What TV shows are being shot on what equipment?

Can anyone tell me that some of the US broadcast and cable TV shows are being shot on? I now House did an experimental episode on DSLR, but what does it use the rest of the time? Are are shot on RED I understand. Anyone which shows? Any information that anybody could contribute would be very much appreciated.

Thanks.

All the best,

Tom

All the best,

Tom

You can probably pick up issues of American Cinematographer and find quite a few bits of information like that.


www.derekmok.com

Getting harder and harder to find TV shows still shot on film. Most are digital of one flavor camera or another. I do know Breaking Bad is shot on film as they make a huge point of that. House is shot on film. All shows are getting pressure to go digital.

Michael Horton
-------------------

The Closer is shot on film also. Leverage is shot with the RED ONE and edited with FCP.

Deadliest Catch still uses Sony HDV Z1's

Tyler Perry Studios uses all P2 Panasonic Cameras.

Dirty Jobs looks like they're still using Panasonic P2 cameras along with a Sony Z1 HDV when the camera might get killed.

Of course, threads like this always amuse me because they ignore the artist behind the equipment. I've seen MUCH more bad and I mean VERY BAD video come from the Sony Z1's and HDV in general, but you watch Deadliest Catch and the footage looks simply spectacular. That means they have great shooters and more importantly and excellent colorist who is making that footage look superb.

So who's using what to shoot is almost a moot point. Put an Alexa or RED in the hands of a lousy shooter and you're gonna have, well lousy footage.

The question really should be WHO is shooting what and HOW are they making their stuff look so good? Generally a combination of very good shooters and excellent colorists. It's the entire workflow and who is involved at every step of the way you should be looking at instead of "what camera is being used for House?"

Personally I want to know the workflow for the BBC version of Top Gear. Consistently the most artistically shot and gorgeous show on television that's usually hilarious to boot.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
biscardicreative.com

> threads like this always amuse me because they ignore the artist behind the equipment.

Not that I disagree with the idea, Walter, but Tom didn't exactly say, "Show X looks so good, must be because they shot on this format". I can't get my HVX-200A to produce footage as good as what I saw from a DP for one of my past shows, either. And I had an old film-school colleague who managed to make 16mm film look like VHS. That takes some talent, I suppose.

Lights, locations, framing, lenses, exposure, colour correction and creative impulse all far outrank the format.


www.derekmok.com

No he didn't, but a discussion about just the equipment always leaves out the artist behind the equipment. That was my point.

And making 16mm look like VHS is a very talented person indeed......

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
biscardicreative.com

Weeds--
Sony F35 via fiber direct to disc....Color corrected and levels balanced by DIT on set. Talk about cutting out processes and jobs...

I've heard more and more folks doing a color grade on set. Especially with a Davinci system and an FSI monitor, pretty darn easy to set up a high quality color grade suite anywhere.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
biscardicreative.com

What TV shows? There are THOUSANDS of TV shows. From LAW & ORDER (film) to CASTLE (film) to COURGARTOWN (Red) to THE CLOSER (film) to PSYCH (film)...to reality shows like SURVIVOR to THE AMAZING RACE...down to documentaries and cooking shows and the Khardasians and talk shows and all that. What do you mean? Sitcoms? Network narrative television?

Mainly film...and then RED, ALEXA...high end cameras. DSLRs mainly for pickups...or experiments like HOUSE.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
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Thank you all for responding. Very good information here. A little surprised how many are still on film.

All the best,

Tom

All the best,

Tom

Here's an exhaustive list from this site -- I know Modern Family shot on Sony F35 last year and think they switched to the Arri Alexa this season

(this is all from this site)
Cameras and shows


16mm Film:
Burn Notice - USA- Mike Most
Chuck - NBC- Mike Most
Crash - Kodak - Ingrid Goodyear & Sean Green
Degrassi: The Next Generation - CW- Kodak - Ingrid Goodyear - Canada
Eastbound and Down - HBO- Ingrid Goodyear
Eastwick - ABC - Ingrid Goodyear
Friday Night Lights - NBC- Ian Ellis
Greek - ABC- Ingrid Goodyear
Heartland - CBC- Ingrid Goodyear - Canada
In Plain Sight - USA- Bruce Johnson
Lincoln Heights - ABC- Ingrid Goodyear
Men of a Certain Age - TNT- Ingrid Goodyear
The Middle - ABC- Ingrid Goodyear Confirmed by Mike Most
Monk - USA- Mike Most - This is the last season.
One Tree Hill - CW- Mike Most
Psych - USA- IMDB
Saving Grace - TNT- S Peterson
Scrubs - ABC- Ingrid Goodyear


35mm Film:
24 - FOX- Mike Most
30 Rock - NBC- Mike Most
Beastly - CBS- Ingrid Goodyear
Big Bang Theory - CBS- IMDB
Big Love - HBO- Ingrid Goodyear
Boardwalk Empire - HBO- Jendra Jarnagin - (HBO Scorsese Pilot)
Breaking Bad - AMC- Ingrid Goodyear & Aaron Wise
Brothers & Sisters - ABC- Mike Most - Started on Genesis, now 35mm Cynthia
Pusheck
Castle - ABC- Mike Carmine
The Closer - TNT- Mike Most
Copper - ABC- Fuji - David Perrault & Brian Heller
CSI - CBS- Ingrid Goodyear
Desperate Housewives - ABC- Mike Most
Entourage - HBO- Mike Most
Flashpoint - CBS- Ingrid Goodyear
Fringe - FOX- Mike Most & Ingrid Goodyear
Ghost Whisperer - CBS- Argyris Theos - 2 perf 35mm
Glee - FOX- Ingrid Goodyear - Human Target will replace Glee at midseason.
Grey's Anatomy - ABC- Mike Most
Heroes - NBC- Mike Most - Chuck replaces Heroes in the spring.
House - FOX- Fuji - Mike Most & Eric Adkins
Hung - HBO- Ingrid Goodyear
Kings - NBC- Ingrid Goodyear
Lost - ABC- Mike Most
Mad Men - AMC- Mike Most
The Mentalist - CBS- Ingrid Goodyear
Nip/Tuck - FX- Mike Most
Private Practice - ABC- Mike Most
True Blood - HBO- Mike Most
Two and a Half Men - CBS- Ingrid Goodyear


Digital Acquisition:
90210 - CW- Genesis - IMDB
Accidentally on Purpose - CBS- Mike Most
The Beautiful Life: TBL - CW- Mike Most & Dave Satin - CANCELED
Better off Ted - ABC- Mike Most
Bones - FOX- Sony F35 - Mike Most & Eric Messerschmidt
Bored To Death - HBO- D21 - An Tran
Brotherhood - SHOW- Mike Most
Brothers - FOX- Mike Most
Californication - SHOW- F23 - Mike Most & Randy Wedick
Cold Case - CBS- F35 - Patrick Cady & Mike Most FLASHBACKS Ingrid Goodyear
Community - NBC- D21 - Mike Most & An Tran
Cougar Town - ABC- Mike Most
Criminal Minds - CBS- F35 - Mike MostTom McDonnell
CSI: Miami - CBS- Mike Most
CSI: NY - CBS- F35 - Mike Most & Mark H. Weingartner
Damages - FX- F23 - Jendra Jarnagin
Dark Blue - TNT- Genesis - IMDB
Day One - NBC- Mike Most
Defying Gravity - USTV- F35 - Daniel Mulligan - Canada
Dexter - SHOW- F23 - Vincent De Paula & Daniel Mulligan
Dollhouse - FOX- Panasonic 3700 - Mike Most
FlashForward - ABC- Mike Most
The Forgotten - ABC- Mike Most
Gary Unmarried - CBS- Mike Most
The Good Wife - CBS- Mike Most & Dave Satin
Gossip Girl - CW- F23 - Dave Satin & Randy Wedick
Hank - ABC- Mike Most
HawthoRNe - TNT- ARRI D21 - IMDB
How I Met Your Mother - CBS- Mike Most
Human Target - FOX- Mike Most
In Treatment - HBO- Sony 950 - Jendra Jarnagin
Law & Order - NBC- Genesis - Mark H. Weingartner & Jendra Jarnagin
Law & Order: Criminal Intent- USA- originally submitted as Digital by Mike
Most, amended to 16 mm then back to Digital by ARRI via Greg Lowry
Law & Order: SVU - NBC- Mike Most
Leverage - TNT- Red One & Sony EX1 - Randy Wedick
Lie to Me - FOX- Mike Most
Medium - CBS- Genesis - Randy Wedick
Melrose Place - CW- F35 - Mike Most
Mental - FOX- F23 and 900R - Graham Futerfas
Mercy - NBC- Mike Most & Dave Satin - Parenthood replaces Mercy in spring.
Modern Family - ABC- Mike Most
Murderland - ?????- F35 - Daniel Mulligan - Will delete if not confirmed
NCIS - CBS- Mike Most
NCIS: Los Angeles - CBS- Mike Most
New Adventures of Old Christine - CBS- Mike Most
Numbers - CBS- Genesis - Mike Most & Randy Wedick
Nurse Jackie - SHOW- ARRI D21 - Mike Most, Dave Satin & An Tran
The Office - NBC- Sony - Google
Parenthood - NBC- Genesis - Mike Most & IMDB
Parks and Recreation - NBC- Mike Most
Past Life - FOX- Mike Most
Royal Pains - USA- F23 - Jendra Jarnagin
The Sarah Silverman Program - Comedy Central- Red - Rhet Bear
Sherri - Lifetime- Dave Satin
Smallville - CW- Mike Most
Sons Of Anarchy - FX- S Peterson
Southland - NBC- Red 1, Iconix - Bruce Johnson
Supernanny - ABC- Mike Most
Supernatural - CW- D21 - An Tran
Three Rivers - CBS- Mike Most
'Til Death - FOX- Mike Most
Trauma - NBC- Mike Most & Rod Williams - Day One replaces Trauma in the spring.
The Tudors - SHOW- Mike Most
Ugly Betty - ABC- Jendra Jarnagin & Mike Most
V - ABC- ARRI D21 - An Tran
Vampire Diaries - CW- Mike Most
Warehouse 13 - SYFY- Genesis - Millimeter
Weeds - SHOW- Mike Most
White Collar - USA- Dave Satin

Deadliest Catch-Sony A1-U, FX-1, Go Pros....all HDV
Steve

steve-sharksdelight

Thank very much for the list Andy.

All the best,

Tom

I read that No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain is starting to use a 7D, and I saw on the latest "behind the scenes" show from Deadliest Catch, they used a few 5DMKIIs.

I'd be curious to know about any other shows that are not only using it as pickups, but are using it exclusively.

Casey

The deadliest catch is a different type of show because many cameras are wrecked due to the shooting environment, but those are very good crew that they have. Also, did anyone mention that they have aerials? I doubt the aerials were shot on HDV. As someone mentioned, they didn't shoot it on HDV because someone happened to have a few of those cameras lying around in their garage.

No Reservations... It's an interesting show because I always hated the production quality, or at least the shots remind me of some of the low budget stuff I worked on where they take a camera out onto the streets and shoot random objects. But the editing and story is quite amazing. I like how they can get it to work and have the story flow the way it does. But of course, you have Anthony Bourdain who writes and improvises on location, which helps the edit. The hardest part about working with random shots is when you are trying to tell the story. I guess no one really sees the rushes. I had an edit a couple of months back and to me it was a really tough edit, because I had a lot of random and wobbly shots, and it took me quite a bit of time to put it together. I had 3 shoot days of Brolls of Taiwan, from which I selected about 3 to 5 shots, bits and pieces of useable bits from the actual scenes- a second here, a second and a half there, etc.. But in the end, everyone who I showed the final video to, thought it was quite well shot. And that still comes as a surprise to me, because I know what the rushes look like. And yea, I had a colorist who did a pretty amazing job on it too.

Thanks for the list, Andy. It's also a surprise to me that so much stuff is still shot on film.



www.strypesinpost.com

Andy Field Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here's an exhaustive list from this site -- I know
> Modern Family shot on Sony F35 last year and think
> they switched to the Arri Alexa this season
>
> (this is all from this site)
> Cameras and shows


That list is 3 years old. I'll bet there have been a few changes to it.

"24" went to DSLR acquisiiton of background plates. Rodney Charters showed up at the Boston Supermeet last year to give us the lowdown on using 5D's for multiple angle car plates in one pass. Quite spectacular.

Also, when they say "16mm" film for cool shows like Burn Notice, that's hard to believe, unless it's Super-16, with an aspect ratio approaching HD.

The petroleum distillate we know as film is surely going away.

And I add: I would much rather edit on sand than oil.

- Loren

Today's FCP 7 keytip:
Summon your Video Scopes with Option - 9 !

Your Final Cut Studio KeyGuide? Power Pack
with FCP7 KeyGuide --
now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com

What's this "film" you speak of?

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Quote
CaseyPeterson
I read that No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain is starting to use a 7D

I just bumped into Anthony Bourdain in London a month ago shooting No Reservations. If they're switching, they haven't yet. They were using a large format camera.

Andy

Your list states The Middle is shot on 16mm. I would assume Super-16, and yet, that show looks too good to be just Super-16, it has to be 35mm. The Middle is stunningly beautiful, the wall treatments are amazing, and the overall color saturation and clarity are better than drugs. (not that I have taken drugs, but can't imagine an LSD trip being any more amazing).

Alessandro...you'll be amazed at how good super16mm can look.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Maybe the extra depth of field actually works better for Broadcast television HD. The Kodak Vision3 50 ASA film is spectacular. I think Modern Family is missing the boat by not shooting in Film. I was watching both The Middle and Modern Family tonight, and The Middle just blew Modern Family out of the water visually.

The contrast and color saturation is like eye candy on The Middle. Modern Family is ok, but it just doesn't rock the way The Middle does. I wonder if the Middle is shooting the ASA 50 on their indoors as well.

They have perfected their wall paint treatments. I've never seen similar color tones on the back wall and in the foreground stand apart from each other so much, really a fantastic look.

Modern Family is shot on video because it is a Psuedo-doc. It is supposed to be like there are video cameras taping the family, documenting their life. Note how not only are there sit down interviews, but occasionally the characters will look at the camera in a knowing way. Like, "can you believe what just happened?"

Just like THE OFFICE. Also a pseudo-doc, therefore shot on video.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

However, tonight when I was watching I definitely saw several hairlight scenes designed to make the shot look well. Plus, The Middle is exactly what you have just described, and it is shot on super-16mm apparently.

Ice Road Truckers.... I stand to be corrected but I am pretty sure they use XDCAM HD and XDCAM EX along with the smaller cameras mounted on the dash and sides of the trucks. Not sure what they use for the helicopter shots which look very nice.... Ron

Southland looks AMAZING this season. Must be a combination of Epic and great CC because it never looked this good before.