{"id":148832,"date":"2021-02-02T13:45:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-02T19:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=148832"},"modified":"2021-02-02T13:41:47","modified_gmt":"2021-02-02T19:41:47","slug":"cameras-used-at-sundance-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/cameras-used-at-sundance-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"A Look into the Cameras Used at Sundance Film Festival 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We chat with the filmmakers of Sundance 2021 to explore what cameras, lenses, and gear they used and why. Let’s dive in.<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In a typical year, the streets of Park City, Utah would be bustling with activity. Studio executives would mingle with big name stars and up-and-coming indie filmmakers alike, as hordes of press and fans would descend on the usually quiet mountain town. However, like many aspects of life, this year will be quite different indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, while the 2021 Sundance Film Festival<\/a> might not be flying in full force on the snowy streets of Utah, there’s still a festival going on, and at the heart of it there will be plenty of impressive films. We reached out to the filmmakers of Sundance 2021 to talk about their films and explore the cameras, lenses, and gear that they used to create their fantastic shorts, docs, and features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a look at a few of the technical specs behind some of the big-named features, as well as explore the cameras behind some of the first-timers, to learn what cameras, gear, and insights helped these films standout at Sundance 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ALEXA Mini: Prisoners of the Ghostland <\/em>(Feature Narrative)<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Nick<\/a>
Nick Cassavetes<\/a> and Nic Cage<\/a> appear in <\/em>Prisoners of the Ghostland<\/a> by Sion Sono<\/a>, an official selection of the Premieres section at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Image via Sundance Institute<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The ALEXA Mini is compact and easy to handle, and I really like how the ARRI sensor captures organic shades of color. Also, the Ultra Prime is compact and sufficiently sharp, so it fits well with our shooting style. This combination is very useful and effective to capture free acting from the actors at a good angle. We used tobacco brown as the color tone for scenes in the wastelands. For flashback scenes, we used the LUT based on the tone made from cross-processing the color reversal films.<\/p>– S\u00f4hei Tanikawa<\/a>, Director of Photography<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not surprising to hear that many of the films that have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year have been shot on ARRI cinema cameras. However, what might be a bit surprising is to hear that one of the more popular in ARRI\u2019s vaulted line of digital cinema options is the ARRI ALEXA Mini<\/a>. As a more lightweight and slimmed down option compared to other ARRI cameras (which we\u2019ll hear about below), the ALEXA Mini<\/a> really fits the style and needs of many of the small-budget indies, as well as the run-and-gun nature of several of the Sundance features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"S\u00f4hei<\/a>
Image of S\u00f4hei Tanikawa using the ARRI ALEXA Mini on set of the feature <\/em>Prisoners of the Ghostland. Image via Sundance Institute<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sion Sono\u2019s Prisoners of the Ghostland<\/a><\/em> became one of the most anticipated premieres at Sundance this year the moment it signed Nicolas Cage as its star. This indie feature combines action<\/a>, thriller<\/a>, and horror<\/a> elements wistfully with its cinematography manned by S\u00f4hei Tanikawa, who creates a truly beautiful pallet of colors and visuals with his ALEXA Mini and Ultra Prime lens setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ARRI Amira: Bambirak <\/em>(Short Narrative)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Bambirak<\/a>
Lara Cengiz<\/a> appears in<\/em> Bambirak<\/a> by Zamarin Wahdat<\/a>, an official selection of the Shorts Program at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Image via Sundance Institute<\/a> | Photo by Lorena Duran<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We were shooting on an ARRI Amira that my cinematographer Lorena Duran owns. However, the lenses we got from our rental house in Hamburg, Germany (for a very low price) were too digital for my taste. I was initially planning to shoot on film, but that was not in the budget! Additionally, we couldn’t afford to rent a good set of lenses. My cinematographer, however, spotted a very old Angenieux zoom lens that was a Super 16 lens. We first thought we would not be able to use the lens because we could see the edges in 2K. Lorena came up with the idea of shooting the whole project in HD and that would allow us to use the lens and create a 2002 look.<\/p>– Zamarin Wahdat, Director<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Alongside the ALEXA Mini, another very popular camera for both Sundance features as well as shorts was the ARRI Amira<\/a>. This was the case for the emerging voices behind the Sundance short Bambirak<\/em>, written and directed by Zamarin Wahdat. Born in Afghanistan and raised in Germany, Wahdat has honed her filmmaking skills as a camera operator over the years. Along with her DP Lorena Duran, the duo decided to go with the Amira as the best option to get that true film look\u2014without having to actually shoot on film, which can be quite expensive for up-and-coming filmmakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Zamarin<\/a>
Zamarin Wahdat with the ARRI Amira on set of her short film <\/em>Bambirak. Image via Sundance Institute.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Amira also proved to be quite flexible as Wahdat decided to shoot the project scaled down and in HD as a work-between with their desired lenses. Overall, the effect worked beautifully to create \u201ca very unique look for our film and a nostalgic feel,\u201d which Wahdat reports appears to many as if \u201cwe shot on Super 16.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K: R#J<\/em> (Feature Narrative)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Camaron<\/a>
Camaron Engels<\/a> and Francesca Noel<\/a> appear in <\/em>R#J<\/a> by Carey William<\/a>s, an official selection of the NEXT section at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Image via Sundance Institute<\/a> | Photo by Charles Murphy.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We shot our film R#J<\/em> with two Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K\u2019s, modified with PL mounts, using a matching set of 18mm, 25mm, uncoated Zeiss Super Speeds, 32mm Cooke anamorphic, and a 28-76 Angeniuex zoom. Because our film is told from the perspective of our main characters’ phones and we didn\u2019t want to actually use cell phones, we needed a way to keep our cameras lightweight enough to create an organic hand-held feel to our images without it feeling heavy-handed.<\/p>– Diego Madrigal<\/a>, Director of Photography.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

One of the themes of this year\u2019s Sundance Film Festival was a refreshing amount of creative ingenuity on the part of the diverse and talented filmmakers. Because many of the films had to tackle many logistic issues to even film during a global pandemic, while navigating the challenges of production with smaller crews and new safety procedures, many of the stories and filmmaking styles had to find creative ways to adapt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Carey<\/a>
Director Carey Williams and Cinematographer Diego Madrigal on set of his film <\/em>R#J with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K. Image via Sundance Institute.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A perfect example of this comes from Sundance shorts alum Carey Williams\u2019 debut feature R#J<\/a><\/em>, which is told from the perspective of the lead characters\u2019 different smartphones. And, while smartphone filmmaking is certainly becoming a thing<\/a>, Williams and cinematographer Diego Madrigal opted to go with the two more reliable and powerful (yet light, affordable, and nimble) Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K<\/a><\/em> cameras. The results are fascinating as you can see a true blend of indie cinematography mixed expertly with a style that makes you feel like you have the power to tell timeless narratives from the palm of your hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sony FS5: Spirits and Rocks: An Azorean Myth <\/em>(Short Doc)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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