Early in his career as a combat cameraman covering the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, Mark Benjamin relied on film and video formats to shoot award-winning feature-length documentaries for major networks and independent producers. For his assignments, each format provided the performance Benjamin needed at the time. For his latest project - Chicagoland, an eight-part unscripted CNN series examining public safety and education - he needed a cinema-quality HD camera that was adjustable to a variety of shooting situations, and capable of large single-sensor cinematic picture quality. Other important requirements included high mobility, light weight, easy operation, compact size, extreme low-light image capture capability, long record times and battery life and compatibility with a wide range of lenses for creative shooting options. The production's needs were met using the EOS C300 Digital Cinema cameras and EF-series lenses from Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Chicagoland executive producer Mark Benjamin (left) and DP Daniel B. Levin with an array of Canon EOS C300 Cinema cameras and Canon lenses that were used for filming this documentary series.
Chicagoland is a riveting real-life drama that explores how politics and policy meet in the lives of real people to generate change and innovation in social policy, education and public safety on the local level, as well as to meet national and local challenges. The series is executive produced by Robert Redford and Laura Michalchyshyn of Sundance Productions, and by Benjamin and his Brick City Television partner Marc Levin, an award-winning independent cinema v rit filmmaker. Benjamin and Levin also co-directed the series, which explores the efforts of Chicago citizens, police, and government to improve public education and control gang violence. Benjamin served as third DP on the series - along with Daniel B. Levin and Tony Hardmon, respectively - which gave him a particular appreciation for the ergonomic design and outstanding performance of the Canon EOS C300 Digital Cinema camera.
The Canon EOS C300 has everything going for it, it's the zeitgeist camera of today, Benjamin said. I use the word zeitgeist for several reasons. One is because the EOS C300 camera addresses our immediate needs. It's inconspicuous thanks to its small form factor and user-friendliness. Second, I have long been an adherent to the one-man-band' concept of filmmaking. The idea of making minimally invasive, observational documentaries makes it hard to use a crew, which can get in the way. That's why we work under a framework of no lights, no sticks, no crew.' The grapefruit size and the curved edges of the Canon EOS C300 camera make it the perfect tool for a one-man-band. We shot more than 300 days - over 1,500 hours - to make eight one-hour episodes. We needed a camera that felt good in our hands for 12-hour shooting days, and the Canon EOS C300 was it.
You can't be using a big camera when you're jumping in and out of police cars at a moment's notice or running around a high school, noted first DP Daniel B. Levin. You also need to be as inconspicuous as possible when you're at Cook County Jail or filming important politicians at city hall. The Canon EOS C300 camera was able to adapt to any situation. Obviously, when you're doing cinema v rit people know you're there, but a camera that enables you to move freely throughout a room without disturbing what's going on - and ease into a trusting relationship with the people there - is a major asset.
The Look and the Lenses
In addition to its high mobility, the Canon EOS C300 Digital Cinema camera delivers full 1920 x 1080 cinematic HD via its Emmy Award winning high-sensitivity Canon Super 35mm CMOS sensor, outstanding Canon DIGIC DV III image processor, and a 50 Mbps 4:2:2 MPEG-2 codec. The ability to produce this kind of image quality is crucial for today's producers, Benjamin asserted.
The large Super 35mm CMOS sensor in the Canon EOS C300 puts the camera at the top of the food chain, he said. The way that sensor handles low-light fits right in with our no lights, no sticks, no crew' shooting style. The networks are spoiled now by the beauty of the Super 35mm aesthetic with its selective depth-of-field. You can forget about anything but large-sensor cameras for documentaries today. That's the look the networks want.
The designers of the Canon EOS C300 camera certainly got it right, Benjamin continued. The way its removable top handle works, the way its flip-screen LCD monitor rotates, the long life of the camera's Canon batteries, and the long record times that CF cards provide. You can put the camera on the dashboard of a car, hold it in place with a little sandbag, aim it through the steering wheel, and shoot back at the driver. I don't think there's another large-sensor camera that can do that. And the EF lens mount is fantastic.
The EF-mount version of the Canon EOS C300 Digital Cinema camera can be used with Canon's line of more than 70 interchangeable EF Series zoom, prime, and specialty lenses designed for Canon EOS digital SLR cameras, providing shooters with amazing creative flexibility.
Our go-to lens was the image-stabilized Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM zoom, Benjamin revealed. That was our one-man run-and-gun/jump out in the morning' lens. Inside a fanny pouch we would typically also carry a Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM wide-angle lens and a Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens. This glass was great for when the action settled down a bit and you got a sense of where things were going. If things are getting calmer you could put them on and shoot wide open for an incredible, selective depth-of-field look. We also used the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM telephoto zoom lens, which also fits in a fanny pouch. You could basically
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Early in his career as a combat cameraman covering the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, Mark Benjamin relied on film and video formats to shoot award-winning feature-length documentaries for major networks and independent producers. For his assignments, each format provided the performance Benjamin needed at the time. For his latest project - Chicagoland, an eight-part unscripted CNN series examining public safety and education - he needed a cinema-quality HD camera that was adjustable to a variety of shooting situations, and capable of large single-sensor cinematic picture quality. Other important requirements included high mobility, light weight, easy operation, compact size, extreme low-light image capture capability, long record times and battery life and compatibility with a wide range of lenses for creative shooting options. The production's needs were met using the EOS C300 Digital Cinema cameras and EF-series lenses from Canon U.S.A., Inc.
