WINGING IT The new Panasonic GH5 II won’t instantly make a pro filmmaker out of a wannabe, but it might inspire you to greater things
The ultimate magazine for next generation filmmakers
Editor in chief Adam Duckworth Chief sub editor Alex Bell Sub editors Elisha Young, Matthew Winney EDITORIAL ADVERTISING Group ad manager Sam Scott-Smith 01223 499457 samscott-smith@bright-publishing.com Senior sales executive Jemma Farrell-Shaw jemmafarrell-shaw@bright-publishing.com DESIGN Design director Andy Jennings Design manager Alan Gray Senior designer Lucy Woolcomb Middleweight designer Emily Lancaster Designer Emma Di’Iuorio Designer and ad production Man-Wai Wong PUBLISHING Managing directors Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck MEDIA SUPPORTERS AND PARTNERS OF:
It’s not what you’ve got, it’s what you do with it. Of course, we all know that’s the truth – once your equipment reaches a certain quality threshold. You’re not going to shoot a Netflix mega series on an iPhone 7, though. But if you can’t create a great film on a Panasonic GH5, then buying the newMark II won’t suddenly transform your work. However, its tech might help a bit. What lovely new kit can give you is a big boost in creativity and passion to push your filmmaking to even greater heights. This struck home recently. Outside of Pro Moviemaker , I work as part of a four-man crew of freelancers who shoot commercial work, largely for motorcycle clients. While it would be nice if all of us had the exact same cameras and lenses, and we could use the same settings, that’s never the case with a group of owner-operators. It’s a mixed bag of cameras: full-frame mirrorless, Super 35 cinema and some Micro Four Thirds mirrorless. Add in the visible differences between variable ND filters and it becomes even worse. Mixing them all together in post is a nightmare. But now the step towards consistent kit is finally happening: three of us have the same main camera and ND filter. It’s all because I was using a loaner test camera on a shoot, and the crew fell in love with the look of the footage, the colours and the capabilities of the kit. It doesn’t really matter which camera, as there is an abundance of incredibly capable equipment on the market right now. So, credit cards were flexed, and the main three camera ops in our crew now have the exact same camera and main lenses, which is great for post. But what it really has done is enthused everyone with the capabilities of the new camera/lens/ND combo. Every one of us has been out doing test shoots (as any pro should with a new bit of kit) – but as well as standard tests of focus performance, noise and the like, it’s driven all of us to try out new and creative shots. IBIS has been pushed to new levels for handheld operation. Night-time work in low light has been experimented with more than ever. Fast frame rates and speed ramping in post have been boosted. A couple of the guys even took special trips, just to shoot things for fun and try new techniques – and in the first real job we did together, the difference in the filmwas noticeable. If it takes the purchase of a new bit of kit to fuel your creativity and recharge your batteries, then it’s money well spent in my book.
Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridgeshire CB22 3HJ
Pro Moviemaker is published bimonthly by Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridge CB22 3HJ. No part of this magazine can be used without prior written permission of Bright Publishing Ltd. ISSN number: 2045-3892. Pro Moviemaker is a registered trademark of Bright Publishing Ltd. The advertisements published in Pro Moviemaker that have been written, designed or produced by employees of Bright Publishing Ltd remain the copyright of Bright Publishing Ltd and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Prices quoted are street prices. In sterling they include VAT but US dollar prices are without local sales taxes. Prices are where available or converted using the exchange rate on the day the magazine went to press.
ADAM DUCKWORTH, EDITOR IN CHIEF
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