The ultimate magazine for next generation filmmakers
Editor in chief Adam Duckworth Chief sub editor Beth Fletcher Sub editor Elisha Young Junior sub editor Jack Nason 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 Designers Man-Wai Wong and Emma Di’Iuorio PUBLISHING Managing directors Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck MEDIA SUPPORTERS AND PARTNERS OF:
IMAGE Audio controls are a big bonus of cinema cams, but it’s their form factor that impresses some clients
We’d all like to think it’s the quality of our work that gets us hired. Use of composition and lighting, technical skills as well as knowledge of codecs and post-processing, with sublime grading skills. Andmastery of audio, sound design, editing, SFX and graphics. All, of course, with the end result of telling a compelling story. Whether it’s a tear- jerking documentary, dramatic narrative drama good enough to win an Oscar, a polished product advertisement that sees sales rocket, an award-winning pop video that’s an MTV smash or social media masterpiece for a commercial client that goes viral. The reality is these are the things that will get you hired again and again, by people who recognise quality, expertise and creative skill. Repeat business is the lifeblood of independent filmmakers and production companies. However, to get repeat business, you need to attract new business. And while an impressive showreel might get you a foot through the door and even a first shoot booked, first impressions on the shoot domatter. Especially if your client is a marketer or business owner, as is often the case for small production companies and filmmakers. And while we all know great movies can be shot on iPhones or compact cameras, the sad state of affairs is that turning up on a shoot with anything less than what a client sees as a ‘professional’ camera does not go down well. Most aren’t impressed by filmmakers with a mirrorless camera or DSLR, like their YouTuber mates might have. Time and again clients are mesmerised by a motorised gimbal, a drone, a seven-inch external monitor on a camera, lights in big softboxes and, most of all, by a real cinema camera. Until recently, using an affordable cinema camera could put you at a disadvantage. Despite the pros of cinema cams, the majority had smaller sensors that aren’t great at combating noise, no IBIS to take out the shakes, basic autofocus that can’t track moving subjects and certainly not faces, plus pedestrian frame rates. But now, these features – andmore – are available in cinema cameras that are within the reach of professional filmmakers, such as the Sony FX6 and Canon EOS C70, which we test in this issue. Or the 12K shooting of the Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro 12K, with its incredibly filmic 4K recording and internal Raw capture. The new breed of cinema cameras has all the latest high-tech features and image quality of topmirrorless cameras, but with the on-set presence and kudos you’ll never get with a smaller camera. It’s time to take a look at the newest tech to see if it can give your business a much-needed boost. And relegate your mirrorless camera to gimbal use. You can even think of it as a long-termmarketing investment, but one that delivers an increase in quality to your films. And that makes them all pretty special.
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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