Entertainment Technology News

National Geographic's 5/3 'Expedition Grizzly' Shot in Yellowstone with P2 HD Camcorders

By Stacy Moore and Pat Lamb
posted May 4, 2009, 10:29

How Do You Shoot Eight-Foot, 800-Pound Grizzly Bears for National Geographic Channel? Carefully, with Panasonic P2 HD Camcorders

*AJ-HPX3000, AG-HPX500 & AG-HVX200 P2 HD Camcorders Team on Production Slated for May 3rd Airing on National Geographic Channel *

(Secaucus, NJ)� To meet the demands of a production whose parameters were largely determined by the behavior and whims of the grizzly bears of Yellowstone National Park, Grizzly Creek Films (Bozeman, MT) chose Panasonic P2 HDcamcorders to shoot an upcoming one-hour special for the National Geographic Channel (NGC). The AJ-HPX3000 native 1080p camcorder, AG-HPX500 2/3� shoulder-mount and the handheld AG-HVX200 were used to shoot the special.

On Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, NGC�s Expedition Grizzly featuring Casey Anderson presents the unique story of one man, naturalist Casey Anderson, who has dedicated himself to wildlife preservation and a daring approach to understanding grizzlies� every move � living among them in extreme conditions, observing their behaviors, and even tasting some of their favorite foods. Driven by compassion, Casey and his curious best friend Brutus, an 800-pound grizzly, take a yearlong odyssey to shed light on Yellowstone�s �island� population of about 600 grizzlies, hemmed in on all sides by roads and human settlement.

Grizzly Creek Films� producers Leslie Gaines, Thomas Winston and Becker Holland developed the project while making a series of short interactive informational films (shot with the HPX500) about grizzly bear awareness for the Draper Museum of Natural History at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, WY. That project featured Casey and Brutus to illustrate proper behavior by visitors when recreating in and around Yellowstone National Park. After observing the remarkable relationship between man and bear, as well as Casey�s in-depth knowledge of the Yellowstone grizzly population, Grizzly Creek Films pitched a 60-minute HD special entitled Casey & Brutus at the 2007 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival. The show was picked up by the NGC and moved into production in April of last year to coincide with the bears emerging from hibernation.

�The biggest challenge we faced going into production was figuring out how to simultaneously capture the natural history of the Yellowstone Grizzly and Anderson�s on-camera analysis and reactions,� said producer/DP Winston. �Unlike the grizzly bears often photographed in Alaska or along the roadside in Yellowstone National Park, the wild Yellowstone bears can be very difficult to locate and document because they are quick to retreat at the first sign of human intrusion. Consequently, I devised a two-camera strategy that integrates dynamic hand-held verit� footage of Casey tracking and observing the bears with classic, blue-chip natural history footage of the awesome grizzlies.�

Winston and fellow producer Gaines decided to combine the HPX500 and HVX200, both cameras they had used together on previous productions. The HVX200 was used for the verit� footage of Casey, and the HPX500 utilized for the long lens and more classic natural history footage. �The P2 solid-state acquisition format is a huge plus when shooting in the extreme conditions in and around Yellowstone, and the cameras could be easily configured to match looks in an A/B camera set-up,� said Winston. In order to maximize P2 card capacity in the field, the production was shot at 720/24pN.

�We chose the HPX500 for various reasons. First and foremost, it accepts the 2/3� ENG HD long lenses necessary for filming the bears at a safe distance for the crew and to avoid disrupting the animals,� Winston continued. �The camera�s ability to �over-crank� at 60fps is likewise a must for high-end natural history footage.� The DP shot on a Fujinon 42x zoom with a range of 13.5-570mm.

Second cameraman Rick Smith operated the HVX200, following Casey hand-held and recording sound directly to camera. �This camera is perfect for quick run-and-gun shooting when things happen in a split second in the field,� said Smith. �When your subject is a wild grizzly, the ability to move silently and at a moment�s notice is paramount. There are no second takes and you just can�t direct the bears.�

The Aerial Director of Photography was Gary Kaufman.

For a two-week window late in the shoot, the production team utilized an HPX3000 with a Fujinon 13x4.5 wide angle HD lens. �The true 1080p picture on the AVC-Intra codec paired with the ultra-sharp Fujinon glass made stunning pictures,� Winston said. �When we shot the �Brutus breakouts,� we added the HPX3000 on a CamMate crane to the mix (operated by veteran CamMate operator, Tony Haman), so we could have three cameras rolling, knowing that we wouldn�t have the benefit of multiple takes.�

�Our P2 HD camera systems achieved results better than imagined at the outset of the program,� Winston noted. �The production was able to mix the dynamic elements of a presenter-driven program like �The Crocodile Hunter� with the breathtaking footage of a classic natural history program like �Planet Earth.��

Expedition Grizzly featuring Casey Anderson
is structured to follow Casey into the Yellowstone Grizzly�s habitat and observe the bears� seasonal behaviors, from digging up voles and ground squirrels in early spring, to feeding on the Army Cutworm Moth at an altitude of 12,000-13,000 feet in late summer. For each section shot in the backcountry, there is a corresponding segment featuring Casey and Brutus working together, hands on, to illustrate the unique anatomy, physiology and behavior of these imposing animals. For example, after watching the bears dig up voles from a distance in the field, the viewer is brought to within inches of Brutus� massive claws as he digs for a food reward hidden three feet underground.

�The fluid story dictated the need for a small and nimble camera in tandem with the larger format 2/3� HPX500, especially considering that Casey, Rick and I were hauling two-camera packages into the backcountry along with our personal gear and equipment,� said Winston. �We worked with a local Bozeman backpack manufacturer, Mystery Ranch, to develop a custom pack set-up that allowed both cameras to be up-and-running within a minute of locating a bear in the field. The packs were crucial for protecting the cameras and tripods from being beat up on long hikes in harsh weather, from snow to rain to blowing dust.

�For the �up-close� segments with Casey and Brutus, the two cameras were again used to their respective strengths. The majority of the stand-ups that feature Casey were shot with the HPX500; the HVX200 was used for more innovative POV perspectives. For instance, we modified an Army Surplus Ammo Box to house the HVX200 in a safe enclosure buried underground, which Brutus reveals while digging for voles: we call it our �vole cam.��

In the field, footage was downloaded and backed-up onto 1TB FireWire 800 drives from Maxx Digital. �Maxx Digital makes drive housing and padded cases that are ideal for carrying in a backpack or throwing on a pack mule,� Winston said. �Upon returning to our edit suite in Bozeman, all P2 offloads were permanently backed-up up to tape on a Quantum LTO-3 deck and the footage from the drives was logged and transferred into Final Cut Pro 6 for the edit.�

�Our HPX500 and HVX200 camcorders and accessories as well as the LTO deck were purchased from Omega Broadcast in Austin, TX,� he added. �Consultation by the expert team at Omega Broadcast has been critical to the development of Grizzly Creek Films� tapeless workflow, from the field to post. �

The color correction and final HD output were done at Digital Arts (New York, NY). Colorist Axel Ericson used Apple�s Color software.

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Grizzly Creek Films and sister company, Dragonfly Productions, were early adopters of the Panasonic HVX200, buying two cameras upon their initial release. Winston and Gaines used the cameras out of the box on a short film on Sacagawea for the Mandan-Hidatsa-Arikara Indian tribes. �It was the first time we worked together and we literally unwrapped the cameras on the first location,� Winston said. �It was a little intimidating; however, the cameras worked well in the frigid temperatures of North Dakota and the images were beautiful.�

The next test for the HVX200s� durability came when Gaines and Holland shot a half-hour episode of their Emmy Award-winning series, Expedition Florida, for the Florida Museum of Natural History. The cameras were mounted on sea kayaks for a 100-mile trip down the Florida Saltwater Paddling Trail, enduring the saltwater environment and high humidity with no failures. �With tape cameras we always faced the very real possibility of the little red humidity light ending or delaying our shoot,� said Holland.

Winston also used the HVX200 to shoot his thesis film, �The Mongolian Marmot,� which was nominated for the BBC Newcomer Award at the 2008 Wildscreen Festival in Bristol, UK. For more information about Grizzly Creek Films, visit www.grizzlycreekfilms.com.

Expedition Grizzly featuring Casey Anderson is produced by Grizzly Creek Films, LLC for National Geographic Channel. Presenter is Casey Anderson. Executive producers are Leslie M. Gaines, Mailande Becker Holland and Thomas Winston. For National Geographic Channel, executive producer is Michael Welsh; senior vice president, special programming, is Michael Cascio; and executive vice president of content is Steve Burns.

About the AJ-HPX3000

With three 2/3� high-density 2.2-megapixel CCDs, the HPX3000 captures cinema-quality images in full-raster 1920 x 1080 resolution with 4:2:2 10-bit sampling, utilizing the powerful, new AVC-Intra codec. The HPX3000 offers intuitive film camera-like operation with advanced gamma settings, including Film-Rec mode (made popular by the VariCam).

About the AG-HPX500

The AG-HPX500 teams the full production-quality of 2/3� 3-CCDs, DVCPRO HD, 4:2:2 sampling and independent frame encoding with the versatility of interchangeable lenses and the creativity of variable frame rates.

About the AG-HVX200A

The AG-HVX200A 1/3� 3-CCD handheld P2 HD/DV camcorder now features improved progressive 3-CCD imagers, a DSP that increases sensitivity while lowering noise and smear, and a new 13X zoom lens. The ultra-versatile HVX200A records in 1080i and 720p in production-proven 100 Mbps DVCPRO HD quality, with the ability to capture images in 21 record modes.

About Panasonic Broadcast

Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast and professional video products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a unit of Panasonic Corporation of North America. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE Symbol: PC) and the hub of Panasonic�s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. For more information on Panasonic Broadcast products, visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast.

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Editorial Contacts:
Stacy Moore, (201) 392-4458, moorest[at]us[dot]panasonic[dot]com
Pat Lamb, (518) 692-8150, patalamb[at]aol.com