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Tech Focus and Product Reviews
"Clear Blue Tuesday" Post-9/11 Dramatic Feature Punctuated
with Song, is Shot with Panasonic AG-HPX500 P2 HD Camcorders
.... Continued
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"The HPX500's dynamic range is very impressive as well," Germain said.
"This film features a lot of rock and roll music sequences, and I wanted
to give it a hard back light feel in several instances. The camera was
able to hold quite a bit of detail in those highlights and still give
me fantastic exposure in the shadows. I actually had to use less fill
light than I have ever used before. Indeed, the camera is so nicely balanced
on the low end of the exposure range that I was able to light one close-up
with only a single candle about 1� feet from our actor's face, allowing
the scene to feel extremely intimate."
The DP made extensive use of the HPX500's variable frame rate capture.
"We both over and under cranked the camera for different effects in the
film," he noted. "What was particularly helpful was the instant playback
of the shot, which allowed Elizabeth and me to test, review and decide
if we wanted more or less under or over crank.
"Most of our overcrank was at 48fps; for specific shots, like papers falling
through a green screen, we used 60fps to really capture them flowing through
the air. This was for an effects shot, and I was a bit nervous that we
were not going to be able to key in an off-speed capture. But the end
shot was fantastic, a tribute to the DVCPRO codec."
"After extensive talks with our rental house, the decision was made to
use SD lenses on the HPX500s," Germain said. "We were shooting in 720
24pN mode and a solid SD lens resolves over 800 lines. While the image
might have been a bit crisper with a true HD lens, I am extremely happy
with the resulting imagery in Clear Blue Tuesday. We shot with a longer
21x and wide 11x lenses, which made coverage of scenes easier as we could
shoot tights and wides at the same time, preserving what was essentially
an improvised script. We had a standard matte box set-up for the cameras,
but aside from a few special effects shots where the camera had to be
locked off, the film was pretty much handheld."
The Clear Blue Tuesday edit, effects work and color correction were handled
in Final Cut Studio. Director Lucas said that she was scheduling additional
screenings and video podcasts for the movie, and was planning to launch
a self-distributing marketing campaign.
"The HPX500 brought so much more than I could have expected to the production"
she said. "It was lightweight, affordable and, most importantly, the visual
quality is stunning." "In all, I had a great experience with the HPX500,"
Germain added. "The P2 system was robust and quick to use. In two weeks
of solid shooting, we never lost a frame. The DVCPRO codec was fantastic
for our special effects work with green screen. The image was consistent
from camera to camera, and from day to day. Ultimately, the proof is up
on the screen." For more information about Clear Blue Tuesday, visit www.clearbluetuesday.com.
Resources:
Panasonic AG-HPX500: www.panasonic.com/P2HD
Panasonic Broadcast: www.panasonic.com/broadcast
Clear Blue Tuesday (The Movie): www.clearbluetuesday.com
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