Projects
A COUNTRY RETREAT
The PDW-700’s low light capabilities and detail stood out
when Studio Scotland shot marketing material for a hotel
Studio Scotland used the PDW-700 to shoot a range and works faultlessly time after time.
of scenes for Crieff Hydro Hotel, in the Scottish With the need to shoot high quality corporate one day burning buildings, freezing conditions and dust filled
countryside. The footage will be used in a range of and docudrama the next, XDCAM HD 422 is perfect.” caves we have not had one single issue. They are
marketing materials such as commercials, exhibition Menelaws appreciated its low light capabilities, and relatively inexpensive, they are a solid performer and
plasma display, presentations and internet infomercials. ability to maintain “virtually noise free blacks and they are a cheap and convenient way to store original
Head of production Deborah Forrest worked out a excellent detail”. The hypergamma settings also give a high def footage,” says Menelaws. Another benefit of the
tight production schedule that would give director range of up to 11 stops latitude, which was needed discs was being able to erase clips from them as and
Stewart Menelaws and camera assistant Keith Elman when dealing with situations where lighting can be when needed, and playback is just as simple. “Our clients
three days and nights to film extreme events, from Land awkward and when the team needed to work quickly. love the ease at which we can play them back any scene
Rovers and quad bikes ploughing through rivers, “For the wider shots, the sharp image this camera is within seconds,” adds Menelaws.
abseiling with a fully loaded PDW-700, to delicately lit capable of really helps certain subjects pop out. This was Sony dealer Mitcorp has been particularly supportive
after dinner drinks in the piano bar. particularly helpful for filming the forest scenes and wide to Studio Scotland, starting them off with XDCAM HD
After owning the PDW-F350 and being familiar with panoramic vistas,” says Menelaws. He also used screen 18 months ago and helping with the upgrade to XDCAM
the XDCAM HD workflow, Studio Scotland purchased grabs from the XDCAM HD footage to replace still HD 422 at the beginning of 2009. “Sales director Colin
the PDW-700 and put the camera to use on various photography in the client’s high quality brochures and Mendham came through to the studio from Glasgow
projects. Director Stewart Menelaws chose the PDW- other printed marketing materials. with all the boxes and made sure that all was working,
700 as an all round workhorse for the studio’s needs: “We use Sony optical discs, and for the 18 months including the necessary software upgrades for Final Cut
“It’s a solid performer and XDCAM HD is tried and tested we have used them in all types of environments from Pro and the Sony PDW-U1 drive,” says Menelaws.
Autumn 2009 theproducer 25
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