Codex Action Cam Proves A Revelation For DP Phedon Papamichl ASC GSC
31/03/2015
Papamichael, who is best known for big-screen cinematography on movies including The Descendants, The Ides Of March, The Monuments Men and Nebraska, which brought him an Oscar nomination in 2014, often shoots and directs commercials, where he can lavish attention on each moment and try out the vary latest gear. It was in that vein that he shot and co-directed the branding film for the Infiniti QX50 incorporating Codex Action Cams.
In the film, Chinese superstars, Archie Kao and Zhou Xun, portray a couple who decide to break the rules during a typical car shoot, and get a taste of freedom in the new SUV. Chased by paparazzi on motorcycles, they abscond to the Griffith Observatory, where they evade the pursuit by going off-road in Griffith Park. Other scenes were shot in the high desert near Mojave, and at Zuma Beach north of Malibu, where they frolic on the sand, shooting movies on their cellphones. They eventually return the car to the soundstage, where the frustrated director looks at the cellphone footage of their escapades.
The film was directed by Jaume Collet-Sera, through production company Bullitt. Papamichael took over directing duties on a final day of the five-day shoot, which involved beauty stage-work of the vehicle. The toolkit, mainly provided by CamTec in Burbank, included two RED Dragon cameras, a drone mounted with a Panasonic Lumix GH4, an Edge vehicle and crane, three Canon 6Ds shooting time-lapse footage, plus two Codex Action Cams.
We initially added the Codex Action Cams to our camera package for travelling car logo/badge shots and other moving details, said first AC Jeff Porter. But when Phedon and Jaume saw that you can literally hold the Action Cam head in the palm of your hand, they wanted to play. They saw an opportunity to shoot unscripted, spontaneous moments with the actors driving in the Infiniti SUV.
However, limited space inside the car meant there was no room for camera operators or focus pullers.
Consequently, Papamichael and Collet-Sera were given small, handheld monitors, and quickly instructed in how operate the Codex Camera Control Recorder.
We literally held the cameras with one hand and went free-driving with the actors, said Papamichael. Because we used these small cameras, we were able to get probably 100 set-ups on a 30-minute drive. It was great. From the back seat, I could hold Action Cam out the window and point it through the side window of the front seat, getting a hostess-tray-type shot. I could rake the car and get the actress reflection in the rear-view mirror. We were working quickly and winging it. Theres a lot of shaking and bumps in there, but it definitely made for some usable shots that we could never have gotten otherwise.
Codex Action Cam is a tiny remote camera head that shoots up to 60fps. With a single co-ax cable to the Codex Camera Control Recorder, it delivers a proven workflow. It uses a 2/3 single-chip sensor with a global shutter to capture 1920x1080 HD images with wide dynamic range. Papamichael appreciated the Action Cams compatibility with professional grade cine lenses in this case he opted for Super 16-format Zeiss Superspeeds, with a C-mount-to-PL-mount adaptor.
I could roll the iris with one finger, added Papamichael. The little monitor was lying on my lap and I could pull my own focus to a degree. I would open it up and get the image flared out, or wed come out of a tunnel and Id roll the iris closed. People are excited about the footage we got. Im thinking that with short edits, it will integrate pretty well with the RED footage we shot. Action Cam gives you a lot of possibilities and its certainly a fun option to play with.
The Action Cams recorded 1920 x 1080 imagery that Codex Tech Nick Lantz converted to 10-bit DPX files. For the most part, a rate of 25fps was called for, as the commercial is meant for broadcast in China, although Papamichael sometimes shot up to 50fps. The RED cameras were set up to capture images at 4K resolution with 5:1 compression. Papamichael used Optimo zooms on these cameras in part because he likes the way they flare.
The beautiful moments that Phedon and Jaume captured of Archie and Xun with the Codex Action Cams could not have been achieved with a process trailer, or with a camera operator and focus puller jammed into the front seat, said Porter.
The images are simply amazing. For previous car and motorcycle commercials, Phedon and I have used a variety of other small cameras, such as the Novo 2K, BlackMagic Pocket Camera and GoPros. But the Codex Action Cam is by far the best. Besides its amazing image quality and low light capability, it is the only one of these cameras that has a global shutter, which virtually eliminates the wobble- or Jello-effect weve experienced when we have mounted cameras with rolling shutters onto vibrating cars or motorcycles.
Papamichael is currently in London prepping The Huntsman, a Brothers Grimm-based feature film that will star Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain, Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron.
About Codex: Codex high-performance digital workflow tools are employed by independent and Hollywood motion pictures, high-end TV and commercials productions shooting
LINK: | http://www.tv-bay.com/news/Codex_Action_Cam_Proves_A_Revelation_For_DP... |
See more stories from tvbay |
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
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 and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
05/05/2024
Singer Becky G To Close Out TelevisaUnivision's Upfront
A special evening performance by multiplatinum singer Becky G will provide a memorable conclusion to TeievisaUnivision's Casa Cultura upfront event on May 1...
05/05/2024
Publicis Won't Use Nielsen's Big Data as Currency in This Upfront
Giant media buyer Publicis is telling network sales executives that it does not think Nielsen's new panel-plus-big-data currency is ready for this upfront....
05/05/2024
Glenn Kirschner, NBC News Legal Analyst, Rips Media Coverage of Trump Trial
WASHINGTON Glenn Kirschner, legal analyst at NBC News, blasted the media for referring to the New York trial of former President Donald Trump as a hush-money ...
05/05/2024
Catchy Comedy Marathons The Beverly Hillbillies' May 4-5
Catchy Comedy's weekend marathon sees The Beverly Hillbillies on the weekend of May 4-5. The event kicks off Saturday, May 4 at 11 a.m. ET, and runs through...
05/05/2024
How NBC Sports Plans to Cover Kentucky Derby
NBC Sports has the 150th Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 4. The coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock and the feature race at Churchill Downs in Louis...
04/05/2024
Nielsen: Asian American Audiences Spend as Much Time on Mobile as TV
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
Comcast Makes $1M Commitment to Military-Serving Nonprofits
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
FCC Unveils Agenda for May Open Meeting
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...
04/05/2024
Enhancements Made to Key 5G Convergence Standards
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
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
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
Sudan: New WhatsApp Course Equips Journalists to Report on Conflict Related Sexual Violence
An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...
03/05/2024
Slow Explores an Unusual Relationship With Sincere Romance
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
Be Honest With Your Art': Danny Ocean Reflects on Sudden Stardom and His Deeply Personal New Album
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify and ELLE Collaborate in Celebration of Emerging Women in Music
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
La Msica Mexicana no es solamente un fenmeno en Mxico y Estados Unidos, tambin en toda Amrica Latina
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
03/05/2024
Msica Mexicana Isn't Just a Phenomenon in Mexico and the U.S.-It's Taking Over Latin America.
As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, M sica Mexicana is more than jus...
03/05/2024
Fubo Loses Subs in Q1 But Exceeds Guidance and Reduces Losses
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
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
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
The Business of TV News: Shannon Bream Singles Out Key Issue in 2024 Election
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
ABC News Anchor Martha Raddatz Says Local News Is Everything'
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
Paramount Stock Jumps on Report of $26 Billion Bid From Sony Pictures and Apollo Global
Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion cash offer fo...
03/05/2024
CBS Shares 2024-2025 Schedule
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
Fubo Continues To Reduce Red Ink Despite Losing 110,000 Subs in Q1
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 Ready to Release 4K Hybrid Streaming/Smart Speaker
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
Limecraft updates content delivery platform
Enhancements to its Delivery Workspace solution provide increased content delivery robustness and security By Matthew Corrigan Published: May 3, 2024 Enha...
03/05/2024
Sony and Apollo submit $26 billion bid for Paramount Global
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
Global Academy launches Manchester media school
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
New Lightbridge C-Move Core
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
KPBS Modernizes Infrastructure With Major AES67 Control R...
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
SmallHD Free PageOS 6 Update Adds Powerful New Capabiliti...
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 Launches Quantum 32 Quantum Dot OLED HDR Referenc...
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
How WePlay Studios is Transforming the Future of Live Eve...
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
Amagis Latest FAST Report Unveils the Rise of a Diverse G...
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
WDR Filmhaus to Implement Riedel Infrastructure
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
TF1 Chooses Broadpeak to Power Targeted Advertising for N...
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
Limecraft Announces New Platform Update and Preview of MI...
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
Prism Sound Announces Partners For 8 Hours At Rockfield 2...
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 brings excellence in contribution streaming to MP...
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 Reports 10 Percent Revenue Growth in EMEA Region
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 Introduces Field-Upgradable Motorisation Kit for...
Hiltron Communications announces an addition to its range of satellite communication products and systems: a field-upgradable motorisation kit specifically desi...
03/05/2024
LiveU Showcases Story-Centric Workflows and the LiveU Eco...
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 appoints Koldo Unanue as new CEO to boost t...
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
Fubo, Dish, DirecTV & Others Urge Congress to Probe New Sports Streaming JV
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
Brightcove Integrates AWS-Powered Generative AI Solution
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that it has implemented Amazon Q Business, a new generative AI assistant on Amazon Web Services (AWS)....
03/05/2024
CBS Claims 16th Straight Prime Time Viewing Title
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....