High definition is relatively new to the world of theatrical films, so it's still somewhat rare to find a producer who has successfully shepherded HD-acquired films through the production process. But Glenn S. Gainor has spent the last year immersed in HD filmmaking, involved in not one but two full-length features in the new medium. While acknowledging important distinctions between working in film and HD, Gainor notes that in his experience the differences are often overstated, less significant to the overall process than they are sometimes made out to be.

Gainor comes to his latest projects with a film rather than video background. His recent producing credits include such Sundance entrants as the character-driven thriller Panic and the dramatic comedy Happy, Texas. Both were shot on film.

The new features shot on HD are both dramas. Wayne Powers' Skeletons in the Closet (Treat Williams, Linda Hamilton, Jonathan Jackson) has completed post-production and is set for release next year by Artisan Entertainment. Diary of a Sex Addict (Rossana Arquete, Nastassja Kinski, Michael DesBarres) is directed by Joseph Brutsman for Nu Image, and is expected to be in post until the end of this year. Gainor is executive producer of the former film, and is co-producing the latter.

No Magic Potion

Gainor is pleased with the results of his HD efforts, and is currently in the planning stages of a third HD feature. But he's quick to point out that the capture medium is only one of many elements that go into making a movie. And while HD offers both advantages and disadvantages, in some areas it's simply a wash. "There's no magic potion with HD," he says. "It's not the magical answer to the indie filmmaker's life."

The area where HD is most commonly assumed to offer advantages - cost - turns out to be a mixed bag by Gainor's reckoning. "HD packages are actually more expensive than film packages by about $3,000 a week," he says. "But there's no film developing to worry about, and tape is less expensive - $74 for 40 minutes."

HD's lower per-minute costs allow more coverage, which can translate into more choices for the editor and potentially better performances in the final film. "Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of shooting a lower-budget movie on high def is the ability to retake scenes without worrying about film cost," Gainor says. "On Skeletons, we wanted a studio coverage, but didn't have the financial resources for the amount of film that would have been needed to shoot so many takes. HD allowed us that luxury."

Savings on media alone, however, don't necessarily result in a lower overall price tag for a film. Gainor says that when he was planning Diary he ran a budget comparing the costs of shooting HD versus 35mm. He figured he'd save about $75,000 on film and lab costs in production and post, and another $15,000 on titles, opticals, and fades. But the cost of the transfer from HD to 35mm for theatrical distribution, it turns out, would be about the same as the savings. "There really are no savings," he says, "except maybe about 5 percent on overall lab work."

Another area where Gainor says there is little cost benefit to HD is in the crew. "HD or film still needs the same amount of crew," he says. "With HD, you don't need a film loader, but you could use a video tech, and they're usually more expensive than a loader. And you still need makeup artists, grips, wardrobe - the whole crew. If you're making a professional movie, you need the staff. A big-time actor is not going to understand why he doesn't have a makeup artist and a wardrobe person. And that's got nothing to do with what you shoot it on."

Nevertheless, Gainor says that what shooting HD can accomplish is to free up more money for production. "Shoot HD if you don't have distribution in place, and you know which film festivals you are going out for. Not all of the festivals can project your movie on HD, but Sundance can. That way you can spend more of your money in making the product and less on lab work. Then let the distributor pay for the transfer to film."

HD also affects cost issues in more subtle ways that might be hard to quantify exactly. "One thing we can do with HD that we can't do with film," Gainor says, "is tell people that it's a video shoot, not a film shoot. Saying it's video allows people to understand that it's not a $10 million movie, but more like a million-and-a-half, which may help us to negotiate cheaper site rentals."

The Right Look

Cost considerations aside, HD has some inherent attributes that make it the medium of choice for certain types of work. The most obvious benefits are in movies with lots of special effects, like the new Star Wars episode that George Lucas is shooting with Panavision-equipped 24p HDCams. Gainor says it "definitely makes sense to shoot HD if you plan to go to tape for your effects. I've just finished a budget for a picture that would use quite a lot of digital effects, and with HD I won't have to pay the expensive film-to-tape transfer costs."

Another area in which HD can support a director's vision is giving what Gainor calls a "more docu look" to the footage. "A lot of younger people these days are growing up on video," he explains, "and they've begun to psychologically associate video with `reality.' With HD, you can shoot it to look like film, or transfer it to film for a different look, but you also keep the option of that reality feel. We did that with Diary to give a sense that this could be really happening. Plus, a video hand-held gives a different look than a film camera because of the difference in weight. Film cameras are heavier; video is lighter on its feet."

Outside of these special cases, getting a high-quality look with HD depends on all the same factors as with film. "It's money that gets you staff, expensive locations, and lights," Gainor says. "It all depends on the kind of movie you're making. It has very little to do with HD or film."

In the area of lighting, for instance, Gainor believes the idea that HD shoots need a smaller package is a misconception. "The lighting package is basically the same," he says. "HD loves light just like film. An underlit scene on film looks grainy and thin; an underlit scene on HD looks like a bad soap opera. Both HD and film need something to capture, and how you light them depends on what you've got to light them with. A big picture has lots of lights; a little picture doesn't. If you want a big studio look, you need studio lights."

HD's adjustability in the field, however, may offer some benefits in special lighting situations. "I have seen high def handle itself very well in low-light situations where - if the scene calls for it - you can light someone with a regular lamp, without requiring costly lab color corrections in post," Gainor says. "Film can do this, but it would require more time on set to get the color just right through the use of filters and gels. On high def, it's all in the camera settings."

Instant Dailies

One aspect of working with HD that particularly appeals to Gainor is the opportunity for immediate feedback on the set for each take. "What's nice about HD," he says, "is that you see your picture as you shoot it. It's like instant post. There's very little guesswork involved when you're shooting. It makes watching dailies almost a repetitive task if you were on set during the shoot."

HD also has the advantage of allowing production to move more quickly. "High def shoots seem to go a little faster," Gainor says. "I'd say it's the zoom lenses that we generally use on these cameras, and the longer tapes - 40 minutes compared to 10-minute film loads."

But while HD zoom lenses may allow a somewhat faster pace, Gainor sees the selection of lenses for HD - though improving - as still lacking compared to film. "Film cameras have a 100-year jump on video," he says. "There just aren't the kinds of lenses available to you in video as there are in film. You lack the selection of primes. And HD lenses, as they stand today, have a harder time rack focusing. The DPs on both films complained about rack focusing, and chose instead just to let the lens keep a focus. This is because the lenses just aren't as good as film lenses. But these things will change."

Less of an issue, but still important when on location, are the differences between the cameras themselves. "In general," Gainor says, "video cameras are more full of circuit boards, and there's more that can go wrong out there in the elements. A 35mm film camera is made to last. It has metal parts, it takes a pounding more than the plastic video cameras, and it can handle greater temperature changes. On Skeletons, for instance, we burnt down a house, and we had to change the tape on every take because it would melt at a lower temperature than film would."

Because he sees video as being less robust than film, Gainor advises HD filmmakers to be particularly conscious of the cameras' needs on location. "The cameras need adjusting," he says, "because it's not just about pulling film through a gate. Color timing is very important, and you need to check that, especially if you're bouncing from one cam to the other. If you're shooting a two-camera show, HD needs maintenance just about every week."

To ensure that the cameras' needs are well taken care of, Gainor suggests developing a close relationship with the closest vendor who carries HD equipment. "We rented from Rule Broadcasting," he says, "and they were great about sending their HD tech from Boston out to our location three hours away in New Hampshire."

Better still, Gainor advocates budgeting for an on-site HD engineer. "If you're shooting on location," he says, "make sure you have an HD video tech on your set. Would you go on a safari without a guide if you knew you were in uncharted territory? That applies for HD. It's new stuff. Make sure you have someone with you who's been there."

3 Sony HDW-700A HDCAM camcorder

3 Canon HJ18x7.8IRS high definition lens

2 Sony Extended ViewFinder

2 Chroszeil Follow Focus

2 Microforce Zoom Controller

1 Chroszeil 6x6 MatteBox w/rods

1 Sony HDM 14E5U 142 viewing monitor

1 Sony BVM-D95U 9" HD field monitor

1 Sony PVM-8044Q 8" NTSC field monitor

1 Sony UVW-1800 Betacam SP deck

1 Panasonic AG-1980 S-VHS deck

1 YEM Down Converter

1 Astro Down Converter

1 Leader LV5152HD HD Waveform monitor

1 Sachtler 60/30/20 tripod

2 Sachtler baby legs

2 100mm bowl Hi Hat

2 Deneke smart slate

12 Anton Bauer ProPac 14 Brick Battery

6 Aspen NHP-50 NP style battery

Steadicam (or equiv) supplied by operator

2 1200 watt HMI PAR

2 575 watt HMI PAR

2 250 watt HMI Pocket PAR

2 1000 watt Tungsten Fresnel

2 650 watt Tungsten Fresnel

2 250 watt Tungsten Fresnel