Fremont, CA, USA – Tuesday, August 27, 2024 – Blackmagic Design today announced that DP Adam Langdon used Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro digital film cameras to shoot a commercial for the National Aviation Heritage Area (NAHA), as well as six promotional videos for aviation museums across Ohio, the birthplace of aviation. Shot in Blackmagic RAW, Langdon edited, color graded and mixed the spots with DaVinci Resolve Studio in post.
Brought onboard by Storyline Creative Agency, Langdon noted that the project was ambitious in scale. “Storyline crafted several days’ worth of shoots all around the Dayton area. Alongside First AC Andrew Kundel, I bounced around filming both the promo pieces and the commercial piece at each of the six locations. The promotional pieces were wide scale representations of each museum showcasing its unique features and public offerings. The commercial piece was a narrative of a little girl exploring all her favorite aviation sites with her family,” Langdon explained.
“We would show up to a museum, film the promo shots with the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro and then switch to filming the commercial piece with the URSA Mini Pro 12K,” he added. “We had to be as efficient and portable as possible, as the museums were not shut down to the public for filming.”
Langdon emphasized how he had to be quick and was limited in terms of lighting. “The URSA Mini Pro 12K was able to give us tremendous results in both brightly lit hangars and dimly lit museum interiors,” he commented. “Image quality was of utmost importance, as we had 16×9 and 9×16 deliverables. We shot in 8K, Blackmagic RAW Q3, and the results were amazing. Every time I shoot with the 12K, I’m blown away by the color rendition, fidelity and its organic look.
“Gracie Becker, the First AC during our last day of filming, commented how the 12K provided a crisp, sharp enough image to pull focus with ease. She was critical in her attention to detail and thought leadership.”
According to Langdon, a camera’s form factor is a crucial element in how quickly one can move. “The Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro was critical for getting as many shots as we did of the museums in a timely manner, while still blocking out time for the more involved commercial shoot. Kitted with a simple zoom lens, it was portable enough to be inconspicuous in crowds, and the built in NDs and dual gain ISO were priceless for going into unknown lighting environments,” he said. “We wanted to keep the workflow pipeline separate by utilizing two different camera systems. That approach helped keep things fluid and consistent throughout multiple locations.”
Having used DaVinci Resolve Studio for almost 10 years now, Langdon noted that he was able to do everything he needed for post inside the software, including editing, color grading, audio, and titles.
“There were moments when the audio needed a bit more refinement, and Resolve’s AI based voice isolation tool helped in a pinch. I had plans to utilize some pretty intense node trees for film emulation but ended up simplifying my color grade due to the 12K’s and 6K Pro’s naturally pleasant color and skin tones. I also used the Speed Editor and the Micro Panel to edit and grade with ease,” he concluded. “Resolve’s continual free updates and ease of use with any camera, but especially Blackmagic Design cameras, make it perfect for me. I try to convince any editor or DP I meet to make the switch to DaVinci Resolve.”
Press Photography
Product photos of URSA Mini Pro 12K, Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, DaVinci Resolve Studio, DaVinci Resolve Micro Panel, DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor and all other Blackmagic Design products are available at www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/images
About Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com
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National Aviation Heritage Area Commercial Shot with URSA Mini Pro 12K
