10 NEWS CAMERAS
AVATAR CHOOSES VENICE Avatar director announces new Sony camera for new sequels
ony chose Cine Gear Expo to announce that director James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment will use their
THE BLACKS ARE RICH, DEEP AND VELVETY, THE HIGHLIGHTS AMAZINGLY BRIGHT
new Venice motion picture camera system for principal photography on the upcoming Avatar sequels, with the first one slated for 2020. Production on the movies has already started as part of the huge motion capture which the movies are well known for. As with their relationship previously with ARRI, the new Sony Venice will be a highly customized camera system where the head is removed from the rest of the body. A conceptual camera system was being shown on Sony’s booth at the Expo (see picture, below). “The Venice camera delivers the most astonishing image I’ve ever seen,” said Avatar Director James Cameron, “The blacks are rich, deep and velvety, the highlights and source lights are amazingly bright. For the
with no degradation in image quality. For the upcoming Avatar sequels, multiple Venice cameras will be paired in various 3D stereoscopic rigs. Using the new Sony cabling system, the only part of the Venice carried on the rig will be the image sensor optical blocks, reducing on-board camera weight to about three pounds per sensor block. By lowering the weight and improving ergonomics, Cameron and the Lightstorm team will have the ability to shoot with greater flexibility and freedom. The Avatar sequels will be among the first feature films to use the new Venice extension, but it also has potential for wider use with handheld Steadicams, drones and gimbals, and remote mounting in confined places. This new extension system is part of Sony’s new version 2 firmware for Venice. Also announced is their plan for high frame rate support for the new camera system.
first time, we truly appreciate what the term High Dynamic Range means.” Principal photography on the Avatar sequels using Venice is expected to begin first quarter of 2019 although performance capture is underway now. The process is supported by a variety of additional Sony imaging technologies including multiple Alpha mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, PXW-Z450 and PXW-X320 camcorders and the compact RX0 camera. The production is also using Sony’s F55 and Alpha cameras to record behind- the-scenes footage and stills. The Sony-Lightstorm collaboration began in 1999, resulting in the development of a unique extension system allowing the camera body to detach from the actual image sensor block. A similar approach has been adopted for Venice, with each sensor and camera body connected by a cable at distances of up to 20 feet
IMAGES The new Sony Venice motion picture camera will bring the world of Pandora to life like never before.
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