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LENSES FOR AERIAL CINEMATOGRAPHY SHOOT STORY
aerial capture, combined with ground level LiDAR scanning, is advantageous for sequences involving large-scale environments and architecture, as it provides all-encompassing detail under one umbrella. HFS has already provided aerial photogrammetry on many large and indie cinematic productions, generating images impossible to capture otherwise. Alan Perrin, its head of UAV Operations, explains: “Advancements in battery and drone technology allow larger camera and sensor packages to be flown for longer, with more accuracy and seamless integration into production. “LiDAR is playing an ever increasing role in the production of films laden with VFX. The use of scanners and LiDAR is commonplace from the ground, but coupling accurate LiDAR scanning from the air with our existing photogrammetry allows for easier and potentially more economical digital creation.” Jeremy Braben, CEO, adds: “We pride ourselves on being flexible and really listening closely to provide what productions need. Our combined helicopter and drone services mean we can offer unbiased and knowledgeable production advice. As ever, we’re excited about offering enormous choice: we are one of the only companies that can fly large-format packages such as the ARRI ALEXA 65 and new LF, the Sony Venice and Panavision DXL, in addition to the 8K offerings from RED. All this means production can capture what they desire, creatively and practically.”
THE FUJINON LENSES WERE SPECIFICALLY CHOSEN BECAUSE OF THE SPEED
VIKINGS One of the other recent projects that HFS used the Fujinon ZK25-300mm on was Vikings which is in its fifth season on Amazon Video. “We didn’t need to get as much close detail as we possibly could,” says Jeremy. “But on that shoot what was great was that the stop remained constant throughout the range of the lens. It has very little stop variation across the whole range of the lens; some drop off massively when you get to the long end. “That’s a massive advantage when you need to use the whole range, it’ll also hold its sharpness throughout the whole of the range. The sequences we shot for Vikings were mostly battle scenes. We also used the lenses for The Grand Tour , again using the Fujinon in place of the Angenieux wasn’t a problem for us. We had told production that the Angenieux wasn’t available and there were no objections. They are considered or are being considered by many as alike. “They’re optically not that far apart, obviously they are different, – they’re bound to be – but they’re not so optically different that people have a problem with them, although Angenieux is seen to be an industry standard at the moment. Fujinon is
obviously an established name and I think their optics are in the Alura range of lenses as well, developed with ARRI. People have always commented how lovely and sharp they are. For sure, now, people are associating Fujinon particularly more favourably because of that Alura reputation. “Flying the biggest lenses can be a problem,” continues Jeremy, “but it depends mostly on the stabilised system you are using, some of them are completely agnostic as to the size of the lens and the camera and others, especially when they get smaller in size like the Shotover F1. There are only a limited number of lenses and camera combinations that you can put in it because of its size. Weight is a consideration too but a little less so because most of them are in the range the F1 system can take. If you go up to the Shotover K1 then it doesn’t really matter if you’re using an IMAX 100kg system or a 45kg system. But a lighter lens is always a good thing for us.”
ABOVE AND BELOW Shotover’s F1 stabilised head with Fujinon’s ZK25-300mm rigged for the air.
CUTTING-EDGE AERIAL CAPTURE
In another innovative move, HFS’s helicopters and drones can also now combine LiDAR technology and photogrammetry from the air. This
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AUGUST 2018 DEFINITION
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