Pro Moviemaker Winter 2018

ANAMORPHIC FILMING CASE STUDY

DEDICATED ANAMORPHIC LENSES

filming can look amazing and will have its own audience, and it’s great to have this facility in your locker. To be able to do that for an investment of around £2600/$2500 is remarkable, though obviously the cost does ratchet up by a further £7000/$8000 or so if you need to buy the MK lenses too. “That’s still way belowwhat it would once have cost to get involved in this area, plus the comparatively compact nature of the camera and lens combo is a lot less bulky than the set-ups that used to be available. An unexpected bonus was the fact that the front element of the MK lens sits far enough back from the adapter that it’s almost like working with a matte box and a lot of the flare is automatically cut out. “It’s an exciting development; I’ll be using this adapter regularly fromnow on to see what I can dowith it. It gives filmmakers an interesting new option, one that I think many of themwill be eager to take up.” For the top-end professional the way to achieve the anamorphic effect is to invest in, or to rent, a dedicated lens. Cooke Optics was showing off the new 50mmmodel in its Anamorphic/Full Frame Plus range at IBC, with 32mm, 40mm, 75mm, 100mm, 135mm and 180mm lenses set to follow in the next 12 months. The image circle of each of these lenses will cover a full 24x36 still- size sensor, with a 1.8 squeeze. The arrival of this new family speaks volumes about the growing popularity of the anamorphic approach at all levels of filmmaking, but you’ll need to dig deep to experience the quality of these optics. Each lens in the new Cooke series is set to cost around $32,000.

ABOVE The MK lens and the SLR Magic adapter require separate focusing, but the addition of the PDMovie Follow Focus kit swiftly solved the issue. BELOW The SLR Magic adapter screws into the front element of both MK lenses and it’s easy to set up.

the MK lens and the adapter both required separate focusing, meaning that there was the continual danger that crucial sharpness would be lost as the subject was followed. So the day in the studio finished with a tinge of disappointment, but with Jim determined to unearth a technical solution to the issue that had arisen. And very quickly he found exactly what he needed in the formof the PDMovie Follow Focus kit. This neat device is quick to fit and enables fast and precise wireless focus pulling, effectively enabling the MK lens and adapter to operate as a single unit. It was problem solved, albeit at a further cost of around £1000/$1000, and suddenly Jimhad a highly usable anamorphic set up on his hands that came with a zoom facility. Using the set-up As with anything with so radical a feel, the art is in using the anamorphic look inmoderation and for the right job. “For me it’s a little like vinyl and CD,” says Jim. “One is considered a vintage process, and can be the right way to go in the right circumstances, but it’s not right for every situation. Used sparingly, anamorphic “The camera and lens combo is a lot less bulky than the set-ups that wereavailableuntilnow”

More information JimMarks: www.marks.co.uk www.ukdigital.co.uk/slr-magic-shop https://fujinoncinelens.com/uk

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WINTER 2018 PRO MOVIEMAKER

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