ABC's New Unscripted Series CASTAWAYS Shot with Panasonic VariCam LT 4K Cinema Camcorders

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ABC's Castaways, which was shot and produced by Nomad Entertainment using VariCam LT 4K cinema camcorders, is a revolutionary series testing the human need for companionship under extreme circumstances as each individual learns there are other castaways out there but are unaware of how many, their locations or when they will be rescued.

This visually stunning new reality series follows 12 diverse individuals as they're dropped alone throughout various islets in Indonesia and challenged to survive among washed-up luggage, scattered resources and abandoned structures. Castaways premieres TUESDAY, AUG. 7(10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand.

The only way to leave the remote islands is to persevere long enough to be rescued or to quit. As dramatic situations unfold on an expanse of islands in the South Pacific, the series flashes back to the real lives of each participant in documentary fashion, demonstrating haunting parallels to the lives they left behind. Grant Kahler serves as showrunner. The series is produced by Nomad Entertainment.

The contemporary action in the series was shot in a remote part of Indonesia, with the home recall documentary segments shot in New York, Nashville, Alabama, North Carolina, Los Angeles, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington State, Las Vegas, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

Director of Photography Neil Moore supervised multiple teams of camera operators who shot the mini-documentaries in parallel, with up to 12 operators then assigned to the Indonesian location work.

Moore had previously shot with the VariCam 35, and showrunner Kahler had used the VariCam LT. The first two weeks of production we worked with larger cameras and bigger lenses, which just wasn't conducive to our fast, cinema v rit style, the DP recounted. The LT was a very appealing alternative, especially because of its dual 800/5000 ISOs. We had no time for lighting, and we were working with predominantly natural light with plenty of dark interiors and exteriors. The camera's ISO 5000 setting is so clean, and you can switch easily without having to ride gain.

Moore said he routinely used ISO800 for daytime work in Indonesia, but with a significant number of easy clicks over to ISO5000, for instance, for a nighttime scene lit only by firelight.

The series was shot in AVC-Intra 4:4:4 1080p. We gathered an incredible amount of footage, with 12 cameras simultaneously shooting eight hours a day, Moore said.

The tropical humidity was pretty insane, but we experienced no overheating or stopped files with the LTs, the DP added. Beyond ruggedness and ease of use, other stand-out features of the cameras were the unique Focus Squares tool -a must, especially with the long lens work-and the on-camera control panel that can double as a monitor.The LT is, overall, a simple, intuitive camera.

The VariCam LTs were outfitted with Fujinon Cabrio 85-300mm and Canon 17-120mm ENG-style lenses, with Sigma Primes used for some night work. The camera packages and lenses were rented from GQC Entertainment in Los Angeles, CA.

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About the VariCam LT

The VariCam LT camcorder inherits the same super 35mm sensor and superb imaging capabilities that distinguish the award-winning VariCam 35, but with significant reductions in size, weight and price.Incorporating this identical imaging DNA in a more compact rendition, the VariCam LT delivers 14+ stops of dynamic range with V-Log, and the esteemed cinematic VariCam image quality and color science, as well as the VariCam 35s breakout innovation, dual native ISOs of 800/5000.Weighing just under six pounds and having superior capability to similar sized cameras, the VariCam LT is the ideal camera for handheld, SteadiCam, jib, crane, drone, gimbal and overall cinema verit work. The VariCam LT offers a host of new features including an EF lens mount, hot swappable batteries, IR shooting capability, a 23.98 PsF output, cinema style file naming, and image presets such as scene files. For more information about Panasonic VariCam cinema and high-speed cameras, visit us.panasonic.com/varicam.

About Panasonic Corporation of North America

Newark, NJ-based Panasonic Corporation of North America is a leading technology partner to businesses, government agencies and consumers across the region. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Corporation and leverages its strengths in Immersive Entertainment, Sustainable Energy, Automated Supply Chains and Connected Solutions to provide secure and resilient integrated solutions for B2B customers. Panasonic was highlighted in Forbes Magazine's Global 2000 ranking as one of the Top Ten Best Regarded Companies for 2017. The ranking is based on outstanding scores for trustworthiness, honesty with the public and superior performance of products and solutions. Learn more about Panasonic's ideas and innovations at Panasonic.com.

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