Award Winning Short Deadline Produced with Pocket Cinema Camera 6K and DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton August 17, 2023
0 Comments
Directed by United Arab Emirates (UAE) based filmmaker Shihan Shoukath, Deadline tells the story of a customer service worker in a rather unusual call center who finds his shift going from bad to worse. In this film, Shoukath sought to explore themes as profound as grief and personal identity through a lens of introspection and empathy.
Deadline had a successful festival run in 2022, perhaps most significantly picking up three awards for Best Original Story, Best Acting Debut and Best Director Short Film at the monthly Cannes World Film Festival in July of that year.
The success continued into 2023, with a US festival run bringing a limited cinema release in May, further public and festival screenings globally, and a return to Cannes in June, this time to walk the red carpet and claim the Cannes World Film Festival's prize for Best Original Story, at an event that has previously honored the likes of Clint Eastwood and Jennifer Lopez.
As a viewer, from Deadline's opening shot, you are struck by a rich tonal quality that belies the film's guerrilla origins.
Shot in one night with a single actor (Shoukath's brother Ishan) on screen and Shoukath tripling up as writer, director and cinematographer, Deadline explores new storytelling techniques that challenge conventional norms and stimulate meaningful conversations.
Shot in 6K, Shoukath employed a set to post Blackmagic RAW workflow, with acquisition on a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K digital film camera.
Choosing the right camera was crucial given the short shoot. There was no room for error as the lead was flying out of town the following day, coupled with the minimal equipment and crew available. We did a lot of research before investing in the 6K Pocket camera because we didn't have a big budget, Shoukath says. Factoring in the camera's size, battery duration, and its abilities, this was the right one.
Even with a bigger budget, bigger crew and more color supervisors on board, we would still choose this camera.
It's the perfect cinema camera, with great dynamic range and color science. Its false color feature played a vital role in the visual storytelling, helping us to monitor exposure levels accurately and light on set while maintaining the desired tonal range to create visual contrast, points out Shoukath.
The camera's dynamic range helped us to capture a broader range of highlight and shadow detail, resulting in visually stunning and immersive imagery, which enhanced the narrative's depth and atmosphere, he continues.
Capturing in Blackmagic RAW also came with further advantages, as post and editing took place in DaVinci Resolve Studio.
Deadline's shoot may have been a one night affair, but Shoukath allowed himself a more leisurely post process, partly through necessity since key crew were based abroad, including Italy based Color Supervisor Valerio Morini.
August 21, 2023Anthill Films' Editing and Grading Workflow Now Twice as Fast with DaVinci Resolve StudioBlackmagic Design today announced that Canadian production house Anthill Films was able
August 14, 2023Environmental Doc Common Ground Relies on Blackmagic DesignBlackmagic Design today announced that the full length feature documentary Common Ground
Post production, including editing, color grading and audio, relied on DaVinci Resolve Studio. Three to four months of video conferenced editing, soundtracking, color grading and post ensued, which Shoukath says was his favorite part of production.
The camera's ability to capture footage in Blackmagic RAW ensured maximum flexibility and control during color grading. This seamless integration allowed us to easily fine tune the look and feel of the film, achieving the desired grade and overall visual aesthetic, notes Shoukath.
The powerful tools and efficient workflow within DaVinci Resolve, combined with the native support for Blackmagic RAW, facilitated a streamlined and cohesive post production process, saving time while preserving the integrity of the captured imagery, he adds.
The initial concept for Deadline was to create a short film specifically for online platforms like Instagram and YouTube. However, as Shoukath progressed through the production process and witnessed the exceptional results, he realized the film's potential for a broader audience.
The title Deadline was chosen through an interactive process involving Shoukath's Instagram followers. He explains, I wanted to engage with my audience and involve them in the creative decision making for the film. I conducted a poll, and after evaluating the responses, Deadline' emerged as the clear favorite. The title perfectly encapsulates the film's central theme, reflecting the high stakes, time sensitive narrative that unfolds within the story.
In the words of the filmmaker, its great success can be attributed to a combination of factors. Firstly, the film's compelling storytelling, which engages viewers on an emotional level, played a significant role, coupled with the recognition at renowned film festivals, which highlights the film's ability to resonate with audiences, states Shoukath.
And secondly, the technical excellence a Blackmagic workflow delivered elevated the production quality, resulting in a visually striking and immersive experience, he concludes.
Enjoying the news? Sign up for the Creative COW Newsletter! Sign up for the Creative COW newsletter and get weekly updates on industry news, forum highlights, jobs, inspirational tutorials, tips, burning questions, and more! Receive bulletins from the largest, longest-running community dedicated to supporting professionals working in film, vid
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
10/06/2026
DAZN-owned digital-media company launches three fan-first series leaning into cr...
10/06/2026
Clear-Com has announced the appointment of Jason Dino as Southwest Regional Sales Manager USA, covering Southern California and the Southwest region. Dino joins...
10/06/2026
An 11% decrease in number of global broadcast deals reflects the organization...
10/06/2026
The Women Without Boundaries Awards recognize women whose work is advancing the future of media, broadcast, AV, workplace technology, digital experience, and re...
10/06/2026
Today is match day minus two for FIFA and HBS. On Thursday, there will be two ma...
10/06/2026
SES is supporting broadcast distribution of the world's biggest football tou...
10/06/2026
NDI has announced that BirdDog has become the first hardware manufacturer to achieve full NDI 6.3 compatibility across its complete lineup of cameras, encoders,...
10/06/2026
Vince Caputo and Scott Carter, winners of the 2026 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Post Produced Audio have been announced as presenters for the 2026 SVG Advanced A...
10/06/2026
FOX One today unveiled a slate of new product features and enhancements designed to elevate the viewing experience for fans on the official streaming platform o...
10/06/2026
Primary production partners Dome Productions and Raycom Sports once again played...
10/06/2026
The Women in Sports Filmmaking Experienceship is an immersive professional devel...
10/06/2026
The league has expanded its HSAN architecture for the NBA Finals to manage more ...
10/06/2026
The inaugural MoonPay X Games League (XGL) Winter Draft will take place Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at Cosm Los Angeles from 7-9 p.m. PT. The event will strea...
10/06/2026
The University of Oklahoma (OU) Athletics Department and Learfield have announce...
10/06/2026
The Video Services Forum (VSF) has released TR-06-4 Part 8, a new specification for RIST Satellite-Hybrid: Out-of-Band Method. The specification creates a mecha...
10/06/2026
Riedel Communications provided the communications infrastructure for the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Lisbon, supporting live medical proc...
10/06/2026
A still from The Doom Generation by Gregg Araki (Courtesy of Sundance Institute)
By Lucy Spicer
Have you checked out our Sundance Film Festival 101 list yet...
10/06/2026
Get Hands-On with Interfaces & Mic Preamp Brands
If youre after a new interface or preamp, then GearExpo UK is the place to be! Well have a whole host of au...
10/06/2026
November 13-14 2026, The Midway, San Francisco
Following their recent rebranding, MONO Music Conference (formerly Music Expo) have officially announced thei...
10/06/2026
Debut instrument free for limited time
deFORM is the debut release from newly founded developer ebbandflow, and it's being offered as a free download fo...
10/06/2026
Alone Australia Season 4: Meet the Cast
10 June, 2026
Media releases
WATCH THE TRAILER
Smash-hit survival series Alone Australia drops its highly anticipa...
10/06/2026
DEADLY THEN, DEADLY NOW, DEADLY ALWAYS: SBS & NITV IGNITE NAIDOC WEEK 2026 WITH ...
10/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and TRUMPF advance laser-based drone defense with THORIS LCS Rohde & Schwarz is showcasing THORIS at ILA 2026: A sovereign, end to end counter...
10/06/2026
MAHLE and Rohde & Schwarz develop application for sensor testing of modern drive...
10/06/2026
Production and Development Funding supports the creation of compelling, commercially viable, artistic and culturally relevant South African screen content. Deve...
10/06/2026
Media buyers and sellers can now compare YouTube reach from computer, mobile, an...
10/06/2026
Accedo, Humans not Robots, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) have announced the launch of Ecoflow X. Formerly an IBC Accelerator project, ...
10/06/2026
Frequency, the engine powering the world's leading streaming television channels, today announced that James Smith has joined the company as General Manager...
10/06/2026
At the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Lisbon, Riedel Communications provided the communications infrastructure for live medical procedures s...
10/06/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media, and entertainment managed services, today announced the launch of its Content Exchange platform powered by Or...
10/06/2026
Klvr will showcase how venues, integrators and production teams are rethinking disposable battery usage at InfoComm 2026 (Las Vegas, June 17-19, booth #N6311). ...
10/06/2026
The Video Services Forum (VSF) has further enhanced the Reliable Internet Streaming Transport (RIST) protocol by incorporating a new feature, RIST Satellite-Hyb...
10/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/06/2026
10 Jun 2026
VEON's Banglalink Brings Every World Cup 2026 Match to Football...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
How to watch every ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 match live on Sky Sports
Where is the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 availabl...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
P RLA brings first-ever Beautifully Clean Oral Care'...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
Sky reveals pulse-pounding first teaser trailer for upco...
10/06/2026
Wuppertal June 10, 2026
Riedel Artist at the Heart of the 14th World Live Neurovascular ConferenceAt the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Li...
10/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Showcases New Mobile Experience, Collections and Games Vision in APAC
Product
10 June 2026
GlobalSouth KoreaJapan
Link copied to c...
10/06/2026
Back to All News
Ready to Join? The Netflix Fan Club Arrives at Cannes Lions
Business
10 June 2026
Global
Link copied to clipboard
Download all assets
N...
10/06/2026
Chemists snap together complex 3D molecules from highly reactive radicals-without losing their shape Scripps Research team develops stereoretentive radical-radi...
09/06/2026
Kiswe announces an expanded long-term partnership with ONE Championship (ONE), t...
09/06/2026
SiriusXM will broadcast FOX Sports' English-language commentary for all 104 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches from June 11 through July 19, available to subscribe...
09/06/2026
EVS has announced it is changing its corporate name from EVS Broadcast Equipment to EVS, reflecting the company's expanded portfolio beyond broadcast equipm...
09/06/2026
Fox Corporation and the NFL have announced a multi-year agreement to bring NFL c...
Award Winning Short Deadline Produced with Pocket Cinema Camera 6K and DaVinci Resolve Studio 
