Pilot of "Final Witness" on ABC

Olaf99

Olaf99

Active member
I just watched the pilot for the new ABC true crime show Final Witness. It's a documentary/docudrama shot with Canon DSLRs. I was completely blown away by the cinematography and acting. I'm used to true crime shows with cheesy flashbacks and terrible acting. This one had flashbacks that looked like they were from a big budget movie.

Check out the co-DP's blog here: http://nextlevelpictures.squarespace.com/blog/2010/9/13/finishing-up-abc-pilot-final-witness.html

I was thinking this was all shot on film but started to get a sneaky suspicion that it might have been shot on a 5D. Turns out they were using 1D mIVs also. The best part is the way they tell the story: from the point of view of the murder victim. It's obviously a terribly sad story and is quite gruesome. Watch at your own risk!
 
Good looking but I'm sort of put off by the excessive use of dolly tracking and extreme shallow DOF.
 
I am so glad you posted this - my wife and I were flipping channels last night and came across that show and actually couldn't stop watching it because it was shot really well. After a minute or two I said, "I think this may have actually been shot with the Canon 5D" - and she scoffed, telling me that I"m just seeing DSLRs everywhere now.
:)

But yes, it was a really engaging piece - and the cinematography was done incredibly well considering what those shows usually look like.
Reminded me a bit of Errol Morris, especially with the straight on interviews.
 
I liked it. It just blows away all the shows with the same concept. The blog showed some behind the scenes shots that tell a lot about how they pulled it off. Pretty cool stuff.
 
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