New Superman movie shoots digital

NoahK

NoahK

Hottie Mod
Just found out that the currently lensing big-budget/Bryan Singer-directed Superman Returns is being shot with Panavision Genesis Cameras in 24p HDCAM SR. This most likely make it the biggest non-Lucas film to date to shoot digital. I'd say we've turned another corner folks. Video(not film) at 11:

http://www.bluetights.net/video_medium.php?id=9
 
That's awesome news, the digital revolution truly is here! it makes a lot of sense to make Superman that way because I'm sure they'll have all kinds of greenscreen work to do.

I hope film doesn't eventually go the way of the dinosaur thou, it's still a great artistic format and should always be respected as one.

I just watched that clip... wtf? that editor is so pissed because he looses a day before he gets the digital takes, that's kinda wack to me. Why is it that it even takes 4 days I swear Rodriguez kept talking about how quick Sin City's footage was to cut because it was digital and this guy seems to hate the format because for some strange reason it takes him 4 days to get the corrected footage.
 
Most likely a fairly massive media management issue and workflow hacks required with state of the art gear.
 
Well, Genesis is a 4:4:4 system, and they're printing every take... makes sense to me if they're doing a full CC prior to the edit. Who is on the "telecine / colorist" job here? How many films has this team CC'd off a Rank machine as opposed to a 2k / 4k computer-based solution? How many colorists are working? What is the infrastructure?

Look, if you have three or four telecine machines doing a best-light on an overnight run, you're going to have viewing tapes quickly. If you're going scene-by-scene with three-light times on the same number of machines, you're absolutely limited by how fast your team works and how many they're working with and how many machines are in the infrastructure.

Simple math here - it's not a bandwidth issue, it is a need to redirect resources to a new workflow.

GENESIS SPECS

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Recall that the [original] Sony / Panavision is based on the hd900 series Sony camera with CineAlta.

genesis.jpg


GENESIS PDF ONESHEET

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Very, very cool. Thanks for sharing.

How much more advanced is the Genesis vs. the F900 or F950? What are the key diferences? I know the specs state 12.4 megapixel, but that seems like it might mean 3x 4.1 megapixels sensors.
 
Panavision states that Genesis' frame area is exactly the size of a Super 35mm frame aperture, so I don't know if we're talking about a 4.1 megapixel imager x3? Recall that if they're recording to CineAlta, the resolution is squarely set at 1920 x 1080. I'll dig on this a bit more.

Where is Dave Koenig's number when I need it?!

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Peter Jackson's "King Kong" has a massive amount of greenscreen and I'd venture more SFX and CGI yet he is using film.

I don't know why Singer chose the Genesis, while Kong chose film. Seems reversed somehow.

It'll be interesting to compare the two films.

PS- Is WETA doing the CGI and Post on Supes.?
 
I saw some test footage that Panavison put together for that camera and some of the "Superman" tests that were done with the Genesis. They were doing shots using 35mm and then doing the same shots on the Genesis or they had them on a rig together or something. The Genesis stuff looked really good. There would be no way in hell people going to see the movie would know it was shot digitally. They also had one of the cameras there in the theater, all setup. It looked kickass...but at 450K with out a lense I better be able to put it on my back and fly to the moon.
 
The Genesis was not available when King Kong began lensing and PJ is a film purist to a certain extent. At their budget ranges really doesn't make a big diff- comes down to preference.

Noah
 
Splitting pixels here, but the Genesis does not use Bayer pattern resolution cheats.

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Super 35mm sized sensor
Equivalent to 35mm depth of field
Utilizes all existing spherical 35mm lenses, including PRIMO® Primes and Zooms
Size, weight and ergonomics suitable for hand-held, studio or SteadicamTM
Utilizes many of the existing Panaflex® accessories
Dockable Sony SRW-1 VTR (no cables)
1 to 50 frames per second
12.4 mega pixel, true RGB sensor (not Bayer pattern)
Greater dynamic range than available digital cameras
Nominal exposure index of 400
10 bit log per color output
Wide color gamut for film intercut applications
Dual viewfinder outputs
Full bandwidth, dual link 4:4:4 HDSDI outputs
Single 4:2:2 HDSDI monitor output
Fiber optic camera adapter for off-camera control and recording
Integrated lens control for focus, zoom and iris
Camera control via Panavision RDC or Sony MSU, RMB series controllers
Digital lateral color aberration compensation for improved visual effects
Integrated display provides user-definable access to camera functions
User-selectable menu terminologies (i.e., shutter angle or shutter speed)

e
 
That brochure seems to be hiding info..

why doesn't it say what the actual frame size captured is?

And is this "RGB" sensor similar to the Foveon chips? or is it 3 CCD system? or a 3 CMOS?

Looks cool, but if it is only recording at 1920x1080, I can't see the benefit of having 12.4MP...

at best it would record 6 MP if you are talking about separate RGB channels..

looks like an interesting camera though.
 
This is what I could get today on the camera:

It is indeed a single Super-35mm size imager measuring 24 x 13.5mm / .945 x .531" in 1.77 / 16:9 aspect ratio. It is a true CFA RGB imager at 12.4 megapixels / 6 million collective RGB diodes are utilized in output with 2 million per color. The extra diodes are reportedly reassigned to bracketing highlights and lowlights for increased latitude. [edit: not confirmed - waiting for word from Panavision]

It isn't only recording 1920 x 1080 - that's the CineAlta standalone deck. Uncompressed 4:4:4 HDSDI is available through the dual link output along with 10-bit logging.

They've rated the camera at 400 ASA to better match HD standards. As I get more on this, I'll post it.

Cheers,

e
 
Ok, i have a question, i ask because in a video blog with the directors of this new superman movie, the guy ask "now that we can make it better than film...."

see: video http://www.bluetights.net/video_large.php?id=9



In theory can this new camera have more resolution than film i.e at final print out (at the theater).

The reason i say this is beacause with the "normal" film route after all the processing i've heard that the final resolution gets degraded throught the process and in the end only about 2k resolution actaully "survives".

So using a complete digital (uncompressed) route, would this mean that you would perserve more resolution than film?

i.e. using this camera means that you are from ccd upto film print its all numbers, thus you only get a generation "hit" when you film out?
 
Anhar Miah said:
So using a complete digital (uncompressed) route, would this mean that you would perserve more resolution than film?

i.e. using this camera means that you are from ccd upto film print its all numbers, thus you only get a generation "hit" when you film out?
Click to expand...

I'd say it's something along those lines. 35mm film is limited by physics and photochemicals whereas digital has no upper limitations. As camera sensors and digital projectors continue to be developed and upgraded they have the potential to surpass the capabilities of film.

I suspect that's what's being referred to in the Superman video. Of course we shouldn't kid ourselves as mere mortals. It's also likely that the expense of shooting and posting via the Genesis system is equal to or possibly more expensive than shooting 35mm.

-Noah
 
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