Series TV episode with F350s
 

As most DVInfo members know, we made the move to Sony cameras when they decided to sponsor www.2nd-Unit.tv and hawkfeather Production's 2007 season. We're shooting a network series right now for next year's lineup and we convinced the network that releasing a few shots on DVInfo would benefit the series when they begin their PR campaign. Of course the real reason is we wanted to share what the F350 is capable of. With Sony cameras sporting Fujinon glass and Tiffen filters, we could have used anything we wanted including the 900 but we were so impressed with the 350 that we wanted to show it's capabilities.

This episode is set completely at night and 1/3 of the episode is in the interior of an apartment which has no electricity. That meant the practicals we had to work with were a single window source through which moonlight streamed and a couple of candles. Light was actually provided by LitePanels 1X daylight floods with full CTBs and 2 LitePanels Tungsten Minis with 1/4 CTOs. I simply can't say enough about these lights but what was so impressive was the camera's latitude allowing things like a character's dark grey sweatshirt not only to bleed seamlesly into the black background but you can actually see the weave in the fabric in almost complete darkness. It's clear on compressed computer screens but in shooting the take through Panasonics 26" monitors, you can see every stitch in HD.

The clips are rather large but we wanted you to see what the camera can really do in series television where quality means controlled depth of field, true HD footage and alot of Steadicam work. Remember these are dailies butt-cut together with no post in color, audio or transitions. These are straight from the camera itself and we think the pre-post results are incredible. At about 190M, the downloads on our high speed network from Verizon takes about 3 minutes so the files are large but we think well worth the download, especially the bedroom scene in frame accumulation mode. We hope you enjoy them and sorry we can’t tell you more about the series or the network. That’s their department. We just work for “The Man”. Also, the “green screen” window over the couch is for post and will contain an exterior street scene where the drive-by shooting takes place.

First clip
Spanish version of opening with pristine candle scene, great latitude and color separation and a rack focus from one actor to another at 26’ 9”
http://www.paolociccone.com/videos/SC01-ES-720p.mov

English version
http://www.paolociccone.com/videos/RoughCut-Scene01.mov

The second clip is Pablo discovering his mother’s been shot in a drive-by shooting in front of their house. The electricity is back on in the house and the sequence is shot in frame accumulation at 6 fps.
http://www.paolociccone.com/videos/Scene-13-720p.mov

cameraman needed for "24"
 

We're shooting Rodney Charters on the stage of "24" tomorrow for "2nd Unit" and need a cameraman. Ours are out on Christmas vacation. Any takers? It'll be in the aternoon for three hours on the set.

wish I had seen that earlier Jonathan, I would have flown over especially!!

Phil

Not a problem. We wound up having to reschedule the interview until after the new year anyway so I'll let you know what the day is. If you're available, you're certainly invited to join us even if we have a full crew. Rodney is a great guy and wealth if information on cinematography in general but especially on the incredible shooting style of 24.

Jonathan - sure wish I could download and view your work, but on dial-up in the boonies it would be 2008 before I could see anything.\

However I read your posts with interest, and expect to continue sharing that really really really "feel-good" feeling about the F350:-)

And I will take a look before long, because we have a much faster connection at the studio.

Best.

Michael Knight.

If you'd like, you can PM me your address and I'll send you a DVD. I'm not a real fan of the DVD because it's not reflective of the true clarity of the 350's picture or any HD picture for that matter but next to the download, it's the best you'll see. I sure will be glad when the HD-DVD/BluRay wars are over!!! But intil then, it's the best we can do.

The offer is much appreciated.

I will PM you.

As for DVD quality...we too are not super-happy that we can not yet put out the full quality of what we have...but the time will come in the noit too distant future, and at least we have the HD footage on disc already.

That's a big reason why we opted for the F350, because once the "wars" are over, there will definitely be a big demand for HD original footage.

"Future proofing" was the watch-word when we established the company, plus the fact that starting from scratch, the Sony Professional Disc offered HUGE advantages in that we could transfer directly to FCP in the Mac, and so far we have had no need for any of the additional decks.



Michael Knight

Words of a smart, smart man. Tell your company to keep you and if they balk, you've always got a job down here my friend.
J

Needed Prayers for a DVInfo Brother
 

One of 2nd Unit's best guys, Michael Ross, had his father passed away and he always hangs here on DVInfo so please have him in your prayers this week. He's in Mississippi and his mother's in none too good a shape either in the same hospital he lost his father in last week. So, I know it's not a usual post here but he loves this business and this board and this F350 forum so much I thought I'd go off-topic just a bit with you all. Every prayer helps.

may everything bring goodness forward on.

Wow, that is to bad. I will be sure to put him in my prayers. Thanks Jonathan for passing the news on to here! i sure hope things will turn out for him...

~Gabriel

2nd Unit Presenting at NAB for Sony, Adobe and more to come
 

With a BIG thank you to Chris Hurd and DVInfo.net, we're pleased and proud to have beenn selected to present a series of seminars on producing an episodic drama series using the Sony F350 and Fujinon lenses with Adobe contributing After Effects and the Creative Suite of software at NAB this year. With a consentration on post production in the Adobe Theatre and the F350 in the Sony Theatre, we'll be previewing clips of the upcoming HD television series "El Papel" shot at full resolution with the 350 and discussing how we achieved the DOF we did both in-camera and in post. Lots of gunfire and lots of entertainment. Of course, Tiffen and Steadicam will also be there with a special emphasis on Apple FCP but, like 2nd Unit has been for the past season and a half, the seminars will be geared to questions and answers after the clips are shown so we can get the information out to you to make better films at a lower production cost. When the dates, times and room numbers are finalized, we'll post them here but rest asured that you won't be able to miss them with posters headlined by DVInfo.net, Sony and Adobe attached guiding the way. Thanks to all of you who have made 2nd Unit such a big success with an average of 20k downloads weekly now of the interviews we do and Chris Hurd has been a big part of that success .

Congratulation Jonathan and Crew! You guys have taught me a bit. Thanks for all of the excellent work you guys have done!

I look forward to seeing the new show!
~Gabriel

Thanks so much. News is spreading so qu89ickly that we're now in talks with DirecTV for a weekly show so it's a wonderful way to say thank you to those who believed in us fromn the begining.

2nd Unit Signs with Sony for 2007
 

Thanks in no small part to Chris Hurd and DVInfo.net members, 2nd Unit.tv has signed with Sony Corporation for continuing support through 2007 providing financial support and a suite of cameras for the prtoduction of 2nd Unit and it's series productions including "EL Papel". When 2nd Unit started out, it had about 1300 visits the first week. Halfway through Season 2, the site hosted 40,000 viewers who downloaded the 2-part interview of Rodney Charters on the set of "24". And there's no way around attributing those numbers to the people here at DVInfo and other top of the line forums. So why post here instead of in 2nd Unit's own area? Because it's really Sony XDCAM news that buyers, renters and general users of this great camera should be proud of. And becasue there's more to the signing than just these great cameras. But you can't know that until NAB. Suffice to say there's some exciting, incredible news on the horizon for Sony XDCAM users that'll 1) be unveiled at NAB and 2) will blow your socks off. For those of you who made the choice to go with the XDCAM, you're about to see what "Support", "next-generation" and "forward-thinking" are all about. SO to the members here and all opver Chris' great board, thanks.