Bongeziwe Mabandla's music video shot on new Fujifilm X-H1 by Rick Joaquim

24 April, 2018 - 08:08

Bongeziwe Mabandla's latest music video offering Bawo Wam is feast of visual delight. The music video was both directed and shot by Rick Joaquim - An award-winning Cinematographer and Director of Photography based in Johannesburg.

Last year December I was given the opportunity to shoot a music video on the then unreleased FUJIFILM X-H1. I had been toying around with the idea of a Double Exposure music video for quite a while and thought this would be the perfect project to try it out on. Says Rick

The music video employs the use of Double Exposure, which is a photographic technique that combines two different images composited over one another into a single frame and is something Rick had always found super beautiful and interesting. The technique has been implemented for years in photography but he really wanted to apply it to his cinematography. So the way I went about this was that we shot all the foreground plates and people against a green-screen, this allowed us to superimpose any images and footage I would shoot later on over the characters as well as affording us way more flexibility in post-production. Says Rick.

The FUJIFILM X-H1 takes the seat as the top performing mirrorless camera in Fujis X series range and shooting the music video with the brand new X-H1 offered Rick a lot of benefits he was use to from other cameras. The X-H1 records actual 4K (4096 x 2160p) internally but can also output 4k to an External Recorder, such as the Atomos Shogun Inferno. Although the output is only 8-bit, internal recording is done at 4:2:0, and 4:2:2 can be output over the HDMI port. Full HD footage can now be recorded at either 50 or 100 Mbps in 1080p at 120 fps - Slow motion is always a welcome addition to any camera.

Another added featured Rick enjoyed was that the the FUJIFILM X-H1 also offers F-log, which is Fujifilm's flat video profile that allows for more dynamic range and options in post when pushing the footage. The X-H1 is also the first camera in the X Series to include ETERNA, a new film simulation ideal for shooting movies. This mode simulates cinematic film, creating understated colors and rich shadow tones, greatly enhancing creative freedom during post-processing - it can be used as an end-point in itself or to give yourself a degree of latitude for colour grading.

The X-H1 also brings amazing In-body Image Stabilization (IBIS) for hand-held shooting and not to mention Fujifilms Dynamic Range modes to video recording for the first time, allowing you to capture more highlight information. says Rick

I have to thank my crew on this project, I was able to work with some of my industry friends on this music video. A big thank you also has to go to my Animator, Charl Naud who was a big part of this music video and helped me handle a huge part of the Post-Production on this. We had 142 shots that were shot on green screen and needed to be keyed, composited and graded. says Rick. We also decided very early on that we wanted the whole music video to be in black and white, and shooting for black and white is something I quite enjoy as both a Cinematographer and Photographer, as it makes you think in terms of tones and contrast instead of colour.

I feel this camera could be quite a game changer in the mirrorless video market, it's going to offer a lot of filmmakers a new tool to shoot with. Especially for those trying to break into video and coming from stills originally. It's a great Hybrid camera, and although it won't replace dedicated video cameras it offers a lot of Pro Video features that we were able to make use of for this project. says Rick.

TravelStart Flight and Hotel Bookings

TravelStart Bookings for the Film Industry

Get More Film Business South Africa

Select your Membership

Bongeziwe Mabandla's Bawo Wam music video comes out officially on the 4th of May 2018.

Official Fujifilm X-H1 Highlight Specs:

- X processor Pro

- Integrated 5-axis image stabilization (IBIS)

- Vibration-free closure

- Professional video features (including Cinema 4K)

- Large electronic viewfinder with 3.69 million pixels

- Folding and swiveling 7.6 cm (3 inch) 1.04 million touch screen LCD pixels

- 25 cm (1.8 inch) shoulder display

- Particularly robust housing

- Splashproof and dustproof

- Cold-resistant to minus 10 degrees

- Improved AF algorithm

- Dual memory card slot

- Wi-Fi function

- Film simulation modes (including ETERNA)

Music Video Crew Credits:

Director Director of Photography: Rick Joaquim

Focus Puller Additional Camera Operator: Martin Bleazard

Choreographer: Nina Erasmus

Art Director Wardrobe: Aliswan Martin Button

Make-Up: Jess Van Kerkhof

Lead Animator VFX: Charl Naud - Kilroy Was Here! Productions

Offline Editor: Gideon Breytenbach - Kilroy Was Here! Productions

Opening Title Design Online Edit : Dan McCauley Jesse Konrad Coetzee - Dolph

BTS: Tim Griesel

Grading: Jarryd Duthoit - Mushroom Post

Gear Rental House: Media Film Services

Special Thanks: Fujifilm Global and Fujifilm SA, Eslie Basson , Jonathan Coetzee and Hayley Chater from Media Film Service , Tiago Nazareth, Steve Castings, Tim Griesel and Arabella de Meillon.

Rick Joaquim is a freelance Cinematographer and Director of Photography based in Johannesburg, South Africa. He shoots Commercials, Narratives, Music Videos and is represented by Exposure Crew.

Embedded video for Bongeziwe Mabandla's music video shot on new Fujifilm X-H1 by Rick Joaquim

Music Videos

Africa South Africa

Rick Joaquim

https://vimeo.com/rickjoaquim

https://www.instagram.com/rickjoaquim

http://www.exposurecrew.tv/south-african-cinematographers/rick-joaquim/

LINK:	http://www.filmcontact.com/news/south-africa/bongeziwe-mabandlas-music...
	See more stories from filmcontact

Most recent headlines