May 31, 11:12 pm
DVM Adds Redrock Microsystems M2 to Arsenal
At DVM we consider ourselves perfectionists. And one of the biggest challenges we face on a regular basis is achieving the look of film when shooting high definition video. For years we’ve learned and utilized tricks of the trade to pull off this nearly impossible task.
Whether it’s lighting techniques or slight of hand in the editing process, nothing has achieved a believable film-like result until now. Color saturation and gamma curve can be matched fairly closely to film in several of today’s high definition cameras. And controlled lighting can help compensate for the lack of latitude of video compared to film. But the most important part of the elusive “getting video to look like film” equation is the ability to manipulate focus and the depth of field as with 35mm lenses. It’s simply a matter of optics. Using a 35mm backplane as the focal point for the image received through the camera lens gives the cinematographer much more control over focus and depth of field. When focus is used properly, you can lead a viewer’s eyes to exactly the point where you want them to look in the scene. The Redrock Microsystems M2 lens adapter helps us do exactly that.
A shallow depth of field forces everything that is not the focal point of the shot to rapidly fall out of focus, leaving you with a pleasing image that forces you to look at only what is in focus. Here’s how it works. By attaching the Redrock to our HD camera we’re able to shoot using standard 35mm SLR camera lenses. Once mounted to the camera along with a follow focus system it’s a pretty impressive sight. Though fairly intimidating looking, the process is really simple and the results are truly amazing. We have recently started offering this to its clients and so far everyone has been blown away. Will the Redrock/HD combination replace shooting film? Absolutely not. It has its limitations certainly. However, it works great for many of our clients who don’t have film budgets but want the best look possible. We wouldn’t recommend it for “run and gun” shooting. The Redrock requires a close eye on an HD monitor for critical focus. It’s best suited for controlled film-style shooting. Take a look at this sample from a recent production for one of our clients. Most of the shots were taken using a 50mm Nikon lens.
We’d like to thank Mike Duncan, Creative Director at Unisyn / Fuze Multimedia, and his supporting staff for allowing us to be part of the team. Mike was the genius behind the creative for the shoot handling all aspects of scripting and coordination of the shoot.
