Pro Moviemaker Spring 2020

ATOMOS ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE Ninja No-compromise A bleak, windswept, off-road motorcycle track in Yorkshire in the depths of a British winter is hardly the location typical filmmakers dreamof. But JimMarks isn’t a typical filmmaker. Despite the cold, wet Tomake a gritty cinematic advert, JimMarks turned to Atomos to transformhis Panasonic Lumix S1H into a production-ready camera “A decade ago, Rawwas somemystical thing and 4Kwas incredibly rare”

andmuddy conditions, Jimwas in his element dodging the spray of mud as he shot a cinematic-style short film about a motocross rider. Jim is mad onmotorbikes, so proved the ideal man to step into the high-pressure job shot in a run-and-gun style without any additional crew. The filmhad to have everything, from fast-paced action shots to close-up details and top-quality audio – and all shot at speed in the fading light. So he needed a very special camera set-up that offered the ultimate flexibility, without any compromises on quality, to create his vision of a stylish film that showcased the tough conditions. That’s a tough ask of any equipment. But by taking the full-frame Panasonic Lumix S1Hmirrorless camera for its speed and portability, thenmating it up to an Atomos Ninja Vmonitor/recorder and some select accessories, Jim creates an insanely capable set-up that offers every bit of quality and control as the largest production cameras. Just one that’s far smaller, more affordable and quicker to use yet still has all the professional tools like waveforms and false colour on its super bright touchscreen, as well as Log, HDR and HLG capability, right up to 4K with a huge choice of codecs including Apple ProRes. Jim’s total set-up is squeezed into just one small bag so he can just open it up, get the camera out and be ready to shoot in seconds. Living in central London, Jim uses his ownmotorbike to get around to his

filming jobs so the Panasonic Lumix S1H and Atomos Ninja V combination can be easily transported on the back of his bike. “Sometimes I do strip it right down and have the camera with just the Ninja V,” says Jim. “As it gives the ultimate in flexibility. But for the bike shoot, most of the time I used it in its rig and without a tripod. I use a Cinekinetic Cinesaddle onmy chest, so I literally rest the camera there. So yes, I can use it on a tripod but I can also wander around with the Cinesaddle and be really, really quick.” When it comes to equipment, Jim really knows what works which is why time and again, he chooses Atomos monitors to get the very best out of any camera he uses. With a glittering 30-year career as a top professional stills photographer then filmmaker, Jimhas seen first-hand the huge changes in the technology he’s used to capture his award-winning work. But one thing has remained constant throughout his whole career, which is that he’s always strived for the ultimate quality and never compromised. Frommedium format stills cameras to the very high-end cinema cameras, he has always been at the forefront of what is possible in his quest for the ultimate results, which has naturally led him to the benefits of an Atomos Ninja V. Nowadays, ultimate quality doesn’t necessarily mean splashing out on the

IMAGES The wet and windy shoot was for a commercial project to advertise off-road motorcycling boots

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PRO MOVIEMAKER SPRING 2020

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