Happy Campers Documentary Shot with Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
Brie Clayton September 30, 2024
0 Comments
Pocket Cinema Camera 4K's dual native ISO helps capture difficult to get night shots for award winning doc.
Blackmagic Design today announced that the award winning documentary Happy Campers was captured with Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K digital film camera. Shot in Blackmagic RAW, Director and DP Amy Nicholson relied on the camera's dual native ISO to capture stark sunny days and dark summer nights while profiling the trailer park community of Inlet View Campground.
Photo credit: Grasshopper Film
Happy Campers follows the final days of a working class summer colony as they prepare for their waterfront campground to be sold to developers. Set on a backdrop of rust bitten RVs and stunning sunsets, Happy Campers explores what's beneath the clich trailer park stereotypes of the close knit community. Following the film's premiere at DOC NYC, America's largest documentary film festival, and a limited theatrical release, it's now available on VOD nationwide in US and Canada.
With more than 20 percent of the film captured at night to showcase campfires, fireworks and more, Nicholson identified the camera's dual native ISO as the most crucial element for the film.
Photo credit: Grasshopper Film
I had no lighting package, so I would get up before sunrise and shoot until the light got ugly, then do some interiors or wait until late afternoon, and go back out again. I didn't have the room or time for bounce cards, so everything in the final film was captured entirely as is. There was always a ton of wind, blazing sun, and a million mosquitos, but the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K made it all manageable.
The dual native ISO range was fabulous. When we got to color correction, editor John Young and I were astounded at how little noise reduction we had to do in the campfire and fireworks shots. Colorist Gene Curley at Nice Shoes worked his magic, but the camera allowed me to capture some stunning night scenes, Nicholson explained. When the image was enlarged, we would see detail we hadn't noticed on our dailies. I remember one particular night shot where John and I both yelled out loud, Look at all the bugs!'
Photo credit: Grasshopper Film
Living amongst her subjects, Nicholson took on both director and DP roles for the documentary. While she's previously directed five films, Happy Campers was Nicholson's first time as DP. She noted, Having never operated a camera before was a huge factor when selecting my kit. The Pocket Cinema Camera 4K's settings are clear and simple. Thanks to the Blackmagic OS, I was able to get comfortable with the settings in record time, and spoiler alert: time was literally running out at the trailer park. I had to grab 40 years of memories in a few short months, so I had no learning runway.
Nicholson credits the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K's small design with allowing her to straddle both director and DP roles. It allowed me to be stealthy and friendly, since I was directing at the same time, and I wanted the film to be primarily verit , she explained. For a novice like me, having a very small camera allowed me to operate, but it also kept me friendly. The smaller and less in your face' you can be, the more intimate your footage will be. Happy Campers' is a very intimate portrait of community, and it was extremely important to capture what was there without altering the feeling of the place. We were all very close in the campground, so projecting that feeling and getting close physically made all the difference in the world.
Photo credit: Grasshopper Film
When this project presented itself, and it became clear I would be shooting alone, I knew the Pocket would be great. I was shooting in an RV campground with lumpy dirt roads. I was living in a camper the entire time, and my production office was a small shed just outside with a single work table. Everything in my camera package had to fit into a garden cart, so it was very important that it be small and manageable. Simplicity was paramount, she added.
I am much better at talking and making people feel at ease than I am with F stops and focus. Just ask my editors. But once I got the first few batches of dailies through Resolve, I could shoot with absolute confidence. The sensor was amazing; it looked like film, said Nicholson. When you are shooting alone, sound is a huge factor and you really have to pay attention to your environment, so your brain is getting pulled in that direction constantly. Knowing the picture was going to be fabulous took one worry away.
Photo credit: Grasshopper Film
Audiences and fellow filmmakers are always surprised that I worked alone. But that's the point of the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K; that you can create a beautiful motion picture with a very small, easy to manage package that you can quickly learn, Nicholson concluded. I worked hard to make Happy Campers' feel more like an experience than just simply an observational film. It's an emotional story, and it would be impossible to feel it' had it been shot another way.
October 2, 2024RKM Studios Produces Music Videos Using Blackmagic CloudNick Phoenix's music videos shot with URSA Mini Pro 12K and completed
September 30, 2024Turn Your LOG Footage into Stunning Cinematic Visuals: A Color Grading Guide in DaVinci Resolve 19LOG footage is just the starting point with lots of possibilities. In
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 profess
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
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...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
08/05/2026
For the second straight year, Miri Technologies Inc. has been honored with a pair of coveted awards at the broadcast, media and entertainment industry's pre...
08/05/2026
Nine Alumni Nominated for Tony Awards More than 20 alumni contributed to this year's Tony-nominated productions.
May 7, 2026
By
Tori Donahue
Boston Co...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical invest...
08/05/2026
COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content
Brie Clayton May 7, 2026
0 Comments
UGC, On-Camera Video Content
April 17, 2026Documentary Editor - US,......
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...
07/05/2026
From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production
In the ...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...
07/05/2026
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...
07/05/2026
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...
07/05/2026
Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...
07/05/2026
Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...
07/05/2026
Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...
07/05/2026
The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...
07/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...
07/05/2026
SES and ARD, Germany's largest public broadcasting network, have announced a long-term extension of their satellite distribution partnership through 2039. U...
07/05/2026
UpLight Technologies delivers a flexible video and lighting system for a new televised sportLaunching the Pro Cheer League required more than creating a compell...
07/05/2026
Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide have announced Spikes Under the Lights, a...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...
07/05/2026
L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...
07/05/2026
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show
Manufacturer Recognized by TV Tech and TVBEurope for Innovation in signal processing
Cobal...
07/05/2026
Software and hardware platforms, AI power and user-friendliness on show...
07/05/2026
Intinor will demonstrate its latest technical enhancements for the Direkt series at BroadcastAsia 2026. With a continued focus on reliable contribution and remo...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI has chosen Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner, replacing MUBI's legacy on premises encoding setup to improve scalab...
07/05/2026
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2026 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
Happy Campers Documentary Shot with Pocket Cinema Camera 4K 
