Archive for category ARRI
Arri Alexa in-camera recording of Avid’s DNxHD MXF File Format
Posted by gbalaji in ARRI, Avid, Avid DNXHD on November 8, 2011
PRESS RELEASES
ARRI ALEXA in-camera recording using AVID’s DNxHD MXF file format
(7 November 2011, Munich) - ARRI announces a major new recording feature for its ALEXA camera range, offering in-camera support for Avid®’s open standard and widely adopted Avid DNxHD® codec.
The ability to record native Avid DNxHD, as MXF files in-camera, creates a unique proposition for the 35 mm digital capture industry and is another first for the ALEXA camera system. The combination of ARRI ALEXA quality and mission-critical reliability with Avid’s respected codec and editing technology delivers a powerful, uncomplicated workflow into the film and broadcast TV market, building on ALEXA’s position as the first choice digital camera for capture and postproduction.
As a benefit to cinematic productions, ALEXA cameras record ARRIRAW uncompressed 3K images that preserve the true 35 mm ‘digital negative’ for mastering and feature archival. Expanding ALEXA’s parallel recording capability to include native support for Avid DNxHD eliminates a transcoding step for the dailies generated by the Avid editing system and creates a more streamlined editorial workflow with seamless final conformance back to the archived ARRIRAW digital negative.
Neil Fanthom, ARRI’s head of digital camera strategy, comments, “The Avid editorial environment is an important cornerstone of the broadcast and motion picture postproduction industry, and ARRI is very pleased to be able to provide Avid DNxHD MFX file-based recording within the ALEXA camera for Avid-centric productions. This further confirms our commitment to add significant ongoing value to the ALEXA camera family, in this case by allowing customers to choose which workflow suits their own capture and postproduction requirements. No other camera in this industry fulfils such diverse workflow needs.”
Angus Mackay, pro video segment marketing manager at Avid, says, “The Avid Media Composer family of non-linear editing systems, featuring the high quality, low bandwidth SMPTE standard Avid DNxHD codec, are the industry’s first choice for professional editorial. By providing native Avid DNxHD recording with the ALEXA camera, ARRI is allowing producers to use high quality ALEXA cameras and quickly and easily view dailies, and begin editorial, without the need to transcode or re-wrap footage. Media Composer version 6 now offers the Avid DNxHD444 codec, which will permit customers to preserve the high color information in ALEXA footage while still having a low bit rate codec suitable for editorial. This is great news for ARRI and Avid customers, who will benefit from the advantages in quality, speed and streamlined workflows.”
The Avid DNxHD recording function for ALEXA will be distributed as a cost-effective, downloadable software upgrade during January 2012 and is now entering Beta phase testing with selected broadcast productions. Avid DNxHD codec data rates of up to 145Mbit/s (bit depth 8 bit) and 220MBit/s (bit depth 10 bit) will be supported in the initial release. Avid’s highest quality version of the codec, Avid DNxHD 444, will record at 440Mbit/s at 10 bit depth and will be provided as an upgrade for all adopting customers later on during the first quarter of 2012.
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About ARRI:
With headquarters located in Munich, Germany, Arnold and Richter Cine Technik (A&R) was founded in 1917 and is the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of motion picture camera, digital intermediate (DI) and lighting equipment. The ARRI Group comprises a global network of subsidiaries, agents and representatives that covers all aspects of the film industry: design, engineering, production, equipment rental, turnkey lighting solutions, postproduction, film and sound laboratory services, and visual effects. Manufactured products include the groundbreaking ALEXA digital camera system, film cameras, professional camera accessories, cutting-edge LED lighting and DI solutions such as the ARRISCAN and archive tools. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has recognized ARRI technologies and continual innovation with 16 Scientific and Engineering Awards.
About Avid:
Avid creates the digital audio and video technology used to make the most listened to, most watched and most loved media in the world – from the most prestigious and award-winning feature films, music recordings, television shows, live concert tours and news broadcasts, to music and movies made at home. Some of Avid’s most influential and pioneering solutions include Media Composer, Pro Tools, Interplay®, ISIS®, VENUE, Sibelius®, System 5, and Avid Studio. For more information about Avid solutions and services, visit www.avid.com, del.icio.us, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube; connect with Avid on Facebook; or subscribe to Avid Industry Buzz.
Avid, Avid DNxHD, Avid Studio, Interplay, ISIS, Media Composer, Pro Tools and Sibelius are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. The Interplay name is used with the permission of the Interplay Entertainment Corp. which bears no responsibility for Avid products.
For locations and more information please visit http://www.avid.com
Arri Alexa – Final Cut Pro Workflow
Posted by gbalaji in ARRI, Digital Cinema on August 1, 2010
Via Abel Cine,
ARRI’s ALEXA camera offers several recording options, including recording directly to SxS cards in Apple ProRes format. This is called the Direct-To-Edit (DTE) option, and it makes for a very simple workflow. ProRes has proven to be a high quality and robust video format that is widely used in the industry today. The ALEXA has an uncompressed video output, but I believe many productions will choose to record in ProRes directly in the camera. Here is a 3 step guide for how to import ALEXA footage into Final Cut Pro.
1. Insert your SxS card into your MacBook Pro’s ExpressCard34 slot. If you have a computer without an ExpressCard reader, then use the Sony SBAC-US10 SxS Memory Card Reader. The card will show up in your finder as ARRI UDF. UDF stands for Universal Disk Format, which is an open file system.
2. Copy your footage onto a hard disk (preferably a redundant array). The files are named with Camera Name, Reel, Scene and Take numbers. Make sure to copy all clips AND the index.xml file. I recommend making a separate folder for each card copied.
3. Import the index.xml file into Final Cut Pro. Use the File -> Import -> XML function to do this.
Final Cut will pop up a dialog asking for some information. Set your destination to whatever your project name is (my project is called “Alexa”) and click OK.
Now all of your clips should appear in the bin. Notice they are under a folder named after the Camera Name and Reel info.
Repeat Step 3 for each card and you should have all of your footage imported in no time. Now you can start editing!
NAB 2010 Wrapup
Posted by gbalaji in ARRI, Digital Cinema, RED on May 4, 2010
NAB 2010 wrap-up. (Via Scott Simmons for Studio Daily blog)
Winners
Adobe – everywhere you went people were talking about CS5. It was partly because this is a big 64-bit update but partly because Adobe has packed the release with some jaw-dropping features that make a demo. Premiere’s Mercury Playback Engine, After Effect’s RotoBrush and Photoshop’s Content Aware Fill together made Adobe the topic of NAB among post-professionals.
Avid – like Adobe, Avid got a lot of good buzz with the introduction of good product. Even Final Cut Pro only editors were talking about Media Composer 5, it’s native support of all QuickTime formats and the new “drag and drop” timeline. Add 3rd party hardware support and the web-based editing demo and Avid had one of their best NABs in a long time.
3D – It was everywhere with baskets full of 3D glasses at what seemed like most every demo booth. There were hardware and software tools abound to support stereoscopic production and post. And it was a common question at many a vendor’s booth: “Do you do 3D?”
ProRes – The announcement that the new Arri Alexa camera could deliver a native ProRes file started the ProRes win but the Avid QuickTime AMA support in Media Composer 5 continued it. Pretty much every Avid demo you saw mentioned QuickTime AMA support of Apple ProRes as a signature feature. And the AJA KiPro (while introduced at last year’s NAB) still generated it’s share of discussion partly because of that ProRes support.
Canon’s DSLRs – They weren’t just at every booth, atop every tripod, steadicam or crane, or surrounded by vendor after vendor’s support gear but also in the hands of seemingly everyone shooting and covering NAB. This was the year that P2 cards and XDCAM disks were out and CF cards were in.
Mac OS – Smoke on Mac, DaVinci Resolve on Mac, demos on Mac … Apple may be busy with iPads but the post-production community is still busy with Macs. While the Mac OS’s Linux underpinnings probably made it easier to port Smoke and Resolve to Mac it was the ever present Macs on the South Hall show floor that let you know Macs are clearly the platform of choice for post. I hope Apple still notices.
DaVinci – The industry standard in realtime color grading hardware was once expensive to buy and expensive to support. The company had fallen on some tough times and were bought by Blackmagic Design. The marriage had been a bit silent until the bombshell was dropped that the flagship (and six figure) Resolve product would now start at $995. That was big news.
Losers
Apple – Sure there was still Final Cut Pro and Macintosh computers all over the show floor (and ProRes as a winner) but FCP really looked long in the tooth and badly in need of a modern update after watching those Avid and Adobe demos. Add to this the (silly) rumor of an offsite Apple announcement on the Wednesday of the show and their silence was deafening … and easily ignored. Silly rumor is almost an understatement. The whole thing smelled more of desperation from Mac rumor sites to have something happen from Apple at this NAB. Just look over this posting and you can see the direction they took it. To add insult to injury the FCP product manager began his SuperMeet presentation with the words “I have a secret to tell.” He then went on to tell no secret at all. It was a groan-producing moment after great presentations by Adobe and Avid at the Final Cut Pro User Group SuperMeet.
Canon as a whole – What if you were a company that had produced one of the most popular, paradigm shifting cameras of all time? What if everyone expected a video professional version of that camera as an encore and it never came to be? What if you introduced a couple of new professional video cameras and nobody cared?
FilmLight – Speaking of nobody caring … what if you introduced a new entry-level price for your Baselight color grading system and nobody noticed? When $95,000 is that entry-level price it may be that nobody cared in the wake of the DaVinci price drop. It’s probably unfair to say that nobody cared but since they weren’t on the show floor (instead showing product at a nearby hotel) out of sight meant out of mind as I only heard about the Baselight price change until after the show.
Film itself – Aside from a film scanner or two there wasn’t all that much to see of real celluloid on the 2010 NAB floor. I was talking with a Evertz engineer (Evertz are the guys who’s name is often synonymous with film and Keycode) and he said this is the first year Evertz didn’t bring a single piece of film-related gear to the NAB show.
Push
Blackmagic Design – Okay, the reintroduction of DaVinci with an affordable Resolve was a clear winner for Blackmagic but their other big development seemed to be support of the new USB 3.0 standard. While interest was good in the products that interest was often followed by the realization that Macs don’t natively support 3.0. At least not yet. Maybe Blackmagic knows something we don’t.
AJA – last year at NAB the buzz was all about the AJA Ki Pro. You were hard pressed to even push you way into the AJA booth to get a demo. While they had a nice, big booth again this year, without any major new products to announce not many folks were talking about AJA this year. And if they were it was usually about last year’s Ki Pro. I guess you can’t have a blowout show every year.
Panasonic – While the GH1 DSLR underwhelmed, Panasonic’s new AG-AF100 was being shown under glass and includes the GH1’s Micro Four-Thirds sensor in a proper camera body. Tthe excitement of the camera was often tempered with the discovery of the lower bit rate codec. Same with the 3D ready AG-3DA1. That camera looks like the venerable (and affordable) HVX200 with two lenses but the $21,000 price was what many came away from that camera with. 3D acquisition isn’t cheap!
RED – RED once again didn’t show on the NAB floor, instead opting for a user event, on Wednesday of NAB, at a neighboring hotel. There probably wasn’t as much discussion this year as last about them not being on the show floor but truthfully there probably wasn’t as much RED discussion overall since everyone was shooting Canon DSLRs and talking about the Arri Alexa camera. And there were no Scarlets to been seen. Why is RED a push and not a loser? RED was really pimping the EPIC camera, even having a working prototype at the REDuser event, and those RED users who were able to get up close were very impressed, talking a lot about the camera’s size and modular design. And those I talked to weren’t just fanboys but rather serious camera owners who are looking for the best tool for the job. When it finally ships it might just be its own revolution.
ARRI ALEXA CAMERA – AN INTRODUCTION
Via GIZMODO,
ARRI Alexa Camera: Digital Cinematic Bliss
I may never shoot on an ARRI Alexa camera—after all, it’ll cost around $60,000 this summer—but a man can dream, can’t he?
ARRI, makers of legendary film cameras, has finally unveiled the full specs of their upcoming digital camera, the Alexa. It’s an interesting camera—its Super 35 CMOS Bayer sensor (ARRI’s own) can shoot uncompressed 2K resolutions output to an external source (like a hard drive), or downrezzed to 1080p and stored right on the camera thanks so SxS card support (expensive flash memory). Incidentally, this SxS card support is part of a module that could be removed and swapped out for a different storage technology in the future.
Did I lose you?
So the neat thing is this: You can shoot really high end 1080P video with the camera and have it encoded in Final Cut Pro native codecs (Apple’s ProRes 422 and ProRes 4444), meaning you could literally edit what you shot, right when you’re done shooting it without conversion—a rarity in the cinematic HD world.
OR, you could edit this footage while having a 2K backup of everything. Cut the 1080p footage, then use the timecode information from your cut and apply it to the 2K…saving a ton of hard drive space and processing headaches in your postproduction workflow.
Despite shooting a max of 2K as opposed to 4K, ARRI is confident that their video quality will look just as good as anything shot on RED cameras. And they promise that the build quality, reliability and comfort of use will outpace anything released by RED…which is one reason the Alexa is bold enough to cost a minimum of $20,000 more that anything from RED in a shoot-ready configuration. ARRI is also less concerned about the resolution race, citing the fact that Avatar was technically shot in 1080p (Cameron’s Fusion camera system is technically just dual Sony HDC-F950s) and no one seemed to complain.
It’s a pretty convincing argument.
With the Alexa’s pro-focused build and simple post production workflow, ARRI hopes to attract Hollywood to shoot digital—a market that RED hasn’t been able to attract in mass. I’m interested to see if they can do it. But more than that, I love seeing true pro cameras—once tools locked behind the doors of studios and rental houses—become reusable commodities on the open market…even if they’re still a bit beyond our reach.
ALEXA Steps Out at NAB: Advanced Camera System Offers Highest Dynamic Range and ProRes Capture
(NAB 2010, LAS VEGAS) – After much anticipation, ARRI is pleased to unveil ALEXA — the first model in a new generation of digital cameras for feature, television, commercial, documentary, music video production and more. Compact, ergonomic and lightweight on one hand, robust with ARRI’s legendary reliability on the other, ALEXA’s new Super 35 format sensor delivers amazing images with a base sensitivity of EI 800, low noise and an unsurpassed dynamic range of 13.5 stops. ARRI Imaging Technology (AIT) captures organic, film-like images unlike any digital camera, with natural color rendition and pleasing skin tones.The unique Dual Gain Architecture (DGA) design of ALEXA’s CMOS sensor ensures the same wide exposure latitude across a range of sensitivity from EI 200 to EI 1600. This creates opportunities in post-production, where it is easier and faster to get the most out of the rich, captured images. Good detail in both highlight and shadow areas as well as a very low noise level help the colorist to reduce time, effort and thus, cost in grading. ALEXA’s excellent signal to noise ratio and clean color separation are particularly effective for greenscreen and VFX work.
The ALEXA system represents the most versatile and quickest workflow from the set, through post to distribution. This is achieved through ALEXA’s efficient Direct to Edit workflow with a multitude of output options, complete metadata and integrated color management.
ALEXA is unique in that it can simultaneously record Apple QuickTime/ProRes files, output uncompressed HD video and uncompressed ARRIRAW data.
Completely new to ARRI cameras is the ability to record QuickTime files containing Apple ProRes encoded images onto on-board SxS memory cards. ALEXA’s internal recorder encodes ProRes 422 (HQ) or ProRes 444 images, along with audio, metadata and Final Cut Pro (FCP) XML files. These files load directly into FCP for editing, coloring and finishing work. Furthermore, the extremely high quality of Apple’s ProRes 422 (HQ) and ProRes 4444 codecs means that the edited result can be immediately distributed.Two HD-SDI connectors supporting 1.5G dual link or two 3G signals can alternatively be used to output 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 uncompressed HD signals in addition to an ARRIRAW T-link signal. These different signals can be output to certified third party on-board recorders including those from S.two, Codex and Keisoku Giken. Through ALEXA’s Direct to Edit capabilities, the QuickTime/ProRes off-line editing proxy is created directly in camera, carrying the exact same images, audio, timecode and metadata as the on-line HD or ARRIRAW material. ARRIRAW is the only way to access the full potential of ALEXA’s sensor which has color and dynamic range capabilities far beyond standard HD. ARRI’s own ARRIRAW Image Converter (ARC) provides image reconstruction features for the Windows, LINUX and Mac OS platforms.
The Super 35 format CMOS Bayer sensor exhibits cinematic, shallow depth of field and allows the use of all 35mm PL mount lenses. The sensor’s 3.5K pixel count delivers an optimum in image sharpness, sensitivity and latitude for HD (1920 X 1080) and 2K DI workflows. Additionally, the ALEXA viewfinder was specifically designed to meet the needs of camera operators by offering an extremely fast image display, high image quality, accurate color reproduction and a number of features inherited from our optical viewfinders, including overscan.To protect the investment in ALEXA and to expand the filmmaker’s options when shooting, three major components of the camera are specifically designed to allow an easy upgrade path. First, taking into account the rapid rate of change in storage technologies, the module that holds the memory cards is removable. Should another recording technology prove more desirable in the future, this module can be easily replaced with other storage modules.
Second, the camera electronics, which comprise the whole right side of the camera, can also be removed and replaced by upgraded electronics with advanced features. Last, but not least, the Exchangeable Lens Mount (ELM) system allows the use of PL as well as Panavision, Canon or Nikon lenses.
Almost a century of experience and an obsessive attention to detail have led to generations of ARRI cameras that are tough, reliable and simple to operate while offering the best in image capture. Those same high quality standards have also been applied to ALEXA, leading to a number of innovative and extraordinary solutions for creatives to bring their visions to the screen.
The ALEXA camera is available in June, pricing starts at 45,000 Euros.
Arri D-21 shoots 3D in Dubai
Posted by gbalaji in ARRI, Stereoscopic 3D on December 25, 2009
The below article has been taken from Arri Digital website.
The recent opening of Dubai?s brand new Metro system was marked with a screening of a nine-minute 3D film. Played to an audience at a specially erected theatre at the Mall of the Emirates shopping centre, the film provided an immersive experience of what it would be like to travel on the Metro, which runs the entire length of Dubai, before passengers embarked on its inaugural journey
The film was produced by Boomtown Productions for event management company HQ Creative, who had contemplated using 3D several times in the past. After winning the tender to undertake the management of the Metro?s launch, they felt that the project presented the right occasion to showcase the potential of 3D. Boomtown teamed with 3D specialists Vision3 and together they settled on using the ARRIFLEX D-21, a decision driven by the camera?s image quality and the fact the final film would be viewed on a large screen. Camera and grip equipment was supplied by Dubai-based Filmquip Media, in conjunction with ARRI Media.
To create a 3D effect two cameras are required to film images simultaneously. The D-21s, along with matched sets of Cooke S4 primes, were mounted on a StereoCam rig (more popularly known as the Hines rig) – a sturdy 3D mirror rig where one forward-facing camera records an image through a beam-splitting mirror and the other camera angles down at 90 degrees to capture the reflection. This forward-and-downward arrangement enabled the cameras to be put much closer together than would have been possible with a side-by-side rig.
Shane Martin of Boomtown directed, while Anthony Smythe, head of Filmquip Media, served as cinematographer and operator. It was the size and weight of the 3D package that presented the biggest challenge to Smythe. ?Because the rig was so big,? he says, ?it meant I couldn?t actually see the live action in front of me, so I had to try and anticipate what was going to happen.? Once shooting was underway it was quickly discovered that wider lenses appeared better suited to 3D than long. ?It was difficult to get a good 3D effect with a long lens,? says Smythe. ?We mostly worked between an 18mm and a 32mm or 50mm, which seemed to work the best.?
Another reason for choosing D-21s was their reliability; the cameras had to be able to withstand the harsh summer heat and humidity of Dubai, which reached over 40 °C on a daily basis. Throughout the seven-day shoot a number of location moves and various configurations kept the crew busy, but on hand to help out was one of ARRI Media?s digital technicians, Jay Patel. The heat wasn?t the only problem the cameras had to contend with ? one of the more unusual locations was an indoor ski slope, where the cameras were subjected to below freezing conditions. ?It was -2 inside the ski slope,? recalls Smythe, ?and then we went straight to our next location inside a shopping mall. Everything ended up covered in condensation because we had no feasible way of acclimatising the equipment; we even had to get some hairdryers to help dry everything off. But despite that fact we pushed the cameras to their limits and they didn?t let us down. They coped with both the cold and heat; we didn?t have a single problem.?
For the majority of the shoot the signal from the D-21s was recorded in Lin 4:4:4 at 25 fps onto Sony SRW-1s, with the occasional sequence shot in 4:2:2 at 50 fps. Vision3 were on set throughout, carefully monitoring the 3D image. Using a frame synchroniser to sync the signals from both cameras it was possible to view a live 3D picture, which was displayed on a 12? Transvideo monitor.
There are two sides to monitoring 3D on set,? explains Chris Parks, stereographer and partner at Vision3. ?As a stereographer, I have to check that both cameras are perfectly aligned – that there are no discrepancies between the two images. At the same time I need to constantly take measurements of that picture so that I know the amount of 3D there will be in a scene and whether it?s going to work. The monitoring that the client wants is very different,? he continues. ?They want to be able to get a feel for the 3D space within a scene, so we attached 3D glasses to allow them to take a look. The Transvideo did both those jobs ? it displayed the overlaid image so we could align and bring in measuring marks to monitor the amount of 3D effect, and it also allowed us to attach glasses for the director and client to view the 3D.?
In order to get a greater feel for how the 3D was going to look, rushes were then viewed on a 46? JVC flat screen 3D TV. ?Although the JVC can?t give a completely accurate representation of what the 3D will ultimately be like on the big screen,? says Parks, ?it does give a much better idea of the quality of the 3D.?
When shooting 3D there are many considerations that have to be taken into account: ?While there are certain things you should avoid in 3D ? like quick camera moves, which might lead to strobing and a breakdown of the 3D image – there are also things that lend themselves particularly well to 3D,? states the stereographer. ?Aerial views can be particularly effective in 3D: in the Dubai film we shot looking straight down onto a golfer on the golf course and also some traditional dancers. In 2D those shots would have been quite odd looking, but in 3D they work very well. The golfer and the dancers come right out of the screen towards the audience.?
During postproduction the positioning of the 3D images was finalised. ?We decided exactly where and how the scenes would appear within the theatre,? • explains Parks. ?Whether we wanted the whole scene to be behind the screen, or whether, for instance, we wanted the head and shoulders of the golfer to come ouAfter the Metro?s launch on Sept. 9, the Mall?s theatre, which had a seating capacity for 200 people, was packed for every 15-minute screening that was held during the seven days following the opening.
ARRI unveils new digital cinema camera in IBC 2009
Posted by gbalaji in ARRI, Digital Cinema on September 12, 2009
ARRI unveils new digital cinema camera in this year IBC 2009. 3 Cameras shown as prototype in new ARRI CMOS censor technology named “ALEV III Sensor”. They planned to release mid 2010. Starting price of camera starts from 50000 Euro.
Check out this IBC video to know more about the upcoming digital cinema cameras from ARRI
ArriFlex D21 Recording options and Format
Posted by gbalaji in ARRI, Digital Cinema on September 11, 2009
Arri D21 frequent asked question!
01. What is so special about the D-21?
The most noticeable difference between the D-21 and any other digital or HD camera is the picture quality it produces. The D-21 is renowned for a cinematic look that comes very close to 35mm film in terms of sharpness, colorimetry, exposure latitude and depth of field. This is because the D-21’s sensor is the same size and shape as an open gate 35mm film frame.
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02. Why is the optical viewfinder so important?
Because it helps your operator to work more creatively and more efficiently; the direct look-through from viewfinder to lens creates a crisp, bright image with zero electronic delay. Since the image in the viewfinder is much larger than that being recorded, the operator has absolute compositional control and can prevent unwanted objects from entering the frame, therebyminimising costly retakes.
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03. Who is using the D-21 and for what kind of productions?
The D-21 has been used for numerous movies, commercials and TV productions across the globe. Many prominent producers, directors and cinematographers have become loyal proponents of the D-21 over the last few years. To see a list of D-21 production credits please go to PRODUCTION CREDITS; to read about the experiences of those who have shot with the camera, please visit the NEWS & VIEWS section.
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04. What impact could the D-21 make on my schedule?
Talented and well prepared crews can easily get through more than 20 setups per day on a D-21 shoot, so even in the worst case it should not be much different to shooting on film or HD. In our experience, large-scale TV productions routinely achieve over 25 setups per day with the D-21.
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05. What impact could the D-21 make on my budget?
Though it is ARRI’s flagship model and a premium product, the D-21 is actually more affordable than you might think. Since the look of images generated by the D-21 is nearer to 35mm film than conventional HD, it is to film that the D-21 must be compared. This being the case, the stock and processing costs of shooting on film play an important part in evaluating the cost-effectiveness of the D-21. In general, if a production can afford Super 16 then it can afford the D-21, though exact costs will depend on the shooting ratio and other factors. Of course, a detailed quotation for any particular project can be obtained from your usual camera rental company.
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06. What kind of a cinematographer do I need?
The D-21 is known as the film-style digital camera, designed by a company that has been making professional film cameras for over 90 years; any cinematographer with 35mm film experience should be able to create great looking pictures with it. Ergonomically, the D-21 will be familiar to anybody who has shot with a modern ARRI film camera. In contrast to the numerous pages of camera settings that typically comprise the menu structures of other HD cameras, the D-21 features a single menu page, making it far more intuitive and film-like. The D-21 credit list shows the names of cinematographers that have used the camera and its predecessor, the D-20.
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07. Do I need a bigger crew?
An experienced film crew will have no problems getting to grips with the camera system as it is straightforward to set up and operate, and has been designed with filmmakers in mind. As with all equipment, it is advisable for the crew to perform thorough preparations before shooting. It is not usually necessary to supplement the camera crew with a digital technician, unless your production has unusual complexity, but the best thing would be to discuss requirements with your cinematographer.
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08. Do I need a video village?
This is entirely up to you, your director and your cinematographer; some productions use minimal monitoring on-set and work in the same way as they would on a film shoot, while others opt for an elaborate monitoring setup. It is straightforward to get a range of outputs from the D-21, allowing many different monitoring needs to be met. Due to extremely sophisticated in-camera processing, the D-21 produces stunning pictures instantly in full colour and resolution for the benefit of those who want to see the full results while shooting.
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09. What are the D-21 workflow options?
Thanks to the unique flexibility of the D-21 you can choose between a wide variety of workflow options to suit your production needs and budget. The HD output can be either 4:2:2 or full RGB 4:4:4 and set to either ‘linear’ or ‘log’ modes. Alternatively, uncompressed raw sensor data can be outputted from the camera in Data Mode. A range of recording devices can be used for either HD or Data Mode output. Moreover, the D-21 offers an option to shoot full resolution anamorphic (2.40:1), using conventional anamorphic lenses, in either Mscope (HD-based) or Data Mode. To find the optimal recording and workflow solution for your production, please consult your cinematographer, camera rental company and postproduction/DI facility.
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10. Should I worry about make-up, costume and set design?
Commonly voiced concerns about the “hyper” clarity of HD revealing and mercilessly emphasising performers’ skin imperfections and the artifice of make-up and costume are unfounded when it comes to the D-21. No more or less care and attention to detail should be applied on a D-21 shoot than is required on a film set. The natural and forgiving look of the sensor, combined with film lenses and film-like depth of field, make the camera an excellent choice particularly for highly demanding period or costume-heavy productions.
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