Some of the world’s leading manufacturers of camera systems, lenses, lighting equipment, workflow technology and other film and television production gear will be on hand when Sim Digital, PS Production Services and Bling Digital, hosts the Sim Technology Showcase on January 30 at Sim’s Toronto headquarters.
The industry doesn’t do as many pilots as in years past, which is a shame, because they can be a valuable format for testing not just story ideas and actors but new technology. In my role covering new cinema technology for the Digital Cinema Society I am often offered gear to test and evaluate, everything from new lighting units and cameras to various digital cinema recorders. Since I need to keep busy earning my living as a director of photography, I honestly don’t have time to run scientific tests, so I prefer instead to use the gear in real world productions I’m hired to work on. You could call me a technology test pilot. I get a better sense of how these tools perform where the rubber hits the road, and it’s a good way to help out the productions I’m working on, pulling in items they might not otherwise be able to afford. The perfect opportunity to put many of these items through their paces came up recently when I was asked to shoot a feature length pilot for a new action/adventure show aimed at young adults entitled, Tribe of the Wild.
LED lighting manufacturer Zylight has received a strategic investment from Ushio America.
Horror films have a certain style: cramped quarters, heat, now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t or did-you-really-see-it. Lighting for the suspense, and horror of the genre is always a particular challenge but one that cinematographer Steve Romano believes he handled nicely the indie feature The Girl, which was directed by Jennifer Blanc-Biehn.
For writer/producer/director Robert Palmer, the idea behind I Am Alone, starring Gareth David Lloyd, began as a simple horror film video diary, but as the story developed, Palmer and partner Michael A. Weiss realized that the concept behind this project would allow them to push the boundaries of both reality TV and horror films.
When Camrin Petramale won a coveted honor at this year’s Local 600, Cinematographer’s Guild Emerging Cinematographers Awards, one of the perks he received was a set of Litepanels Sola ENG lights.
Litepanels has announced the Hilio/HC Field Lighting Package. This package is designed to provide the Hilio’s high output daylight balanced illumination with a convenient and portable DC power system from Anton/Bauer for ultimate mobility.
Shooting in northwest Chicago, within an old 1900s box warehouse for Lauren Santee’s music video, Let Down, provided some challenges for producer/director Kevin Otterness.
DP Jendra Jarnagin recently shot a night scene for an independent feature shooting the Sony F55 Digital Cinema Camera at 5000 ISO.
Lincoln, Nebraska’s Outpost12 Studios is using new Zylight Z90 compact LED lights on location and IS3c large panel LED lights in its studio. Known in their market for VFX and animation work, the studio is using its new lighting instruments to produce custom interactive work for the Web that creates unique branding experiences for its clients
