Special to SVG
Few terms fit as well together as Red Bull and excitement. For Chain Reaction , which chronicles eight-manned flight disciplines in one video in real-time, the ambitious Red Bull Media House production team wanted the spectacular footage to be cinematic, but also to transfer the excitement of being airborne to the audience - so they decided to shoot with Cooke Anamorphic/i lenses. Shot in December 2015 against the backdrop of the Fisher Towers in Moab, Utah, the idea for Chain Reaction came from John DeVore, Red Bull Air Force captain and aerial stunt coordinator for films including Transformers 3 and Point Break. As an expert in aerial acrobatics, John was asked a simple question: Given no limitations [okay, reasonable limitations], what would the next big human flight video?
Kirby Chambliss and Rhys Millen performs at Chain Reaction and Red Bull Media relied on RED Digital cameras and Cooke lenses to capture the action.
The answer would prove to be as complex as the question was simple: do the biggest and most technical flight video but do them all together, in sequence. That meant putting all of the aspects of the Red Bull Air Force in one incredibly tightly timed and executed sequence: proximity aircraft flying, aerobatic aircraft flying, wingsuit flying, skydiving, high-speed canopy flying, high-speed formation flying, proximity wingsuit flying, and base-jumping.
Director Nicholas Schrunk and DeVore worked out the concept. It would go beyond what had been shot before in aerial sports, showing scope, size, and unprecedented speed - with the goal of showing the environment the way the athletes see it. That meant shooting anamorphic.
When shooting small bodies at over 100 miles per hour, there are not a lot of choices, says Schrunk, who is a former DP himself. We would have key shots, helicopter gimbal and POV shots, plus wingsuit/parachutes following the action.
But an issue facing Schrunk and DP David G. Wilson would be to maintain continuity between all of the cameras being used.
Red Bull's Chain Reaction producers went for a different look for their production with the help of Cooke lenses and RED Digital cameras.
I wanted a real, cinema full frame sensor with extra width for anamorphic that could ride on someone's head while traveling at, literally, breakneck speeds, adds Schrunk. That's why we went with the RED Weapon and RED Dragon for our hero cameras. The RED sensor is roughly 16:9, so shooting full frame 3.89 anamorphic, we would throw away some detail on the side, but without having to crop. Plus we got the dynamic range and resolution of 6K raw.
Other cameras included Garmin VIRB XE for on-screen POV data and additional GoPros for lightweight POV.
Schrunk and Wilson, who had worked together on-and-off over the past eight years, wanted a modern anamorphic that would work properly in the environment of the Moab. Schrunk is a long-time user and fan of Cooke primes for other work for Red Bull Media House and a feature-length adventure documentary. He was keen to try the Anamorphic/i set, and was not disappointed.
I love the Cooke anamorphic look, he says. You still have a sharp image with very little distortion so you get a natural looking image. Everything looks real and tangible. Older glass has too much of a look and are not sharp the lens distracts from reality - Cooke lenses take reality and add to it, especially with skin tones.
The Cooke Anamorphic/i lenses gave us all the advantages and aberrations of a modern anamorphic lens, as well as the Cooke Look' and the affects you get when shooting wide open with minimal edge distortion and flare, agrees Wilson. They're really organic looking, especially when shooting digital.
We had real problems with extreme high desert cold, adds Schrunk. We were in the elements, real run-and-gun style shoot, being pelted with rocks and dust, and not really properly protecting everything with each shot. But we had no issues with mechanics of the Cookes - they're tightly sealed and superbly constructed.
While most sports are shot with zoom lenses, in all but one case the RED hero cameras were equipped with Cooke Anamorphic/i prime lenses. We really wanted a shallow depth of field of 2.3, zooms are close to the 4 range, explains Wilson. We also didn't want an X-Games look, but an organic motion picture look. We shot 85% of the time wide open at 2.3, with 4.5 for a few shots - like when we shot through the car to also capture the helicopter.
While an Angenieux zoom lens was used with the helicopter gimbal, both Schrunk and Wilson would have preferred the new Cooke 35-140mm Anamorphic/i zoom, but that would not be available until the summer of 2016. I would have loved to use the Cooke anamorphic zoom, especially in conjunction with some of the longer [180mm and 300mm] primes, says Schrunk.
All of the shots were planned with safety in mind, but every sequence would be captured in a single take for authenticity and continuity. These created big logistical issues when considering which shots were needed and what cameras would capture them. When we could use a prime lens we did, adds Schrunk. You can't always use primes in sports because the zoom assists you with composition, but when you can, you get the best, most beautiful shots with all the little nuances you want.
The Cooke Optics lens package for Chain Reaction included 25mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 100mm, and 65mm MACRO. Wilson used the 32mm as the widest, finding it the best for straight edges and keeping the subject in frame with big landscapes.
One of the issues that Wilson had to face was that much of the footage would be unmonitored while being shot. David understands the limitation of what can and cannot be controlled, says Schrunk. And he's got the best eyes of any DP I've wo
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...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
Latino Film Institute Fellows Screen Their Short Films at the Egyptian Theatre
The Inclusion Fellowship and Spark Animation Grant uplifts 15 ...
29/05/2026
GLOOKAST LAUNCHES CINNAFILM TACHYON PLUGIN FOR MEDIA PRODUCER AND MEDIA SERVICES
This release first appeared here.
Visit our Tachyon product page or contact...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
Special to SVG
