An overview of how major movies are shot on digital cameras, from camera setup to final export.

In this intro explainer of How Movies Are Shot On Digital Cinema Cameras, In Depth Cine covers the steps in a standard digital camera workflow on major film productions, from gear selection considerations in pre-production, through image capture procedures on set during production, to data management in post-production:

Steps in the process:

1. Camera Setup – gear selection based on a balance of cost, ergonomics, and specifications
2. Shooting – where the DIT (digital imaging technician) co-ordinates technical requirements on set
3. Data Management – working with (and backing up!) the video footage, and mitigating often prohibitively large file sizes using proxies
4. Post Production – offline and online editing and colour grading, and final delivery

More on what’s involved in the role of the DIT:

Further Viewing

More on false colour and other camera assist tools:

Film School: Camera Assist Tools

An understanding of what’s required during production depends on understanding what’s required for post-production – so here’s a look at the post-production image pipeline:

Film School: Intro to Colour Grading