ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE. FUJIFILM
A GLITTERING FAMILY AFFAIR
The trio of Premista lenses are making waves. Just ask cinematograper Philipp Blaubach BSC, who used them on Bridgerton and new Disney+ series Culprits
WHILE PRIME LENSES have been stock- in-trade for film and TV production for decades, zooms are rewriting the rule book. Leading the charge is the Fujinon Premista Series, offering a cinematic vision that’s practical, with astonishing edge-to- edge sharpness and clarity. Plus, three is definitely the magic number. The trio of optics offers a faster workflow – thanks to fewer lens changes – without any compromise in quality. From the wide-angle 19-45mmT2.9 with large- diameter aspherical lens elements, through the 28-100mmT2.9 standard zoom giving the equivalent of six prime lenses, to the far-reaching 80-250mmT2.9-3.5 telephoto zoom, the line-up provides an impressive array of options. What’s more, they all feature internal zooming for a further enhanced workflow. From the age of ten, Philipp Blaubach had his sights set on cinematography, playing around with the family video camera, following his fascination with cinema. Two years at the London Film School cemented his talent, and a burgeoning career was kick-started by
OUT IN THE COLD Filming for Disney+ heist drama Culprits, Blaubach had to fight the elements with a pared-back crew – using the lenses in very challenging -18°C conditions
camera operator, but I love the aspect of getting hands-on. Not just for technical and creative reasons, but because you are so close to the cast and part of the communication process – building up a great rapport with the actors. While questions of long lenses, wide angles, static or action shots are often determined by the script, there’s always an element of improvisation. Zooms can help with that.” Blaubach first used Premistas on the second series of Netflix behemoth Bridgerton – and they proved a perfect match. “There is such a high production value, from the costumes to hair, make- up, jewellery and flowers. Everything is so impressive. It’s often a concern with lenses that there’s breathing when you pull focus on the zooms… the Premistas don’t do that. They were a fantastic match for the primes we used, as there was so much candlelight, glinting and jewellery. Low- flare characteristics were essential.” As all DOPs know, there are many factors when trying to create the ideal big picture. “As the background was very bright, I was looking for bokeh to be
commercials. Today, he’s at the top of the tree, having worked with the likes of Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston and Kate Moss. “When I came to London, I didn’t even know that the DOP was separate from the
32. DEFINITIONMAGAZINE.COM
Powered by FlippingBook