Why we film in 4K — 1080p vs. 4K

Based on feedback I’ve received on this article, I’m considering updating it. If you have any notes please add them to the comments below.
For Christmas in 2014, I purchased the Panasonic GH4 for myself. Prior to that, I had been filming on the Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera (BMPCC). The BMPCC has a sensor that emulates 16mm film and it has 13 stops of dynamic range (at 1080p). Since then, the GH4 has for the most part been my go to camera. It shoots Cinema 4K video, it shoots stills, and it can do time lapse photography. While the BMPCC is really good at one thing (emulating the film look), the GH4 is like a Swiss army knife.
Around the same time I purchased the GH4, the 4K debate started popping up. Should filmmakers film in 4K or 1080p?
With 4K footage, you need more storage space for your video files, and even after creating proxy files for your footage if you have an older laptop, editing footage can choke up your machine.
Since then, every piece of camera equipment I’ve been able to purchase has had the ability to take 4K footage. The GoPro Hero 4 Black shoots in 4K, my Dji Mavic pro drone shoots in 4K, and even my iPhone 6S can film in 4K.
As technology advances higher and higher resolutions will become available for filming and display. There are Hollywood films that have been filmed in 8K and you can get a 5K display from Apple.
While nearly all of our films are shot in 4K, they are all exported to 1080p when we go to distribute.
4K allows you to save time on set. Instead of filming a wide, a medium, and a close up shot, you can shoot wide and medium. By editing in a 1080p timeline, you can zoom in on the footage you filmed in 4K so a medium shot can easily become a close up while editing. By shooting in 4K, it also gives you the ability to re-crop the frame in post.
While I recommend filming in 4K, image resolution won’t improve the story of your screenplay. There are hundreds of films which had budgets of millions of dollars and they look like shiny turds. 28 Days Later was filmed on DV cameras. The audience has also become used to different formats and different resolutions in the same film
When we filmed iPhotographer, we filmed on a Nikon D800 in 1080p. We wanted the look that camera would give to our footage. If we want to have more leeway with the footage and push the image, we use the BMPCC and film in 1080p. When thinking about 4K vs. 1080p, it really comes down to the look you are trying to achieve. If you are interested in purchasing your first camera to start filmmaking, I would look at cameras that shoot in 4K because in the next few years that may likely become the new standard. If you don’t have that kind of budget, then think about upgrading your smartphone or take a look at any number of DSLRs that shoot 1080p. If you have a smartphone and an idea, you can make a short film.
Based on feedback I’ve received on this article, I’m considering updating it. If you have any notes please add them to the comments below.
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