NFL Films using NanoFlash
 

The current NFL league commercials are being primarily recorded on a Nanoflash. Here is one of them on Youtube.

YouTube - NFL "Ballet" - Super Slow Motion Commercial

Here is a higher res version:

http://files.advertolog.com/?DLFILE=...1/file/nfl.mp4

Here are the particulars:

NanoFlash with .112 installed
QT 100Mbs recording
Sandisk Extreme III 32GB cards
Nexto DI 2700

Camera system
Inertia Unlimited X-Mo (based on Vision Research v640 camera body)
960fps 1080p output as 23.98psf
Nikkor 50-300mm converted PL mount lens (we are also using an Angenieux Optimo 24-290mm on other commercials)
Camera set up in handheld configuration
The clip represented approximately 8GB of raw data captured in 2.6 seconds real time, 42 seconds of replay in the camera before being output via HD-SDI
No gain
Lighting of course is existing stadium lighting at Cowboys stadium -- actual game conditions

Produced by NFL Films
Camera operator: Hank McElwee (longtime NFL Films veteran only has missed 3 superbowls ever)

Jeff

Dear Jeff,

Wow! That is very impressive.

Nice work.

Very, very nice.

Jeff very nice I am surprised at the DOF

Amazing footage. I had seen that commercial on-air and was wondering what produced such slo mo with such shallow dof!

Anyone else want to complain about long GOP and fast movement? I don't think so...

Ned Soltz

Thank you Jeff for sharing you footage and the details.

Nice stuff Jeff. The 1st AC deserves a lot of credit on that. I just shot a series of spots for the Toronto Raptors with the PhantomHD and the Optimo 24-290. For that job we dumped to HDCamSR but I put my Nano on one of the VTR's outputs to record my dailies. Best-looking-dailies-ever!

You were getting some great stop from the arena lighting. We max'd out at around 90fps with the arena lighting for in-game action in the Air Canada Center and we shot an additional day on the court with the arena lights out and multiple T12's on the players getting us 350fps. I'm working in Dallas now and am tempted to go check out the stadium lighting. You were shooting a sync-speed but did you get any flicker from the lamps at that frame rate? Even at 90fps and playing with shutter angle at the ACC there was still some flicker evident if I'd tilt up into the lights.



Ned: That spot isn't an example of log GOP capturing fast motion, it's the opposite. The camera is capturing at high speed but playing back at 23.98Psf. Only a shot of a bowl of fruit would be easier on the codec. :) Go shoot a grinder throwing sparks off a piece of metal or quickly pan/tilt while rotating a camera on the Z-axis. Then you'll see long GOP compression artifacts.

Paul,

We have spend years perfecting a workflow for high speed cameras both in a live truck environment and ENG. The NanoFlash is the cornerstone of our ENG setup. You are right that 100Mbs for slow mo is more than enough but it would be difficult to explain to the client that it wasn't necessary. In any case the NanoFlash as been performing without a hitch on these shoots.

The version of the camera is very unlike a Phantom HD. We do not use cinemags, we output the HD-SDI to a NanoFlash. The camera has greater than 2 stops more light sensitivity (we conservatively rate it at ASA 2000 with no gain). The lens was set at T4.5 under existing stadium light only an night. The camera allows for simultaneous record and playback of clips, and we partition the on board flash memory into four 8GB segments. The pixel size is about 20% smaller than a HD (but still closer to motion picture 35mm frame than 2/3") at 10 microns per pixel. Both the smaller imaging area and greater light sensitivity lead to greater DOF of course. During the daytime our T stop runs typically at a T22 at 1000fps. Increasing shutter speed to 1/5000 sec brings it to about a 5.6-8 split.

We have found over the years that large modern stadiums like Dallas have little to no flicker on the field at any frame rate. The game in Philly last night had a little flicker at 540fps and Yankees tomorrow night (watch for the camera at low 1st) will have no on field flicker. The background (florescent lights and advertising LED boards) can be horrendous and we try to shoot around it. We are shooting minus gain at 540fps at Yankees tomorrow night at a f2-2.8 split with a Canon 86x B4 lens outputting 720p. Incidentally the camera is being used as a live switched camera as well, cutting with the other truck cameras.

There is a upcoming Reggie Bush commercial which should show up shortly which we shot in Miami a week ago using the same camera also to a NanoFlash. I'll post that clip when it becomes available.

Jeff

Jeff,

Thank you for being so generous with your information.

Very interesting.

Hi Jeff,
Just wondering what is the cost of a camera like this?

About 43 NanoFlashes for the stock body. It ends up being a bit north of $150k plus the lens for the ENG setup.

Jeff

Who rents and supports that system? I have a job some time in the winter shooting a golf instructional video. We'll likely be shooting on location in Orlando and I've been able to source PhantomHD Gold packages and tech's from Able Cine in NY or Arri CSC out of FL. Are the Inertia folks solely out of VT or do they have other rental companies representing the system?

Dear Paul,

What a coincidence!

We have already shot those exact scenes.

We have the grinder footage on a CompactFlash card and show it at trade shows. It looks just great. (Sorry, but I do not have a frame capture at this moment to post.)

Jim Arthurs performed a torture test of the EX1 and the nanoFlash simultaneously by doing exactly what you suggested.

Paul,

I contacted you off-list, but these systems are available for rent. The support is out of Vermont but our systems are located in the UK and throughout the States.

Jeff

Hi Dan,
My NANO is wonderful, but my EX-1 too. I've never shad such horribly artifacted picture at 36mps.
Best,
rafael