Cinematographer Feature

New York Times Shoots "Screen Tests"
By Staff
Mar 13, 2008, 07:37

For a video feature on the New York Times Style Magazine Web site, www.tmagazine.com, a series of "Screen Tests" were shot using Panasonic's AJ-HPX3000 native 1080p one-piece master-quality camcorder. Titled as a reference to Andy Warhol's iconic 1960s celebrity interviews of the same name, the "Screen Tests" feature video profiles of actors including Natalie Portman and Marion Cotillard.

Prior to the "Screen Tests" shoot, Cinematographer Manfred Reiff had shot extensively with Panasonic's AG-HVX200 P2 HD camcorder and had considered P2 "an extremely robust format." Reiff recalls, "I was eager to work with the HPX3000. I wanted to take a painterly approach that would be transparent to the viewer. The HPX3000 delivered a very compelling image right out of the box."

Portman and Cotillard were shot on a deliberately scaled-down set, illuminated by just one Briese light, emulating the umbrella-type strobe light quality used in fashion photography. Reiff shot 1080p DVCPRO HD; the HPX3000 was fully loaded with five 16GB P2 cards, allowing up to 80 minutes of record time. The HPX3000 was equipped with a Fujinon E Series HAe12x9.5 (9.5-114) Super Cine Style telephoto zoom lens.

"The 1080p resolution is wonderful," Reiff adds. "At some point, these 'Screen Tests' may be compiled as a film, so the camera's higher vertical line resolution was a real consideration. Every project has its own needs, but I would say that the HPX3000 is an excellent choice when you want to shoot 1080p with an extremely effective, convenient workflow."




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