Independent Filmmaker Darren Gould Shoots Short Film Using Panasonic AJ-HDC27V Variable-Frame HD Cinema Camera

LOS ANGELES, CA (June 2001) -- Independent, Utah-based filmmaker Darren Gould has shot a short subject narrative video with Panasonic Broadcasts new AJ-HDC27V variable frame rate progressive HD Cinema camera. The AJ-HDC27V allows digital cinematographers to capture 24-frame high-definition progressive scanned images with film-like sensitivity over a wide variety of frame rates. The short, entitled Hindsight, follows a con man as he sees his past catch up with him in a Twilight Zone-style story.

Shot on location in Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Logan, Utah, it stars Blake Adams and Tom Jacobsen. Writer/director/DP Gould plans to enter the piece in several film festivals later this year. Gould said, Ive been considering several full-length projects and was very interested if see if shooting in HD would be more time- and cost-effective than film. From my experience with this project, I am very impressed.

The camera is lighter and easier to handle than film cameras, allowing for multiple setups in less time. And picture quality is not compromised it rivals 35mm! Providing great economy, long recording times and a refreshing ease of use, the AJ-HDC27V offers 24 frame per second capture for acquisition of exquisite film-like images. And with its unique variable-frame selectivity, cinematographers can choose from a wide range of other frame rates including 4 to 33-fps (in one frame increments) 36-fps, 40-fps and 60-fps providing the capability to overcrank or undercrank the camera to achieve fast or slow-motion effects. This is the first time this traditional film technique has been applied to a high-definition digital camera system. Gould continued, We chose this camera for the 24p capability.

I love the look of film and had originally considered shooting the project on 35mm, but after working on another HDTV 24p short last year I was eager to compare the performance of the Panasonic camera. I am quite impressed with the AJ-HDC27Vs sensitivity; it is capable of capturing fine detail. I worked to capitalize on this strength of HD; for example, one lead-acting role called for a particularly gritty look that the camera captured beautifully. The camera comes with a good selection of ND filters for a variety of lighting situations, so we were able to get the look we wanted every time. He continued, As a director and DP, instant access to what we had shot gave me both confidence and creative freedom to explore a variety of approaches to shooting various scenes--we did a lot of mixing and matching with lights of different color temperatures. One of the scenes in the film takes place inside an old motor home.

The camper had some very funky 70s-style lights mounted over the dinette and a stained glass window behind one of the seats. I wanted to be able to show these lights and the window in the scene. Because the camera is so sensitive, I was actually able to use these lights to help illuminate the shot. I used a couple of 420-watt Pepper lights for fill and used dimmers to warm them up and match the interior lighting. I also made use of a skylight, used ND filters to knock the light way down, then warmed it up with some gels. We could have achieved the same results using a color temperature meter, but I liked being able to see the results instantly on our monitor. The camera performed beautifully in 24fps.

In one scene we projected 16mm images on a screen for our actors to react to, and I was quite pleased to see that these images had no flicker whatsoever. The camera is very compact and has two integrated single cable HD SDI-out spigots, a feature that reduces the number of cables hanging from the camera. Other HD cameras require an additional adapter in order to have a single cable HD SDI output signal, adding a good 2 1/2" to the length of the camera. In post, Gould will use Panasonics AJ-HD150 DVCPRO HD VTR to downconvert the native 720p material to 480i for an off-line edit, and will then produce masters in both 720p and 1080i for festival submissions. Goulds company, Lost Electron Films (Salt Lake City, UT), is producing the short in association with Mountainstream Media, also of Salt Lake City.

Producers include Gould and Kara Jolliff Gould of Lost Electron Films and Chris Luck of Mountainstream Media. Gould concluded, Just like every other independent filmmaker, I'm always looking for ways to achieve exceptional quality on a budget. I'm excited about the future of HD cinematography, because the technology allows more independents to share their visions with the world. Panasonics AJ-HDC27V is a wonderful tool filmmakers can use to produce beautiful images regardless of their budget.

A truly flexible digital camera, the AJ-HDC27Vs progressive images can be directly converted to film avoiding unnecessary frame rate conversions. By utilizing Panasonic's AJ-HD3700 D-5 HD Mastering VTR, images can be format converted to 1080p/24 -- a Universal Master from which 25fps PAL programming can be easily derived. The AJ-HDC27V can also create motion-blur and warp-speed special effects in real-time by shooting at very low frame rates without shutter. The cameras shutter speeds automatically track frame rate changes, ensuring consistency throughout the shoot. The AJ-HDC27V HD Cinema camera records for 46 minutes in standard 720/60p format on DVCPRO large-size cassettes and provides exceptional sensitivity-- equivalent ASA speed rating of 1000--F13@2000 lux. Capable of shooting in a wide range of light-level conditions, the AJ-HDC27Vs programmable gain preamplifier can be set to optimize signal levels--operators can choose from -6 dB to +36 dB in 12 steps. Its advanced color correction scheme utilizes a 12-pole color matrix that allows very specific colors to be set without affecting the overall picture color imagery. The camera offers a selection of 12 separate camera set-ups, which can be saved internally or on a removable memory card. Other production-oriented features include Interval Recording, a time-lapse function that allows for a recording duration of 10 frames to 59 seconds with a pause duration (interval) from 2 seconds to 24 hours. Power consumption is a low 32 watts (39 watts fully operational with lens, VF, VTR active, and SDI output active). Two SMPTE 292M HD-SDI outputs permit direct monitoring onto a 720p/60 format monitor, or 10-bit resolution full bandwidth D-5 HD recordings for Studio Mastering quality applications.

Other models in Panasonics HD Cinema lineup include the AJ-HDC20A 1080 interlace camera and the AJ-HDC27A progressive scan camera. For more information on Panasonics HD Cinema lineup, visit www.panasonic.com/hdcinema Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast, professional video and presentation products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a unit company of Matsushita Electric Corporation of America, the principal North America subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC), one of the world's leading producers of electronic and electric products for consumer, business and industrial use. For more information on Panasonic Broadcast products, access the companys web site at www.panasonic.com/broadcast.