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AWARD-WINNING AGENCY DIGITAL KITCHEN SHOOTS DIGITAL PREVIEW
SHOW FOR MOVIE THEATERS WITH PANASONIC AJ-HPX2000 P2 HD CAMCORDERS
July 22, 2008
Source: Panasonic
Heads up and out of that popcorn tub to
savor the arresting visuals of a digital pre-show with movie-related
news and features that runs in thousands of theater locations
and screens nationwide. For the past several months, production
company Digital Kitchen has utilized Panasonic's AJ-HPX2000
P2 HD camcorders to shoot this plum assignment for one of
the world's largest cinema advertising companies.
With studios in New York, Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles,
design-driven production company Digital Kitchen (DK) has
created experiential campaigns for Target and Microsoft as
well as broadcast spots for hundreds of leading brands. Their
work includes interactive work for AT&T, Budweiser, and
Mercedes, the Emmy Award-winning main titles for "Dexter"
and "Six Feet Under," the live show content for
the 2008 Webby Awards and countless other high-profile assignments.
On a monthly basis, DK uses one and at times two HPX2000s
to shoot all hosted segments for the 20-minute pre-show. Each
show features up to 12 minutes of material comprising five
to 10 segments with a host and occasional guests. DK shoots
the shows on a practical set in a Chicago studio, and rents
the cameras from Fletcher Camera (Chicago, IL).
"The HPX2000 fits a nice balance between high-end and
affordable," said DK producer Colin Davis. "The
ability to change lenses and the sensor is top-notch; and
being able to work in a high-quality, tapeless workflow was
the major deciding factor for us. We deliver digitally, so
we can operate with a tape-free workflow the entire process."
"Prior to using the camera on this assignment, we worked
with the HPX2000 on a music video shoot, where we got great
looking footage out of the camera, with minimal post processing
required," Davis said. "The dynamic range made it
look remarkably film-like, even in low light situations, typically
the area where HD runs into trouble."
DK is shooting AVC-Intra 100 in 720p. On location, they are
loading P2 cards directly onto a computer. "We are able
to make selects on set, cutting down on post-production time,"
Davis noted.
"The HPX2000 is a good mix of rugged and portable,"
he continued. "It is fairly lightweight, making it easy
to manipulate quickly. Most important, though, is image quality
– we are able to go tapeless without sacrificing picture
quality. Having gamma profiles to mimic film is really useful
for quick settings. Most of our clients hate the stock video
look, so getting to a nice color curve without a lot of work
really helps."
Davis said that the cameras are generally packaged with prime
lenses. "Using zooms or lenses with deep depth-of-feel
subconsciously tells people that they are looking at video
cameras, so getting great optics helps us keep the quality
high," he said.
"We edit in Final Cut Pro, and typically do not require
additional color correction," Davis said. "The final
uncompressed QuickTimes are sent on drives to Technicolor
and Kodak facilities where they are uploaded and beamed out
to theaters, where the show is digitally projected."
"The HPX2000 is a great camera if you want to work tapeless,
with detachable lenses, cost-effectively," he added.
"If you light it like a film camera, you can get filmic
quality, at the same time keeping a lean and quick post production
workflow."
For more information about Digital Kitchen, visit
www.d-kitchen.com.
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