7 DAYS. 5 SHOOTS. 11 LOCATIONS. 8 CAMERAS. 5 COMPLETED VIDEOS.
The call came in on Friday. “Our client saw the 4k culinary work you did and would like you to create 5 original videos with a mix of 4k and HD formats. And we need it by next Friday. Can you do it?” It became what we called “The Impossible Project” and we were just insane enough to agree to do it
Blackmagic 4k Cinema Camera on the slider at the Tannery Row Ale House
The parameters were laid out by the client needing our team to create 1 – 3 minute videos of 5 specific types of genres and elements. Interior architecture, Urban Life and City, Parks and Nature and elements like that. They wanted all original photography and the idea was to utilize as many 4k and HD cameras and formats as feasibly possible.
Blackmagic 4k RAW image of a skateboarder catching air in Atlanta
Led by Principal Walter Biscardi, Jr., a plan was quickly formulated to make this project a reality. “Marion Laney and I have collaborated on a lot of projects since our ‘Good Eats’ days and with a project this crazy and with so many elements to pull together, he was the first person added to the team.”
While Walter pulled together the plan to execute the overall project, Marion formulated a 2 day shooting schedule throughout the Atlanta metro region that would cover the City and Urban life along with Architectural interiors. His input on locations was invaluable to get the imagery needed in a short amount of time.
Panasonic GH4 4k image of the wheel in downtown Atlanta.
Walter shot for three days on his own and he teamed up with Marion for two days to shoot all over Atlanta, the Caribbean and Dauphin Island, Alabama. “The Caribbean materials that I had shot in 4k and with my iPhone while on vacation turned out to be fortuitous because some of that fit perfectly with what was needed for this project and Marion happened to be in Dauphin Island so he was able to film some materials there.”
Blackmagic Design URSA Mini 4k detail of a Chevy Camaro ZL1
The key to the entire project was media management from the start. “If we overshot with the cameras, which honestly I typically do, it would have overwhelmed the post production process. So I made sure that we limited the raw photography to just ‘quality selects.’ We essentially shot as if we only had one camera card to use in an entire day so we both focused on just getting the best images for the project,” notes Walter.
Sony a7rII 4k detail of the Tannery Row Ale House
In total around 10 hours of new original materials were shot using the 8 various cameras and all of this was edited down about 15 minutes in 5 videos for the event. Not only did we finish the project, we delivered it at 10am on Friday. “It was a lot of long hours, very little sleep, but wow did have a great time working on this project. It was satisfying to not just deliver an original project of this magnitude to quickly, but to exceed the client’s expectation and deliver outstanding quality imagery. That’s what makes it all worthwhile,” said Biscardi.
Sony a7rII 1080HD slo-mo at the Centennial Olympic Park fountain
We can’t divulge the specific details about what the project was produced for except to say that they’re being used for a private event and the footage will most likely be re-used for marketing into the future. Here’s the specs on the cameras and formats used.
Cameras:
iPhone 6:
Panasonic GH4:
Canon 70D:
Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera:
Sony a7rII:
Blackmagic Design 4k Cinema Camera:
GoPro Hero 2 and Hero 3:
Blackmagic Design URSA Mini:
Formats Shot:
4k RAW:
4k 3:1 RAW:
S-Log:
S-Gamut3.cine:
4k ProRes HQ:
ProRes:
ProRes HQ:
4k H264:
1080 HD H264:
720p H264:
Shooting 4k RAW details at the Tannery Row Ale House
Very special thanks to Lake Lanier Islands Resort and the Tannery Row Ale House for accommodating us on short notice. Special Thanks to Flanders Scientific Inc for their assistance with the MYT Works slider / skate combination and for all the fun with the URSA Mini and the drift trike.