Articles with the ‘screenplane’ tag
Sony F55 test fitment on ScreenPlane 3D rig.
Initial test fitting for possible upcoming project. Great camera, I think we will be seeing it on alot of 3D sets soon.
Works great in the rig….
Testing the fitment with the Leica Summilux lenses.
Testing the fitment with the Angeniuex Rouge Zoom lenses.
ScreenPlane Production rig w/Sony F65 – 14mm Coverage!!
ScreenPlane Production rig test….
Testing out the “Production rig with the Sony F65 on the Lambda head for a possible upcoming IMAX project.
This configuration works really nicely. It gives you complete freedom on the IA and you have good access to cameras and lenses. The F65 covers a 19mm with the Standard Mirror Box and a 14mm!!! with the Wide Angle Mirror Box, which is pretty amazing. You can see a screenshot of the 14mm from a monitor in underscan mode.
Fantastic rig with built in Cmotion rig and lens control.
WIDE MIRROR Box option
Brazil’s first 3D live action feature “Se Puder Dirija !”
“Se Puder Dirija!! 3D” - “If possible Drive!”
As a Brazilian born filmmaker that immigrated to LA to chase the American dream and the dream to be a part of this wonderful business that is Hollywood, it has been my long time goal to do what I love and work in Brazil.
Well this dream has come true in a way much bigger than I would have ever hoped for. I got a call from one of the top feature film production companies in Brasil, Total Films as they were looking to make cinema history in Brazil and shoot the first live action 3D movie. A family comedy for all ages in partnership with Disney Brasil and Miravista. I was asked to be the Stereographer and Director of photography.
After many meetings over skype and a visit for scouting, in Sept. of 2012 we began shooting on location in downtown Rio de Janeiro. Much of the movie takes place inside a car with a 4yr old, a dog and his dad. This naturally presented many challenges for regular film making much less 3D film making. To top it off we had a very tight 24 day shooting schedule and one camera.
So early on in pre-production I realized I needed a very small, compact, efficient 3D rig that supports a cinema quality camera a lens. Thankfully German company ScreenPlane http://www.screenplane.com/ has just released a production version of just that kind of rig. It’s called the steadyflex and lets just say it was the perfect tool at the right time to get the job done. It performed fantastically, and the custom filtration made all the difference in the world. We mounted the rig inside the car, outside the car, on steadicam and all the while it maintained perfect alignment and allowed us to shoot a 3D movie in a schedule of a 2D movie with no camera delays. It is a steadicam operators dream when it comes to 3D rigs.
Workflow was super inexpensive and smooth. We shot using RED EPIC cameras, Ultra prime lenses, C-Motion Cvolution lens control and recorded proxies to a Sound Devices pix240. The Raw footage was backed up immediately by the on site DIT, the pix240 ProRes files were used to edit the movie in FCP. While on steadicam I would transmit a wireless side by side 3D signal to video village using a Paralinx HD transmitter.
The Brazilian crew was fantastic, the G&E guys really blew me away with their hustle, ingenuity and talent. I brought along my long time collaborator Bobby Settlemire to handle the 3D rig and pull focus but the rest of the crew was Brazilian.
I had the opportunity to work with one of Brazil’s top DP’s Nonato Estrella, ABC. We formed a close partnership and we worked together very well.
I am immensely proud of the project for breaking new cinematic ground in Brazil but also so the level of professionalism I witnessed all across the board.
I hope audiences laugh and enjoy the 3D as much as we laughed and had fun making the movie.
Diretor Paulo Fontenelle – DP Nonato Estrella, ABC & Pedro Guimaraes
1stAC/3D rig tech Bobby Settlemire
2ndAC Daniel Xavier
Camera PA Vlad
Key Grip “Minerinho”
Gaffer “Cabeça”
Produced by Walkiria Barbosa & Jose Dias
check out some behind the scenes pictures,
Cmotion Cvolution lens controller in-depth walk through – Pt.2 3D
Cmotion Cvolution wireless lens controller in-depth walk through – Pt.2 3D
The new Cmotion Cvolution wireless lens controller has so many awesome new features that set it apart from others like Preston, I figured it was time to do a in-depth walk through video explaining all the features and benefits of this incredible system when used in 3D applications.
Before you watch this make sure to watch part1 and learn all the basic and advanced functionality in 2D mode.
CLICK HERE to read that article or click HERE to watch the part1 VIDEO
In PART 2 I go into all the 3D functions you need to master and use on a 3D production. The Cvolution will work with almost ALL the 3D rigs and in the market. It can record METADATA and lots of advanced functions.
The 8-Motor “Camin” pictured here is very small and compact and much smaller than Preston3D or Element Technica3D lens controller transmitters.
There are additional “advanced” functions that I don’t cover in this video that ONLY apply when you use the system with a ScreenPlane rig. I will cover those in another final video Part 3.
I Do cover everything you need to know to setup and shoot in 3D with the Cmotion Cvolution system.
Watch the video on Vimeo in HD….in depth tutorial…
https://vimeo.com/44330590
OR WATCH on YouTube.com
I hope you find it useful and educational!!
For Cvolution rentals for your production contact me –
For more manufacturer information
www.cmotion.eu
Thanks to our gracious hosts that allowed me to use thier location to shoot this video….use the amazing Screenplane rig and PANTHER TriStar Dolly
www.camadeus.com
Golden Gate 3D Ballet shoot. 1st shoot w/SteadyFlex rig
I recently had the pleasure of working with the talented people at a new 3D production company Golden Gate 3D more info on them on their website
http://www.gg3d.com/
The project was a beautiful 3D ballet performance in front of the Golden Gate bridge Directed by Kate DuHamel using the new Screenplane SteadiFlex rig with dual Epics and Ultra primes lenses.
It was simply amazing to work with the dancers, the director and the choreographer. Despite the extremely windy conditions we managed to pull together some amazing shots.
This marked my first job with the new ScreenPlane “Steadyflex” beamsplitter Rig. We used Ultra prime lenses and RED Epic cameras with Cmotion Cvolution wireless lens and rig control. The rig performed fantastically and worked like nothing else on my steadicam. We were able to do some incredibly dynamic shots with the dancers that would never have been done with heavier rigs. Not to mention as the operator I had very little time to rest in-between takes as we were racing the sun and the dancers only had a limited amount of stamina and it was also very cold so we had to keep rollin to try to keep some heat in thier bodies!
It was a fantastic shoot and I can’t wait to see the results!
Thanks to everyone for a great day of shooting in San Fransico!
Thank you to Golden Gate 3D for providing me with wonderful behind the scenes pictures.
Enjoy the gallery!
ScreenPlane “Steady-Flex” 3D rig tested! Lightweight&Compact!
Last week I reviewed the new BX4 rig from 21st Century 3D. I was impressed that a rig that size could be that light and work so well on my steadicam……well this week Sebastian from Camadeus invited me over to check out a steadicam specific 3D rig.
It raised the stakes!
Built by ScreenPlane in Germany this rig was purpose built for steadicam use, thus the name “Steady-flex”.
ScreenPlane rig has a unusual design. Very ingenious!
They have partnered with C-Motion lens Control and have built into the frame of the rig a “Camin transmitter” (like a preston MDR) The internal electronics control IO&Convergence Focus,Iris,Zoom of both cameras. Thus reducing the overall weight of the rig at the same time cleaning up the spaghetti of cables usually found on rigs.
The other major design aspect is that of the frame itself. It’s centered it’s mass instead of building more of a perimeter frame like on other rigs. This in addition to a few other design aspects enable this rig to be mounted “over-slung” on the steadicam rig. Meaning one camera points up instead of down. Usually on other rigs due to where there mass is and how far away it gets when overslung you end up with a long post and a heavy rig! Which is why on every other 3D rig we generally run “under-slung”.
Being able to use the rig in this “overslung mode” solves many 3D steadicam problems. The first of which is that when mounting the underslung rig on the steadicam you end up with a very front heavy rig. Which causes many problems. mainly you need to add weight to the back of the rig to counter all the front weight. This usually consists of mounting rods in the rear of the rig and mounting batteries, lock-it box, decimator and anything you can find to add rear weight. This also makes the rig really long! Which makes doing a “switchover” move all but impossible. As you have to push the rig so far away from your body ot get around all the rear weight that you had to run. This of course leaves your “dynamic” balance all out of whack. The other large issue with underslung mode is that usually your gimbal will at some point make contact with the bottom camera or camera plate. This means that on some rigs you can barely pan right. Many top rigs being used in the market today suffer from this. You end up have to pan with your body instead.
On the “Steady-flex” in overslung mode I can place my post exactly underneath the “CG” of the rig. This enables a much better fore-aft balance and removes any need to add any weight to the rear of the rig. This has tremendous consequences. The biggest is that I was able to dynamic balance the rig! (I open the video demonstrating this). Also I can keep the rig closer to my body because there is no “stuff” in the back of the rig. This helps with operator fatigue alot. The other is that I can now spin the rig 360 around my gimbal! So no issues with panning.
In this picture you can see how close the bottom camera is to my shoulder enabling the rig to be close to my body.
Once built out with a ambient box (to genlock the cameras), my decimator and all the necessary cables the complete rig (3D rig, sled, batteries) with RED Epics and UltraPrime LDS lenses came in at 52lbs. !!
This low weight coupled with the fact that we can dynamic balance the rig and pan freely presents a massive step forward in 3D steadicam.
Over the last 4 years or so I have flown just about every rig out there. I can honestly say this is the best rig for steadicam in the market. Compare 52lbs with the 75lb rig I flew just in December for Katy Perry 3D also on Epics and Ultra primes(altought that had a telecast copperhead on it).
I spent some time with the rig in my vest and was very happy. Then I threw it up on my segway and was just as happy, altough because of the overslung mode my post was a bit long. So if I ever opted to use it on a segway I would add some battery weight and collapse my post more.
I called my friend and legendary steadicam operator Randy Nolen, SOC to come check it out. He had just finished a job with a 70lbs rig so he was excited to try it out. He brought his friend a fellow SOC member Rick Drapkin to also check it out. He had a previous experience with 3D at around 80lbs!! So needless to say he was almost speechless.
I have a upcoming feature that we are planning on using the “steady-flex”. They want to shoot with the ARRI Alexa-M camera. So in a few weeks I will complete another test with the rig with Alexa-M cameras.
I look forward to flying this rig on the movie and posting a update to this test.
Watch and enjoy the video from the test.
on youtube
on vimeo
Here some additional pictures from the test.
