Okay, Sony probably took the needed precaution to keep the Phantom Flex paint-free, but this high-speed camera lives up to its name by demonstrating how a filmmaker can take a 3 second shot of paint cans exploding and turn it into a minute and a half long kaleidoscopic opus. For a behind the scenes look to find out how they did it, check out the video after the jump.
We’ve covered the Phantom Flex thoroughly here at NFS, so for a full rundown on the details, you can find them here. The advertisement was created for the BRAVIA W9 LED TV from Sony with Triluminous display. The filmmaking team shot it at 900 fps, and they report that they took “all day to set up the shot for just a couple of seconds of filming.” Such is life in slow motion filmmaking, right?
Check out the behind the scenes video below to see just how much work went into filming a three-second commercial.
When I first saw this ad I was mesmerized by the dreamlike way the camera took me through these exploding colors — to be quite honest, I forgot I was watching a commercial for a TV. It’s exciting to see even more of what the Phantom Flex can do — especially when it’s hooked up to a jib like that.
What do you think of the Sony ad? Have you ever used the Phantom Flex? If you haven’t, what would be your dream project if you had one at your complete disposal?
links : Phantom-Flex-4K
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It has been relatively quiet on the RED front regarding their fire-breathing beast known simply as DRAGON. We saw the first actual images from the camera back in February, and there was mention a few weeks ago that some internal power supplies needed to be redesigned as they were getting additional noise in the shadows. While development seems to be edging towards completion, Jarred has finally posted our first glimpse of the monster in the wild:
The picture above also includes a new XL battery module, as well as an upgraded top plate that they will be releasing to compensate for the newer fan.As you can see.. The Dragon roll out is happening a little differently than we have in the past. I promise you there wont be a sudden email from out of nowhere that goes out that says ” ok send your camera in or you loose your spot “.
We are keeping the progress very internal… there will be a stage where the testing becomes much more public, you will start seeing footage and test results, and you will start to get a better sense of when notification will happen.
There is still work to do.. the Dragon has more than we are squeezing out of it. We are sitting on one of the best sensors in the world and it deserves the time to make sure it is the best that it can be.
He also addressed what can we expect for stability with the camera when it is released and where the testing currently is:
Right now the Dragons are many, many times more stable than when we shipped the first Epics. Getting the camera to work isn’t what we are working on, it is fine tuning the sensor.. the icing on the cake. So yeah, as with any new product the first ones out will be a bit Janky, but we have already made those. We started actually doing the sensor upgrades at NAB remember. We have made a ton of Dragon cameras already. Once the sensor is tuned.. the power boards are in, its a pretty ” safe ” upgrade ( I am sure I just jinxed it.. )
It certainly seems like an attempt to get everything right the first time (instead of after many firmware updates), but as with anything, the more time you take to perfect and optimize, the longer it’s going to take to release. Unfortunately, they are at a point where any moving image that comes out of the camera has to absolutely blow people away, especially as many are still sitting on the fence about whether or not to upgrade. I thought Sony did a pretty good job showing people what the new F55 could do, and there is no doubt having a video like that can help convince people to try out a particular camera.
I think if RED really wanted to impress, they would get a high-profile director to make a film for them, very similar to the early days when Peter Jackson shot Crossing the Line with the original RED ONE:
And if you want to impress us with low-light capabilities, getting David Fincher to shoot something only with cigars and candles would be pretty interesting. Here he is testing the RED ONE MX:
If you want to show off the dynamic range, give us these kinds of images without HDR-X:
in other RED news, they are currently shipping the upgraded fans that were talked about during NAB that should be quieter and more efficient. They have also released a firmware update for EPIC and SCARLET that provides support for these fans. There is still no word yet on when we can expect the newer fan speed algorithms that should also greatly improve fan noise and efficiency. This may very well be an update that coincides with the release of DRAGON, but at this point Jarred has not mentioned any more about it.
It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few months, and if they start delivering DRAGON-upgraded cameras this summer.
What kinds of tests would you like to see with DRAGON? What would really impress you?
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They are coming. Gyro-stabilized camera rigs, that is. Some of you are officially not impressed, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t about to be inundated with stabilizers. So what’s the big deal? Should you even care? The answer probably depends on the kind of work you do, but in the next 3-5 years, gyro camera stabilizers like Freefly’s MōVI are going to be as ubiquitous as sliders and jibs. Don’t think so? Read on for more and check out some exclusive footage from NAB 2013 using the MōVI.
It you’re still not quite clear on how it works, Freefly posted this last month which answered some of the more common questions:
There were plenty of people crowding around this little guy at NAB, but I finally got my hands on it. No, this footage shot on the Canon 5D Mark III is not perfectly smooth, but there are two things to consider: I didn’t practice with it, and it was near the end of the show, so the balance was slightly off. That may sound like I’m excusing the performance, but I’d been around the device earlier in the week watching people doing the very same thing I was and getting amazingly smooth footage. I was shooting in single operator mode here, so the rig was panning depending on how fast or slow I rotated:
While the clip itself might not be as impressive as some of the other samples we’ve seen, if you’ve ever picked up a Steadicam or handheld stabilizer for the first time, there is a very good chance your footage looked terrible. It doesn’t matter who you are, but not only are all of those rigs very difficult to balance without a lot of practice, but they are also very difficult to operate without experience. This is why Steadicam operating is a very specialized position, and why those who do it are some of the highest paid crew on a film set.
Something I’ve heard over and over again is that this can’t do anything that regular support equipment can’t already do. That’s absolutely true for most shots — but looking at it that way is slightly missing the point. What’s impressive is that it can actually do many of the same things as multiple pieces of gear. Many are not going to be able to afford a MōVI, but not only are other cheaper solutions coming out, but there’s no reason why you have to own a piece of gear like this — renting is definitely going to be an option.
Either way, it’s pretty clear to me why people like Vincent Laforet are excited. He posted this footage recently using the MōVI with a RED EPIC which had its IR filter removed — there is one shot in particular that gives you an idea of what might be possible with a stabilizer like this:
There are some things to work out, no question. One potential solution to the fact that a heavy camera support device like this is going to get very tiring is something like the Easy Rig. That would give full mobility while still supporting the entire rig, and solves most of the issues about fatigue. As far as keeping focus, you can always try to stay wider with your lenses, or use Super 35mm or smaller sensors with high f-stops to give maximum depth of field. Otherwise, yes, you’ll probably need someone operating a wireless follow focus. Single operator mode on the MōVI actually works pretty well, and I imagine other stabilizers will probably work out their own solutions. Being a solo operator will be possible, but it will all depend on what you’re shooting.
Gyro stabilizers are nothing new, but they’ve normally been up in the sky, and not on the ground. There are a few reasons why I think the popularity of these are going to explode, mostly because I’ve seen at least a half-dozen prototypes of devices similar to the MōVI. Here are just two of the many I’ve seen in the last few months:
I think it’s important to consider what this really means for the industry. Is it revolutionary? I think so. Maybe not in this current iteration, but we will reach a point where anyone will be able to pick up one of these and almost immediately operate like a professional Steadicam operator (or at least very close to it). For those who do operate, that may sound ridiculous and/or scary, but we’re well on our way, because the gyros compensate for any and all movements when they are calibrated correctly. When we increase the weight limits and continue to bring prices down, the era of the specialized operator — at least at the lower end — might be over. This is true democratization, when one tool can perform the job of many and be operated by someone with little experience.
Plenty of you might be thinking all of this is complete exaggeration and these are will never be anything more than a toy — and certainly never produce footage on par with professional stabilizers. The reason I think all of that is going to happen is because we have RAW-shooting cameras for a few thousand dollars and complete motion control systems for $5K. You would have been laughed at just five years ago for suggesting either of those things — yet, here we are.
Filmmaking is a growing business, and whenever there is heated competition, people solve problems quickly to stay ahead. That’s going to happen here. Will steady, flowing shots be overused? Probably, just like with any technique, but the fact that anyone will be able to produce amazingly smooth Steadicam-like camera movements sometime in the next few years is what I would call revolutionary, and any tool that can speed up your workflow on-set and allows you to shoot more in less time — and with fewer resources — is going to be an essential one.
Any technique can be overused, but Vincent manages to say it perfectly:
You’ll need to remind yourself that: “Just because you can… doesn’t mean you should…” and sometimes if not often “less is more.” And oh yeah: K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple Stup#d…. because while the tool will open up so many doors and creative possibilities, it won’t re-define the way we should shoot coverage, or the pacing of cinema. And the beauty of the MōVI is that you can do a 10 minute take just as easily as a 10 second slide, let alone a 2 second locked off shot.
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