Gear and Equipment Archives - British Cinematographer

Videndum

Lead image credit: Phil Streather NO TEA PARTY The traditional approach to filming chimpanzees and many other species in their natural habitat is to use a large camera and a very long lens necessitating a large and heavy tripod, but Oscar-winning director James Reed (My Octopus Teacher) and cinematographer Ben Sadd (Jago: A Life Underwater; … Read more

Laowa

CREATURE COMFORTS Cinematographer Jack Mifflin used the Laowa Ranger Compact Cine Zoom to capture European marmots in the wild. Images of wild marmots eating biscuits was the spur for award-winning filmmakers Yaz Ellis and Jack Mifflin to produce a short film highlighting the complicated relationship between humans and feeding wildlife. The pair, who live in … Read more

CVP

THE RIGHT PACKAGE FOR A SUCCESSFUL SHOOT Whether navigating tropical jungles, searing deserts, icy mountains, or the depths of the ocean, wildlife filmmakers face a unique set of challenges. Despite the variety of environments, a common set of considerations always guides their essential kit list. On every shoot, technical challenges are inevitable as capturing something … Read more

Canon

INTREPID ADVENTURE Anyone growing up in the UK is familiar with Captain Scott’s race to the South Pole as a tale of tragic heroism but there is far more to the story that a new film sets out to explore. The Worst Journey In The World is a biopic set in Antarctica, recounting one of … Read more

Blackmagic Design

CAPTURING THE GRIT AND GLORY Guardians – a gripping new documentary series filmed using Blackmagic Design kit – sheds light on the courageous work of anti-poaching rangers in the Zambezi Delta of Mozambique. Produced by Conservation Film Company for EarthxTV, seven-episode documentary Guardians tracks the efforts of anti-poaching rangers – the unsung heroes – as … Read more

Atomos

WILD NINJA Kristi Odom travels the world as a photographer and filmmaker to highlight wildlife stories and protect them. As an Associate Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers, she has helped raise nearly $1m for conservation. On a recent trip to Bolivia, Kristi Odom visited La Senda Verde wildlife sanctuary to raise money … Read more

Planet Earth III

SECOND NATURE Some of the cinematographers behind Planet Earth III reveal their techniques to capture the big wild world in all its glory. For wildlife cinematographer John Haskew, any filmmaking, including shooting the natural world, is “all about the story and engaging and educating the audience”. Immersing the viewer in the world of the subject, … Read more

Animals Up Close with Bertie Gregory

WILD WORLD For wildlife cinematographer Bertie Gregory, “the animal always comes first”. This principle is clearly evident in his BAFTA-nominated series, now streaming on Disney+.   As Animals Up Close with Bertie Gregory unfolds, you can see his relationship with his subjects is one of profound respect, even when they kill other animals to survive. This … Read more

Aerial wildlife cinematography

TAKE TO THE SKIES Aerial filming – whether by helicopter or drone – may be more mobile than shooting from a hide on the ground, but dynamic and useable footage of wildlife requires just as much patience and experience. “There’s a lot of animal behaviour that you can only see and understand from an aerial … Read more

Macro cinematography

SMALL BUT MIGHTY From shrimps to spiders, capturing the natural world’s smaller inhabitants calls for specialist kit and knowledge. Macro cinematography demands meticulous control, with a mix of studio-based and on-location work. Veteran filmmaker Richard Kirby says most macro cinematographers build a simple set “and take that anywhere,” blending the back of the set and … Read more

Underwater shooting

INTO THE BLUE Join the cinematographers taking the plunge into our oceans as they strive to capture the world beneath the waves. It used to be that simply taking a camera to an unusual place – the top of a mountain, space, or the depths of the sea – would satisfy producers of high-end documentaries. … Read more

Filmmaking equipment

KITTED OUT FOR SUCCESS Film and TV projects have long combined custom-built equipment with the latest high technology, and that seems even more common in natural history work. The natural history field demands material that’s novel and achieves the sort of high-end gloss that’s become a baseline. Katie Mayhew describes it as “the blue chip … Read more

Wildlife filmmaking techniques

NATURE KNOW HOW Providing a definitive overview of how to shoot wildlife is a near-impossible task. However, with help from a selection of brilliant and very experienced cinematographers, we can cover some of the ground rules. In terms of kit, many cinematographers say the smaller the creature tends to be, the more things you need … Read more

Changing habits

A wildlife cinematographer doesn’t only capture the results of evolution in the natural world – they also experience it in the very tool boxes they take into the wild: Shifts from film to digits, terrestrial radio to satellite phones, paper maps to GPS systems, and more. None of that means it’s necessarily easier to grab … Read more

Austrian real-time power for virtual production 

AV Stumpfl’s PIXERA real-time media server platform is becoming increasingly popular with leading studios and production companies who integrate it into their existing virtual production workflows.  AV Stumpfl’s award-winning 64-bit system for real-time media processing, compositing and management was designed to thrive in both 2D and 3D environments.  Since its initial release in 2019, the … Read more

Powering change

Filmmakers are in for a treat at CVP’s new flagship virtual production showroom, where state-of-the-art technology meets creative vision. CVP has launched a new showroom and events space on Great Titchfield Street, housing the latest in virtual production solutions.  As you would expect from CVP, this remarkable space is designed to immerse customers comfortably in … Read more

Curve appeal

Discover STS Communication’s cutting-edge Absen LED installation for virtual production. Virtual production (VP) is a filmmaking technique that combines live-action footage with computer-generated imagery (CGI) in real time. VP allows filmmakers to craft immersive and realistic environments without the constraints or expense of location shooting. The approach is growing in popularity in many filmmaking hubs … Read more

Antonio Paladino / Dance First

A LIFE IN MONOCHROME Samuel Beckett, a towering figure in 20th-century literature, is the subject of the biopic Dance First. Cinematographer Antonio Paladino sheds light on the choice of black-and-white cinematography and the equipment deployed to bring the director’s vision to the big screen. Numerous films, stage productions and other adaptations have masterfully captured Samuel … Read more

Gear Guide

PERFECT MATCH The ultimate accessories for the new Burano: take your pick from Sony’s range of lenses and audio solutions. SONY LENSES Ideal for your documentary shooting with Burano. SELP28135G – 28-135mm Power Zoom Full Frame A powered zoom that delivers the precision and quality that top formats demand, with minimum breathing and image shift. … Read more

Xavier Dolléans AFC / Marinette

NET GAINS Marinette tells the life story of the first woman French football player to sign a professional contract. DOP Xavier Dolléans AFC explains how his Sony VENICE scored on and off the pitch. In the diverse history of films delving into the lives of female footballers, ranging from captivating documentaries to light-hearted comedies, the dramatic … Read more