Consumer DV=Pro DV or not?

[JTurner]

When a film festival asks for either 16mm, 35mm, Beta SP, or Digital Video, what do they mean by Digital Video?
I'm assuming Digital Video = DV. But then, I've heard there are differences between consumer DV and Pro DV (ie variations like DVCPro, etc.)

So the questions are:
1) Is there any way of knowing what format they want without asking, or does the format really matter?
2) I'm assuming they want the normal-size DV tape (not mini-DV). Mini-DV would be too small (since it holds only 60min). But all consumer cams are mini-DV, meaning I'd be outputting to some type of Pro-DV format, right?
3) I'm assuming any Firewire card will output to ALL consumer and Pro DV formats, since they are similar. Correct me if I'm wrong please.


Wise words welcomed,
-- JT

[Jerry Jones]

There are three levels:

1) Consumer DV
2) Intermediate (DVCPro & DVCAM)
3) Top tier digital formats

There's really no difference in visual quality between DV and DVCAM. DVCAM handles audio better for linear editing, however.

Nor is there any visual quality difference between DV and DVCPro... (except for better lenses and such that are more often included on the more expensive formats).

The quality, does, however, improve when you move up to the third tier of very expensive digital formats.

[cjyo~]

Jerry sort of answered your first question, but I'll add my 2 cents.

1) You must ask them exactly what "Digital Video" format they want. If it is one flavor of DV, the one format you make may not be the right one for their equipment. Digital Video probably means DV in this case, but it could also mean Digital Beta (which some festivals request), etc...
2) See 1. Don't assume anything, make the right tape for their machine.
3) I think so, though I haven't tried it. You can also probably find a transfer (video conversion) house to convert from one DV tape format to another if neccessary.

Good luck and let us know when your film is screening! (One of my shorts is screening in NYC in July

------------------
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[JTurner]

Thanks for the info.

Actually, at this point I'm just trying to figure out what I'd need to enter a decent film festival. A film I made with my friends was screened in Vancouver not so long ago. We didn't receive any nominations (we were close though), and want to try others. Unfortunately, our current production was done with Hi8 & MJPEG and output to SVHS...so most festivals are out of the question, at least for the current project.

Good luck in NYC, cjyo.

As well, if you have a list of amateur festivals and their websites, I'd really like to see them. Feel free to start a new thread (I'm here often -- I'll see it )

Thanks again

-JT

[cjyo~]

Sorry, there's not much order to these. If you look through them, there are a number of Festival Listing sites in between individual festival sites. (And no, I haven't sent my film to all of these )

<H3>Festival Bookmarks</H3>
<DL>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.telluridefilmfestival.com/" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">TFF - Home Page</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.sundance.org/festival/callforentries.htm" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">Call for Entries Brochure</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://3com.snap.com/directory/category/0,16,-20141,00.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">Snap_Entertainment_Movie s_Festivals_Short Film</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://3com.snap.com/directory/category/0,16,-20133,00.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">Snap_Entertainment_Movie s_Festivals_International</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.berlinale.de/english.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.festival-cannes.fr/cannes99/va/index.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">Site Officiel du Festival de Cannes _ Official Site of the Cannes Film Festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.insidefilm.com/" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">Inside Film Online</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.cannes50.com/" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">Welcome to the new Film Festivals server</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.tokyo-filmfest.or.jp/e_index.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">T.I.F.F. Homepage</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://home.earthlink.net/~dagmaragogo/" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">Hummadruz Global Sounds Film Festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.filmscouts.com/rooms95/library/festdbc2.asp" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">Festival Database</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.rcc.ryerson.ca/schools/photoart/newmedia/filmvid.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">NEW MEDIA_ FILM AND VIDEO</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.city.yamagata.yamagata.jp/yidff/en/home.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">YAMAGATA International Documentary Film Festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.slamdance.com/" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945234722">Slamdance Film Festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.sirius.com/~sstark/announce/announce.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">Alternative Cinema Announcements</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.sirius.com/~sstark/announce/290.htm" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">Call for Entries_ 5th Annual Chicago ASIAN AMERICAN SHOWCASE (Chicago)</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.insidefilm.com/calendar.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">Inside Film Online - Film Festivals Directory by Month</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://wit.no/filmfestival/off99/info.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">Oslo Filmfestival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.melbournefilmfestival.com.au/1999/index.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945246478">The 48th Melbourne International Film Festival - 1999</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://shortfilm.gdebussac.fr/fcm2000/home-eng.htm" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">2000 International Short Film Festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://filmfestivals.com/" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">Film Festivals Server _ The world of motion pictures events</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://216.22.221.130/servlet/JSCRun?obj=Fiche&CfgPath=ffs&id=92" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945235426">Welcome on the Film Festival Server !</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.cinequest.org/99/welcome.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">Welcome to Cinequest 9 - San Jose, CA Film Festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.film.com/reviews/rev_ff/" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753284">Film.com's Guide to Film Festivals</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.atlanticfilm.com/" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945235276">affframes</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.tahoefilmfestival.org/main.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945246304">1999 Lake Tahoe International Film Festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.chicago.ddbn.com/filmfest/index.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945236736">36th Chicago International Film Festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.sydfilm-fest.com.au/call_for_entries_47.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945246380">47th Sydney Film Festival - The Ultimate Cinema - June 9-23, 2000</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.hiff.org/hiff99/index.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945234946">1999 Hawaii International Film Festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.afionline.org/afifest/" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945236778">AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.seattlefilm.com/siff/default.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945234984">CINEMA SEATTLE About US</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.seattlefilm.com/" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945234930">CINEMA SEATTLE homepage</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.sbfilmfestival.org/15annual/info.php3" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945236176">FESTIVAL INTRODUCTION</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.acmi.canoe.ca/FilmFest/home.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945235148">Film Festivals Home</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://filmfestivals.com/" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945234992">Film Festivals Server The world of motion picture events</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.aafilmfest.org/" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945246838">HOME 38th Ann Arbor FILM FESTIVAL - a Festival of Independent & Experimental 16mm Film</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.filmmag.com/resource.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945245056">Indie Resources @ filmmag.com</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.laiff.com/" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945236538">Los Angeles Independent Film Festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.ffm-montreal.org/en/" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945235206">Montreal World Film Festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.rochesterfilmfest.org/" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="944636088">Movies on a Shoestring</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.filmlinc.com/nyff/nyff2.htm" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945236436">new york film festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.filmfestivals.com/htmlus/intro2us.htm" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945245962">palm springs</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.psfilmfest.org/PSShort99/index.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945246312">Palm Springs International Film Festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.sfiff.org/enter/" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945236358">San Francisco Film Society - Enter Your Film</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.sbfilmfestival.org/15annual/festentry.php3" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945236224">santa barbara</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.festival-cannes.org/cannes99/va/index.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945233746">Site Officiel du Festival de Cannes - Official Site of the Cannes Film Festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.festival-cannes.org/cannes99/va/contact/regie/index.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945234522">Site Officiel du Festival de Cannes</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.tahoefilmfestival.org/entryform2.html" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945245748">Tahoe International Film Festival Entry Form</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://216.22.221.130/servlet/JSCRun?obj=Fiche&CfgPath=ffs&id=413" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945236134">telluride</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.bell.ca/filmfest/99/index2.asp" ADD_DATE="951171387" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="945235186">Toronto International Film Festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.jp.msn.com/a-shorts/" ADD_DATE="951171388" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="946753308">AMERICAN SHORT SHORTS</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.sdaff.org/" ADD_DATE="952234183" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="952234184">San Diego Asian Film Festival</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.temple.edu/nextframe/" ADD_DATE="955874992" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="955874994">NextFrame-</A>
<DT><A HREF="http://www.asiancinevision.org/ff2000/entryrules.html" ADD_DATE="956817135" LAST_VISIT="960706800" LAST_MODIFIED="956817136">Asian American International Film Festival 2000</A>
</DL>


[This message has been edited by cjyo~ (edited 12 June 2000).]

[This message has been edited by cjyo~ (edited 12 June 2000).]