The Blackmagic Camera 7.7 update–which further enhances sensor performance for the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K–has been unveiled.
The update from Blackmagic Design optimizes the 12K sensor by further improving the clarity of fine detail in shadow regions. It also provides a more neutral color balance with a more accurate starting point for better skin tones, while still retaining the natural soft highlight rolloff of film which customers enjoy from URSA Mini Pro 12K. In addition, the incidence of moire has been reduced when capturing ultra high resolution scenes with very high frequency fabrics or architectural textures.
“The images have that creamy but detailed film look that is so pleasant and also reach well into the highlights and shadows. There are no artifacts which is really important for my work,” said Christian Sebaldt, ASC, in testing a beta of the update. “And skin tones always look natural and, to me, these are features of a $40,000 camera.”
Cinematographer Vance Burberry extensively beta tested the new update on live productions. “After shooting three projects with the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the new update makes the image cleaner in the shadows,” said Burberry. “Usually, I’d never try to pull up the shadows, but when I did, there was less noise and at normal exposure, the shadows stayed very clean. There is something special about the URSA Mini Pro 12K’s sensor. It has this incredible resolution but at the same time, has a delicateness to it that really reminds me of film.”
Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K is billed as a revolution in digital film with a 12,288 x 6480 12K Super 35 sensor and 14 stops of dynamic range, built into the award winning URSA Mini body. The combination of 80 megapixels per frame, new color science and the flexibility of Blackmagic RAW makes working with 12K a reality. Oversampling from 12K provides 8K and 4K images with the subtle skin tones and extraordinary detail of high end still cameras. Users can shoot at 60 fps in 12K, 120 fps in 8K and up to 240 fps in 4K Super 16. URSA Mini Pro 12K features an interchangeable PL mount, as well as built in ND filters, dual CFast and UHS-II SD card recorders, a SuperSpeed USB-C expansion port and more. DaVinci Resolve Studio is included for creative control through post from editing to color, VFX and more.
URSA Mini Pro 12K’s extreme resolution affords customers the benefits of shooting with film including incredible detail, wide dynamic range and rich, deep color. The camera can be deployed for feature films, episodic television and immersive, large format IMAX. The definition around objects makes it ideal for working with green screen and VFX including compositing live action and CGI.
“Cinematographers love the incredible look of the 12K sensor and generation 5 color science of the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K,” said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. “The new Blackmagic Camera 7.7 software update gets even more out of the incredible sensor without losing that special look that our customers love. We’re excited to be making this great camera even better whether our customers are using it on high end feature films, music videos, indie projects or even VFX work!”
Blackmagic Camera 7.7 update is now available as a free download from the Blackmagic Design website. Update features include:
- Improved color balance.
- Improved demosaic for better shadow detail MTF.
- Improved demosaic to reduce moire effects on fine patterns.
- USB-C connection improvements.
- Improved compatibility with ExAscend U.2 disks on URSA Mini Recorder.
SCHROM x Yacht Club and Be Electric Studios Launch Electric XR for Virtual Production
SCHROM x Yacht Club, a full-service live-action, tabletop, and postproduction company, has teamed with Be Electric Studios, a soundstage, equipment rental, and virtual production company, to launch Electric XR, a virtual production collective.
Industry veteran Thomas Rossano will lead the new venture, which provides advanced virtual production solutions across multiple facilities. He brings over 25 years of experience in live-action, tabletop, postproduction and talent curation to enhance Electric XR’s offerings as a resource for brands and agencies, as well as other production companies in need of virtual production solutions. Additionally Rossano continues to serve as EP at XR New York (XR-NY), a role he’s held since December 2022. SCHROM x Yacht Club originally established XR-NY to help provide XR services for third-party rentals. While XR-NY will continue to function independently for SCHROM X Yacht Club, it now operates under the Electric XR umbrella.
Rossano’s expertise spans producing live-action commercials, branded content, interactive and experiential content. In addition to leading Electric XR, he holds responsibilities at SCHROM x Yacht Club which include driving business development, collaborating with sales reps and expanding the company’s creative talent network. Rossano’s career includes serving as an exec producer at Hungry Man for about 11 years, right from that company’s inception. He then went on to become a partner at Station Film where he also had a lengthy tenure. Later he was a partner at PRISM. Then after the pandemic hit, he became a freelance EP for nearly two years, looking into opportunities in virtual production, which led him to XR NY and now Electric XR. Over the years, he has produced high-profile... Read More