Shooting "The Tudors"
Emmy Award winning DP Ousama Rawi Discusses The Look of Showtime's Global Hit And Why He Uses Panavision's Genesis Camera System
By Skip Ferderber
Ousama Rawi - Ossi to his friends and colleagues - is finicky, almost to the point of being fanatical, about the way his images look when he's shooting a production. As the cinematographer on Showtime's The Tudors, now in its third season on cable and production underway on Season Four, Rawi takes great pride in the filmic look of the series, which captures a range of intense settings from sun swept castle exteriors to candle lit boudoirs.
Rawi has worked hard to make digital cinematography systems deliver the elegant look he wanted for Tudors. But it was not until he spent Season Three working with the Panavision Genesis digital cinema system that he realized what he has been missing in the first two seasons.
Season 1 and 2. . . I got a lot of kudos, and attention, he said in a recent interview, but I knew I could do better if only I had the Genesis.
The Tudors look has been one of the major factors in the series' global success, and has earned Rawi a raft of awards from his peers including the Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC) and Canadian Gemini awards, both in 2008 and 2009, and most recently, a 2009 U.S. Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
He shot the first two seasons with a Sony F900 camera (rented from Panavision), switched to Genesis for Season Three, and is currently shooting Season Four with Genesis on location in Ireland.
Most viewers may not notice the differences from season to season because he worked long and hard to establish the look and to keep it consistent no matter what is close to his/her final intent, and communicate that look throughout the entire post production process.
The GDP has the capability of accepting and generating lookup tables (LUTs), which camera he used. One of the differences is I can achieve it far more quickly, therefore easily [with Genesis]. If it took me 20 minutes to balance an interior with a view out the window [hotspots], with the Genesis it would take me half the time because I'd have far less balancing to do simply because of the exposure latitude.
It enables him to complete his planned setups so rapidly that the director has more golden time for experimenting: in other words, shooting more like a film without adding to the daily budget.
A variety of technological improvements makes the Genesis better for his production, according to Rawi:
Genesis' ability to work in full 4:4:4 color space.
Exposure latitude. Rawi measures the Genesis latitude at 11.5 stops. Because he shoots both interiors and exteriors, including many where hot spot clipping is a continual threat (e.g., bright sunny skies; a dark candle lit room with an exterior window, shot on location and shot during the day), he needs the extra latitude that Genesis provides.
The size of the Genesis sensor, enabling him to film with 35mm lenses (such as Panavision Primos) and establish shots with the shallow depth of field familiar to cinematographers on film shoots. Before using Genesis, he noted, to shoot exteriors with the aperture wide open, I had to put so much filtration in front: neutral densities, polarizers and all sorts of other light blocking filters in front of the lens: all that glass, so I [could] create some shallow depth of field. With Genesis, because I was using regular 35mm lenses I could filter it as if I was shooting 35mm film: just a simple polarizer and an 85 filter was enough and I had a decent F stop there.
Genesis is a relatively compact camera, easily placed on a Steadicam mount for going through doorways and/or in the cramped quarters of a 4'x4' Tudor carriage. You try to shoot a carriage interior when 3'2 of this space is taken up by the camera before you've got an actor in there, he laughed. Also, when in Steadicam mode, the ability to use the new SSR capture system on the camera instead of having the tape deck attached to the camera by an umbilical cord and carried by a grip, was a huge benefit for the Steadicam operator. With the significantly reduced weight of the camera, the whole camera system was self contained on the Steadicam mount just like on a film shoot. In the Tudors series, where so much depends on delivering the look and feel of an era centuries before the advent of electric lights, where candle light or torches were the only interior illumination in darkness, a great many of the scenes are lit in low key light. This results in many deep shadow areas within a scene. It's a well known fact that deep shadows and blacks in low key situations will increase the potential for video noise. The avoidance or elimination of video noise is therefore essential for maintaining picture quality. Rawi gave the Genesis high marks in this area. There was a distinct lack of noise, he continued. It's got remarkable low level of noise; that's a huge plus. I do use artificial lighting, of course, [even if] it's only to supplement the candle light, the images lit by flambeau, a torch or a fireplace. So I don't use any lights that are brighter for my night interiors. None of my lights that I use on the set are brighter than any of the flames. That way, a lit candle looks like the brightest thing on the set. In post production, using Genesis has changed the paradigm of how the show is assembled, Rawi noted. At C.O.R.E. ____in Toronto_____, where the digital effects are completed, CGI work goes much faster because the source material is virtually uncompressed and 4:4:4, the format in which they create and develop their effects. Footage from previous seasons arrived from the set in 4:2:2, requiring up converting to 4:4:4 to
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
04/05/2024
NEW YORK As the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off in May, Nielsen has released an extensive new report diving into their media habits with data sh...
04/05/2024
PHILADELPHIA As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their f...
04/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...
04/05/2024
The Broadband Forum has announced major enhancements to key 5G convergence standards that the group said will help advance next-generation applications, improve...
04/05/2024
Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced that Colorist M...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
03/05/2024
An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...
03/05/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actors K stutis Cic nas and Greta Grinevi i t , Director Marija Kavtaradze and Producer Marija Razgute attend the 2023 Sunda...
03/05/2024
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...
03/05/2024
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
03/05/2024
As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, M sica Mexicana is more than jus...
03/05/2024
NEW YORK FuboTV reported that it lost 110,000 subs in Q1 2024 but it exceeded its guidance for the quarter with double digit year-over-year increases across key...
03/05/2024
Only 3 Weeks Left To Enter The Creative Industries Most Award
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Creativepool is giving a last call to the creative i...
03/05/2024
WePlay Studios Transforms the Future of Live Event Storytelling with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
By 2032, the esports market is expec...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Shannon Bream, Fox News Sunday anchor and chief legal correspondent, sat for a keynote chat at The Business of TV News, with Tom Umstead, senior co...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Asked how important is local news, Martha Raddatz, who has covered foreign conflicts for decades and moderated presidential debates for ABC News, s...
03/05/2024
Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion cash offer fo...
03/05/2024
CBS announced its 2024-2025 primetime schedule, which features the new dramas NCIS: Origins, Matlock and Watson, and new comedies Poppa's House and Georgie ...
03/05/2024
Sports-focused streaming service Fubo said it reduced its red ink in the first quarter, despite losing 110,000 subscribers since the end of the year....
03/05/2024
Walmart is reportedly about to release a new 4K streaming box/smart speaker hybrid device for Google TV that could retail for as low as $50, according to a repo...
03/05/2024
Enhancements to its Delivery Workspace solution provide increased content delivery robustness and security
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 3, 2024
Enha...
03/05/2024
According to reports, if the bid is successful, Sony would be the significant majority shareholder of the new private company
By Jenny Priestley
Published: M...
03/05/2024
Located in Manchesters Spinningfields district, the course aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and industry insight for a career in the creative s...
03/05/2024
Lightbridge has created a new Cine Reflect Lighting System kit, dedicated to enabling artistic lighting with consideration of today's productivity practical...
03/05/2024
Broadcast media systems integrator BeckTV and Lawo worked together on a large-scale AES67 build of radio control rooms at KPBS, San Diego's NPR and PBS memb...
03/05/2024
Raleigh, NC, April 12, 2024 SmallHD announces PageOS 6, a powerful software update free for owners of SmallHD monitors, featuring increased functionality, exp...
03/05/2024
SmallHD announces the Quantum 32 a new 31.5 OLED monitor designed to provide reference HDR/SDR images for post-production final color grading, as well as cri...
03/05/2024
By 2032, the esports market is expected to grow to $9.29 billion, bolstered by a global player count and fan following that both continue to climb. The 2023 Lea...
03/05/2024
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced that the 11th edition of the Amagi Global FAST Rep...
03/05/2024
Riedel Communications today announced that Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) is relying on a media and intercom network based on Riedel technology for the renewal of...
03/05/2024
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
03/05/2024
Media technology innovator Limecraft will exhibit the latest updates to its online platform on stand G79 at the 15-16 May 2024 Media Production & Technology Sho...
03/05/2024
Audio interface specialist Prism Sound is partnering with console manufacturer Solid State Logic, professional monitor manufacturer PMC and acoustic panel and d...
03/05/2024
Intinor, Sweden's leading developer of products and solutions for high-quality video over the internet, is set to join forces with its UK partner Zest Techn...
03/05/2024
NAKIVO Inc., a fast-growing software company dedicated to protecting physical, virtual, cloud, and SaaS environments, announced its Q1 2024 financial results to...
03/05/2024
Hiltron Communications announces an addition to its range of satellite communication products and systems: a field-upgradable motorisation kit specifically desi...
03/05/2024
Visit LiveU at Stand D30
With this year an exceptional one for major sporting events alongside multiple, key elections, the power and flexibility of LiveU'...
03/05/2024
Agile Content, the leader in the development of technology and solutions for the provision of television services over the Internet, announces Koldo Unanue as i...
03/05/2024
Eight co-signers representing streaming services, pay TV operators and public interest groups have sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging their Committee...
03/05/2024
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that it has implemented Amazon Q Business, a new generative AI assistant on Amazon Web Services (AWS)....
03/05/2024
NEW YORK CBS has declared that it will finish the 2023-24 season as Americas Most-Watched Network in primetime for the 16th consecutive season....
03/05/2024
A new survey indicates that U.S. businesses and consumers had an overall positive attitude towards their technology spending plans in the first quarter of 2024,...
03/05/2024
Sony and Apollo Global Management have sent an offer letter to Paramount Global's board of directors making an $26 billion all cash offer for Paramount Glob...
03/05/2024
EMG / Gravity Media has appointed Charlie Cubbon chief operating officer (COO) and Jamie Hindhaugh regional CEO for the U.K., U.S., Australia and the Middle Eas...
03/05/2024
Final 2024 Season Games to Air Saturdays on WRAL at 10:30am in May, Championship on June 1
Taping for the final episodes of the 2024 season of WRAL-TV's Br...
03/05/2024
Estrella MediaCo said it is expanding its connected TV portfolio by launching three new channels with Curiosity that will first appear on Samsung TV Plus....
Shooting "The Tudors" 
