(Smaller) Size Does Matter

Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut has another great post on his blog entitled "Keeping It Small". He emphasizes a more compact DSLR rig over a bloated monster that sometimes weighs in at 45-50 pounds. Even better, he makes a statement that can apply to any filmmaker with any camera:

"Do I need to make the camera look like an impressive movie camera for me to be taken seriously? The answer is NO! If we are going to embrace this new technology, everything has to change. The way we work will become more efficient; video village shrinks, people start to trust, re-invent, think out of the box, force their hands. If we want to achieve this we all have to NOT function like it is business as usual or the camera will blow up to what I see on all the web sites."

Image is everything. If you can make your project look and sound great, who cares what you shot it on? I love the reactions I get when people see my camcorder AFTER seeing the footage I shot with it. They are always surprised and impressed. It validates every frugal philosophy that I'm trying to live and work by. That's what matters.