Nicolas (Marcus Graham), a lover from her past life who appears to her in dreams. Some of the sequences are present day reality, some are dreams, and some are flashbacks to Nicolas' era, the 1800's, but they all have their own distinctive look that clues viewers in to which is which. "We were able to color correct shots and apply visual effects in the context of the final editing and the results were just spectacular," says McGinn. "When a flashback scene recurred later in the movie, our production switcher recalled the settings used in the first scene and automatically applied them to the next one so they would match exactly. Final color correction settings are stored with the Edit Decision List on disks so that the original settings can be restored on the switcher if needed at a later date. From the 24p HD master, a filmmaker can generate high-quality 35mm film prints, as well as NTSC and PAL standard and letterbox versions." Conrad Denke, President of APS, commented: "We believe that ëNicolas" will usher in a whole new way of looking at filmmaking. It will allow many more creative, talented people to enter the field of feature filmmaking. We are excited to provide a pathway for these individuals with this incredible new technology." "Nicolas" will apply for entry in the Sundance Festival in 2001 as well as be transferred at E-Film via laser onto 35mm film for theatrical release. _________________________ As the world's premiere HDTV production and post production company, APS has two state-of-the-art HD online edit suites-- at its Seattle and Los Angeles, California facilities respectively-- and a comprehensive portfolio of HD services, including top-flight HD production, editorial, graphics, and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound capabilities. APS has a Website at www.apsnw.com. APS Seattle is located at 2247 15th Avenue West, in Seattle, Washington, 98119 (Phone: 206-282-1776; Fax: 206-282-3535.) APS-LA is located at 11755 Victory Blvd., in North Hollywood, California, 91606 (Phone: 818-769-1776)Ö five minutes from the Burbank Airport and Universal Studios. |
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