What is it that makes the visible difference between movies and home video?

you can TELL when something is a home video, by looking at the film, so what is it? a filter? I was thinking it was in the editing process, something done to the reel/film itself.. anyone have answers?

 

No real answer as such, but it surely lies in the editing and/or production. I'm thinking of 'Saving Private Ryan', that first 20 minutes shot on little digicams, it looks amazing. But if I were to just run about with one, you're right, the differance would be very clear.

 

I'm not really sure I understand the question... if you mean what is the actual difference, then it's that video is entirely electrical where film is entirely chemical. There is a visible difference in terms of frame rate too, video usually uses interlaced semi-frames meaning you get a virtual frame rate of 60 images/second in the USA, 50/sec in Europe and Australia, compared to 24 frames/sec for film. This is changing with use of a digital process which interlaces two identical frames making your TV picture look more like film - that classic strobing look which comes from having fewer frames per second.

Other than that, you can tell from the quality of light and grain / flecks when something is shot on film. With vast improvements in cinema quality digital video this is not so evident, but between home video, TV camera video and cinema film it makes a huge difference. Film looks far more natural than these. You get far greater resolution from tiny crystals formed within the film than you do from 525(USA) or 625(UK) lines of electronic light-sensitive pixels. Purists will tell you that you can still tell the difference between something shot on film and something shot on cinema-quality video. Perhaps something to do with the chaotic nature of the chemical crystals formed when light reacts with the active element in the film, compared to the slightly-too-clean look created by a CCD chip.

I'm not sure if this answers your question ...

Bokonon - Was Saving Private Ryan shot on video? I thought I remember seeing something about the making of it - I was sure they were film cameras with jitter-motors on the lenses to make it look handheld and jerky. It kind of does look crisp like video, but I was assuming that was because they used a very high shutter speed making things weirdly strobey. I'd be surprised if Spielberg were ever to shoot on video to be honest, but I might be wrong!

 

...money

roly.xxx

 

it has to do with the frames per second speed of the film when recorded.

 

You could be right Showmet, I can't remember if I heard Spielberg say it or some random bloke down the pub. Seemed like it could of been true though, but so now do these jitter lenses you speak of.

 

more comlicated/expensive/hitech equipment