Leading cinematographers are beginning to evaluate–and in some cases use–new digital cinematography cameras for commercialmaking. This is an area to constantly watch, as digital technologies are evolving at a fast pace–and so too are developments in film stocks (see Kodak story, p. 1).
To understand the impact of these developments on production and post, individuals and organizations are spearheading test efforts. Perhaps the most high profile upcoming effort, the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Technology Committee–which is chaired by feature and commercial director of photography Curtis Clark, ASC–is readying to embark on a series of evaluations of digital cinematography cameras, in conjunction with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) Scientific and Technical Council.
At this point, with some digital cameras just beginning their rollout, opinions may vary with regard to individual technologies and their advantages and disadvantages, but in general Clark and others who have started to use these systems report that at this stage of the game, many [digital] cameras don’t have the latitude film has, but they do offer advantages in commercialmaking when “used properly.” SHOOT talked with some of the early users.
IMPRESSIONS
“The [Panavision] Genesis is a fantastic tool for commercials,” says Jeff Cronenweth, ASC. “It allows you to cut to the intermediate process; you don’t have to digitize the image, so you can apply those finishing resources to something else in the spots. Often budgets mandate a certain protocol. If you can achieve the directed result and cut the cost, you’ve won a great battle. [The Genesis] is a very good tool if used properly.”
Cronenweth has already shot a number of commercials using the Genesis camera, including a Chevy Impala spot, “Arrival”, directed by Nico Beyer of Venice-based Chased by Cowboys, via Campbell-Ewald Advertising, Warren, Mich., and two spots for Texas Instruments–“Bonfire” and “Be There”–out of J. Walter Thompson, Atlanta, which Cronenweth co-directed with his brother Tim out of his L.A.-based production company Untitled.
“Bonfire” features night exteriors lensed on location in Southern California. On shooting with the Genesis, the cinematographer says, “Your ratios are slightly different, but I don’t think creatively you are limited. You have to be a little more conscious of latitude. The Genesis — mimics film’s latitude, but doesn’t quite have the range. But you adapt your style.”
“Lenses are a fantastic advantage of the Genesis,” Cronenweth continues. “Panavision Primo lenses–I very much love the look of the glass. The idea that you can use the same [35mm] lenses on a digital camera brings that much more confidence with the new technology.”
Lens choices are also a key factor for cinematographers such as Mark Doering Powell, who is pleased to have the options of his favorite lenses. The director of photography recently used the Grass Valley Viper to lens a four-spot campaign produced by philsfilms, Venice, for Fisher Price via Foote, Cone & Belding, New York. The shoot took place at Lion’s Gate Stages in Vancouver, B.C.
He says he applied lenses including the Canon 21x and 11x HD Zooms “because they are beautiful cine-style zooms, the 270 degree barrel rotation focus scale is accurate and doesn’t seem to drift away like some other zooms; Zeiss DigiPrimes, which are “simply the best glass around, tough to flare, great for the Focus Puller; and the CineMagic Revolution Lens.
The aforementioned Clark recently used the Arri D-20 to shoot a not yet airing LG commercial, which includes day interiors and night exteriors, lensed on location in Los Angeles.
“The D-20 has a lot of attributes that allow it to fit neatly and effortlessly into the shooting of commercials,” Clark relates. “The D-20 can produce a very filmic look–it looks like a film camera, and can use any 35mm lens because its imager is essentially the size of a Super 35mm lens.
“And you are able to set looks and see what those looks are with immediacy you don’t have in film,” he adds.
Clark has also already lensed commercials with Thomson’s Grass Valley Viper, and at press time was prepping for his first commercial with the Genesis. He also tested the Dalsa Origin.
When digital cameras are used, Clark explains, the up front decisions include whether the images will be lensed to a tape format such as HDCAM or to one of today’s available on-set data recorders.
“The post requirements are probably one of the first things you should look at,” Clark recommends to commercialmakers. “If data workflows start to influence thinking in the commercial world, then it would be interesting to see if originating in the data mode would be perceived to having an advantage over HDCAM SR. “Now, most post houses understand HDCAM.; they understand tape and know how to deal with tape. Data is something most commercial post houses currently don’t really deal in. It’s a matter of whether these things start to converge–where SR will fit into capture and finishing.”
Post is also weighing more heavily with film-based commercials. Reports Bill Bennett, ASC, “Lately, a trend for some of the spots I have been shooting is to scan an entire Super 35 negative at 2k, into the Cineon file format, which is a much larger color space and bit depth when compared to the video color space you get when you telecine to even a HD tape recorder, to give themselves even more flexibility and capability in post.”
Bennett has also put some of the developing digital camera technologies through the paces. For instance, earlier this year he led a series of camera assessments with Russell Carpenter, ASC, that took place at a CineGear master class. Footage was shot on the Arri D-20 and Dalsa Origin by Bennett, lit by Carpenter, and was then projected at Hollywood post house Laser Pacific , enabling cinematographers to compare these pictures and film.
AGENCY INTEREST
“I’ve been getting a lot of call from heads of production asking about HD,” reports Dana Christiansaan, director/cinematographer at Santa Monica-based Plum Productions. “Then they end up back on film. The idea is they are trying to save money, but the agencies are very concerned about image quality. So I want to make a little spot to show them [what digital cinematography could result in].”
The shoot took place a few weeks ago in the desert of El Mirage, Calif. The D-20 was used, attached to a gyro-stablized head on an Ultimate Arm that was mounted to a car. The camera car tracked stunt vehicles as they careened across a dry lakebed, putting the D-20 through rigorous speed, wind and dust conditions.
“I wanted to test its functionality in my kind of circumstances, and see how it interfaces with equipment that I use,” Christiansaan tells SHOOT. “It worked out very well –It was the kind of condition with uncontrollable light, in the desert, with hot sun, dark shadows and a silver car.”
At press time, Christiansaan had not yet completed his test, as the images had not yet gone through color correction and postproduction. When finished, the demo will be used for agency evaluation.
Bennett, who also tested the D-20, adds, “I believe the D-20 would be appropriate for some types of commercial work, though it still doesn’t have anywhere near the dynamic range that film cameras have.” In general, he adds, “Even though these large chip cameras are designed to eventually provide for some level of high frame rate shooting, there are presently limitations preventing full use of that feature. Apparently the constraint is not in the camera, but rather in the recorder technology.”
Bennett relates that at this point in time, he has not been getting requests from agencies for digital camera shoots. And he adds that while the digital cameras are advancing, there is still a comfort level with film at the agencies. “In the words of one of the agency heads of production: For the amount of money that gets spent to get a director, shooting crew, their equipment and the cars on location, the ‘savings’ of the cost of the film stock and processing is insignificant, and that savings is in return for what? Less latitude and less flexibility while shooting and less flexibility when color correcting and image manipulating in post?
“Don’t get me wrong, I believe that all the manufacturers have made tremendous advances in electronic imaging cameras in the past five years,” Bennett says. “The cameras have become quite a bit better, smaller, and more user friendly. They will find a place for some commercial productions. But, the film cameras — are still way out in front in terms of flexibility in shooting and in postproduction.
“With the tremendous latitude and resolution available to me in the film negative, I can shoot much faster, and in more demanding lighting situations, with full confidence that I will have, at the end of the day, images that can be telecined to high definition, or scanned at even greater bit depth and resolution for effects work, and yield a result that will make my clients happy,” Bennett relates. “And that’s what counts.”
