IN SYNC Combining the Sony FX3 with the Atomos Ninja V proved a marriage made in heaven on the set of The Creator
Venice, you’d expect the FX3 to have some differences, and there are. But where it matters most – image quality – the diminutive Sony shooter doesn’t disappoint. The very fact that it was considered as the primary camera for many of the scenes is remarkable. On its own, the FX3’s imaging is great, but for recording internally, its performance is determined by internal codecs. Sony’s codec tech in smaller cameras is focused on maximising quality for smaller file sizes. It’s second to none, but while most would find it is visually lossless, for highly critical work you need something that’s more robust and captures virtually all the nuanced information coming off the camera’s sensor, thanks to a higher bit rate and milder compression. Something like Apple ProRes Raw, for example. There is a huge amount of VFX and colour processing in The Creator . The Apple format, captured by the Ninja V, proved to be extremely capable, giving post-production and VFX the space and flexibility they needed to work comfortably. Perfect partners Atomos was the first company to design and produce a monitor-recorder to capture ProRes Raw, a codec as easy to edit as ‘conventional’ ProRes, but with the flexibility in post of Raw video. For The
Creator , this was the perfect marriage because it meant the production could capture the full quality of the FX3’s sensor without the usual losses associated with conventional compression. Camera comparisons are often subjective, but Oren Soffer, The Creator ’s co-cinematographer, nails the contrast: “We tested the internal format in the FX3 and determined it wasn’t robust enough in terms of colour and dynamic range, considering the film would go through a lot of VFX work. Amazing though the FX3 is, you must remember it’s a $4000 camera and comes with certain limitations. Thankfully, the camera outputs 4K ProRes Raw, and that format unlocked the camera for us. That’s what made us realise the imagery, colour depth, information and dynamic range this camera is capable of capturing. Once you tap into Raw and record to the Ninja, it puts it onto the level where you realise you can intercut it with footage from an Alexa and not notice the difference.” A lot has changed since Atomos started a little over ten years ago. With the introduction of ProRes Raw, an affordable Atomos Ninja or Shogun can stretch the performance of an already good camera to unheard-of levels for the price. As Soffer sums up: “The Ninja was instrumental in getting the recording quality we needed to do all the colour and VFX needed for the film.” Special thanks to Mark Naidoo, CMO at Creamsource, and Georges Cameras for organising the interview with Oren Soffer
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