TV producers must deliver shows to broadcasters in high-definition these days, but the decision to shoot on celluloid or HD still depends on the individual production.

The industry debate continues about cost versus quality. The bottom line is that HD usually saves money for TV producers, yet the quality of film is often still perceived to be superior. But HD technology is improving, so that creative gap is closing.

Producer Brian Hamilton of Vancouver’s Omni Film Productions insists that HD looks just as good as 16mm, which has traditionally been the format of choice for Canadian drama.

‘We have never had an issue with the quality we get from HD,’ says Hamilton, who is currently shooting the third season of CTV’s Robson Arms in HD (using the Sony HDW-F900). ‘These days the economics don’t make sense to shoot on film,’ he adds. ‘It would cost us more than $100,000 extra to shoot [13 half-hours] on film.’

Robson Arms DOP Kamal Derkaoui agrees that HD technology has improved greatly, overcoming many problems found during its infancy.

‘The cameras have more latitude, and shooting exteriors isn’t as much of a problem anymore,’ says Derkaoui. ‘You don’t have to fight the light as much in bright sun. It takes me a bit longer to achieve the look I want outdoors, but I am happy with the quality. It doesn’t look washed out – it looks beautiful.’

HD proponents also say that in most cases, HD shoots are no more time-consuming than film ones, even though there is all the cable setup and color balancing involved on set. Experience is vital.

‘In the early days of HD, setup took a lot longer, but now the camera team and crews have a lot more experience shooting high-def, so it isn’t as much of an issue,’ says Calgary-based first AD Andy Price, whose recent HD work includes the CBC special The Secret of the Nutcracker (see separate story, p. 22).

Aaron Martin, creator and exec producer of Blueprint Entertainment’s The Best Years, airing on Global, is also impressed with the quality and convenience of shooting in HD. However, he notes that the look of the show evolved during production, and that in early episodes of the university drama, lighting was an issue.

‘The dorm residence felt warm and collegial, but I found the club set looked a bit too cold. I think by later episodes we got closer and closer to the look we wanted,’ says Martin. The series is shot using Panasonic VariCams (720i).

When it comes to documentary filmmaking, HD is the way to go, according to Michael Allder, exec producer of CBC’s The Nature of Things. He notes that to compete globally in docs – selling to major broadcasters around the world – programs have to be shot on expensive 35mm or HD.

‘Super 16 isn’t good enough when you need a lot of precision, big expansive pictures and extreme close-ups,’ Allder explains.

Allder is currently producing Geologic Journey, a new five-part CBC miniseries that documents the 4.5-billion-year history of Canada’s landscape. The four-year project involved a cross-Canada shoot with numerous Wescam helicopter, jib and crane setups.

‘This series would have cost us four times the amount if we shot on 35mm film,’ he says. ‘We got the 35mm experience at a fraction of the price.’ The doc used Sony HDW-F900 cameras.

The challenge of shooting docs in HD is the bulkiness of the cameras, which can weigh up to 30 pounds.

‘There are some smaller-sized HD cameras, but they aren’t as good as the larger HD cameras,’ explains Allder. ‘They have half the color resolution and you don’t get the same precision of the picture.’

And not everyone is ready to convert to HD just yet.

Toronto’s Epitome Pictures continues to shoot its two CTV drama series, Degrassi: The Next Generation and Instant Star, on Super 16. Executive producer Stephen Stohn notes that, with film, DOPs have more flexibility to drop the backgrounds so they are not as sharply in focus. (Episodic background sets are more economical to build if they are shot soft focus.)

‘As new HD technology comes out that helps achieve more of a cinematic quality out of tape and a finer resolution in color, focus and gradation, we will make the switch to HD,’ says Stohn. ‘But it has to be at the point where we think we are getting top quality.’

Finding the right HD equipment is another issue, says Marc Charlebois, a Montreal-based Dop and assistant director currently working on several HD shows for Muse Entertainment.

‘Some of the top-of-the-line HD lenses aren’t available in Canada yet or are difficult to rent,’ Charlebois explains. ‘It can be hard to get your hands on the right lenses, and you often work with zooms that aren’t high-quality.’

HD equipment is also more fragile than film gear. ‘You have to be more careful,’ says Charlebois. ‘If you rig an HD camera on a car and are going at high speeds it can be scary, because there are so many electronics you can potentially break.’

Vancouver DOP Jan Kiesser agrees that for some projects film offers greater benefits than HD. He says that Screen Siren Pictures, producers of the CTV movie Luna: The Way Home, originally wanted to shoot in HD because it is more cost-effective, but he convinced them to shoot on film.

‘There is a perceived idea that HD is cheaper, but you have to consider, especially in exterior outdoor situations, if it is potentially going to take longer to light,’ Kiesser explains.

Producer Jordy Randall says Calgary-based Seven24 Films is shooting one series (Heartland) on 16mm and another (Shoebox Zoo) in HD, because the format is still dictated by the project.

‘Each show is different and we make our decisions based on what will serve the show best,’ he explains. ‘As costs come down and technology improves, it will be harder to resist going HD, but right now it is relatively close in price, so a creative judgment still carries the day.’