Projects
LEVEL HD ENTRY
S
ony’s HDV range provides an entry level path into the world of HD, with the format proving essential for TV productions shot on
a budget, in remote locations or in difficult conditions. All cameras in the range offer down- conversion capability of their 1080i recordings for operation in SD, while providing the flexibility of a migration route to HD. Sony's line up includes the HVR-Z7E, offering interchangeable lenses and hybrid operation with tape and CompactFlash recording, which was used to good effect on feature length doc End of the Road, filmed in the Sahara desert. Sony’s smallest addition is the HXR-MC1P, the answer to shooting in locations too tight for a camcorder. The MC1P comes complete with a miniature camera head, handheld control unit and LCD. Sony has also introduced its first professional AVCHD camcorder, the NXCAM HXR-NX5E, further expanding its ‘entry level HD’ range.
Small yet beautiful
Sony’s HDV range provides a wide choice of entry level cameras which all pack HD quality into a small but perfectly formed unit
AFRICAN ADVENTURE Swift Films’ Richard Nicholls on how the HVR-Z7E with- stood rough treatment in the making of End of the Road
When deciding on the camera for his first feature-length documentary End of the Road director Richard Nicholls was adamant that he would need something lightweight, durable and – crucially – something with the ability to record to tape. The film tells the story of two flatmates who buy a second-hand car for the bargain price of £100 and attempt to drive it over 4,000 miles from the Sahara desert to The Gambia in West Africa.
“Since we were travelling across some of the most inhospitable terrain, production equipment had to be kept to an absolute minimum,” explains Nicholls. “There was no time on location to log footage, or
back anything up, nor was it possible to carry laptops or hard drives, so a tapeless workflow was never going to work. Which is why we shot on the HVR-Z7E. Small, portable, inconspicuous and tough as old boots; the camera was the perfect choice.”
28 theproducer Autumn 2010
Armed with two radio mics, a small shotgun microphone, portable light and lightweight tripod, everything fitted neatly into one portable camera bag. All 65 hours of footage were stored in a separate case which quickly became Nicholls’ most valued possession. Having the option of shooting onto flash memory and tape was a real bonus for certain situations, he adds. “In Morocco we were pulled over by a corrupt official for speeding and continued filming – with the knowledge that if the tape was seized we would still have footage.” It was in the desert, however, that the HVR-Z7E really came into its own. With temperatures soaring above 45 ºC , “it coped admirably with the sand and heat and its hugely economic power consumption was a godsend. At night the camera performed well in low- light but was greatly enhanced with a simple light. As it stands though the footage looks stunning.”
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