In the true tradition of independent film, Cold Turkey is a dialogue- and character-driven movie, explained director of photography Lucas Lee Graham. We wanted an intimate, personal look with a really shallow depth of field and nice portraiture so that the visual emphasis would be on the characters and what they were doing. Graham added that the film also needed to be shot inside an actual home in Pasadena, California, and include minimal lighting and night scenes. For Graham, the solution to all of these challenges was to shoot Cold Turkey using an EOS 5D Mark III Digital SLR camera from Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, along with an assortment of Canon EF L-Series prime and zoom lenses.
Above is DP Lucas Lee Graham using the Canon EOS 5D Mark III HD SLR camera to shoot a scene from the film.
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III's large sensor gave us the filmic look we sought, Graham affirmed. The camera's 22.3 Megapixel full-frame CMOS imager - along with its Canon DIGIC 5+ Image Processor and H.264 codec - provide full 1920 x 1080 HD video recording.
The codec on the Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera is a great asset Graham continued. Its ALL-I' edit-friendly intra-frame compression really cleans up the image, especially when you start transcoding it, so that's a big deal. We experienced hardly any moir patterns with this camera, unless you are shooting a checkered shirt or something really extreme. Also important is the fact that the Canon 5D Mark III camera outputs 1080 or 720 from its HDMI port to your monitor when you're recording, so you can check for critical focus. You don't have to wait for playback to be sure that the shot is sharp. This definitely makes it more comfortable to use on a feature with high-caliber actors, because you know that your focus will be sharp, and you can shoot quickly and efficiently.
The body of the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital SLR weighs less than 2 lbs. and the camera features a selectable ISO range of up to 25,600 when capturing video. These capabilities, Graham noted, were crucial, as they provided him with the high mobility and exceptional low-light imaging he needed to depict what he described as a nostalgic story filmed principally inside a Brady Bunch-looking house.
Nostalgia plays a big part in this film, whether it's about something that really happened in the past or just something we created in our mind, Graham said. Quite frankly, we chose the Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera because we liked the images we were getting from it. At the end of the day, the images either look good or they don't. We kept finding that the images from the Canon 5D Mark III camera looked great and worked for our story. The skin tones were really nice.
Fast Glass
Another factor Graham cited as contributing to his ability to photograph Cold Turkey in the low-light style he sought were the Canon L-Series prime and zoom lenses he used. The Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera is compatible with Canon's line of more than 60 interchangeable EF Series photographic lenses (including primes, zooms, telephoto, and such specialty lenses as macro, tilt/shift, and fisheye models) and Canon EF-mount Cinema EOS prime and zoom lenses.
We found the Canon L-Series prime lenses to be super fast, and let us spend less time setting up lighting on set, he said. You can't argue with the optics, they deliver a look that is kind to skin tones, but still sharp. They are good lenses for faces, and definitely my favorite of all the still lenses you can get. The Canon EF Series prime lenses Graham used included the EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM, EF 35mm f/1.4L USM, EF 50mm f/1.2L USM, EF 85mm f/1.8 USM, EF 135mm f/2L USM, and EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM.
Every one of those lenses made it onto our Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera at some point, Graham recalled. We primarily shot close-ups on the 135mm and 85mm primes. For wide and medium shots the 24mm and 35mm primes tended to be used for most of the movie.
Canon zoom lenses Graham used on Cold Turkey included the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM and EF 17-40mm f/4L USM ultra-wide zoom. Our Steadicam footage all used the 24-105mm zooms, he revealed. Anytime I'm on Steadicam - if I can get a camera with a Canon EF mount - that's generally the lens that I use. It cuts really well with any other lenses that you may be using, and you don't have to rebalance every time you want to just swap lenses.
Graham found that the combined low-light capabilities of the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital SLR camera and the Canon L-Series prime and zoom lenses enabled him to use fewer and smaller lighting instruments than would ordinarily be needed for such a film. This not only provided the look he sought for Cold Turkey, it also increased his ability to place his camera where he wanted it, and to make his actors more relaxed.
It's nice not to need lighting right on top of the actors, he noted. We even were able to take advantage of some of the available lighting in the house. Also, instead of having to hang units, we were able to replace regular light bulbs with photofloods, which really made the whole process much easier. I think the biggest lights we used on the entire show were 2 to 2.5 HMI's. It's pretty amazing to be able to shoot an entire feature - with night scenes - and have those as the biggest heads you have to carry.
Liberating and Reliable
Graham's Canon 5D Mark III Digital SLR camera was mounted in a cage for the most part during the filming of Cold Turkey. The rig integrated a shoulder mount, matte box, follow-focus knob, extended eyepiece, LCD monitor, audio transmitter, and other items. The camera came out of the cage, however, to maximize its lightweight portability when a scene needed to be filmed in a moving car. Graham mounted the 5D Mark III camera
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
02/06/2024
AE add 3D motion to still photographs
Brie Clayton June 2, 2024
0 Comments
AE add 3D motion to still photographs
May 30, 2024COW Featured Resume: Pa...
01/06/2024
Dustee Jenkins, Chief Public Affairs Officer, Spotify
With billions of people from over 50 countries heading to the polls to cast their vote, 2024 is shaping u...
01/06/2024
Busy this week catching up from the Memorial Day holiday? Our TV Tech weekly wrap-up of all our coverage of new products, services and deployments will get you ...
01/06/2024
Young Sherlock, with Guy Ritchie directing and executive producing, is a go at Prime Video. Hero Fiennes Tiffin plays Sherlock. Prime Video calls it the origin...
01/06/2024
The Los Angeles Sparks-Indiana Fever game on Friday featuring the top two WNBA draft picks, Caitlin Clark and Cameron Brink, was the most watched WNBA game on I...
01/06/2024
Lionsgate, which increased its majority stake in 3 Arts Entertainment in January, said it named Brian Weinstein co-CEO of 3 Arts....
01/06/2024
Netflix is launching four video games based on unscripted series this year. They...
01/06/2024
ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox affiliates switched from their regular programming to carry live coverage of the verdicts in the porn star hush-money trial of former Pres...
31/05/2024
A U.S. Marine fires an FIM-92 Stinger missile during a training exercise in Yuma...
31/05/2024
NEW YORK The global body that sets technical standards for digital advertising h...
31/05/2024
In a new analysis of what services might make up a good bundle and what services might benefit the most from bundling, Antenna has released new data that highli...
31/05/2024
Global SVOD revenues will increase by $116.6 billion by 2031, a growth rate of 13.3% per year over the next eight years, according to a new report from MIDiA Re...
31/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. The FCC Media Bureau has announced that effective August 1, 2024 the Commission's TVStudy software will incorporate the most recent U.S. Ce...
31/05/2024
NBCUniversal has announced that its FAST channel TNBC will be rebranding to NBC Comedy Vault on June 1 and that the free streaming service will officially launc...
31/05/2024
PARIS Ateme has announced that the Indonesian public broadcaster TVRI is making the transition to 4K UHD OTT streaming using Ateme technologies....
31/05/2024
The proposal had received support from James Cameron, Andy Serkis, Paul Greengrass, Richard Curtis, and Jeremy Irons
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 31, 2...
31/05/2024
According to multiple reports, the new bid from Skydance offers a better deal to Paramounts Class B shareholders, who were said to be unhappy with the companys ...
31/05/2024
The awards recognise women and companies who are stand-out performers, innovators and leaders in the broadcast media technology industry
By Matthew Corrigan
...
31/05/2024
NEW YORK The global body that sets technical standards for digital advertising has expanded the reach of its measurement software development kit to include Sam...
31/05/2024
The rise of digital platforms is fundamentally changing the broadcast newsroom and its investment in technology according to Jon Roberts, director of technology...
31/05/2024
In a new analysis of what services might make up a good bundle and what services might benefit the most from bundling, Antenna has released new data that highli...
31/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Fifty state broadcasters associations, including the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, have sent a letter to Congressio...
31/05/2024
EVS has announced the appointment of Richard Katz as senior vice president of operations for the North and Latin American (NALA) region. This appointment is par...
31/05/2024
CommScope has announced that it was selected by Casa Systems, Inc. as the highest to acquire Casa's cable business assets and that the two companies have en...
31/05/2024
Robert De Niro won't be receiving the Service to America Leadership Award from the NAB Leadership Foundation after all....
31/05/2024
Viant Technology said it formed an integration with Google Cloud's BigQuery data clean rooms...
31/05/2024
The CW said it will broadcast the 2024 Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop Last year, The CW aired the game when it was called Bar...
31/05/2024
Allen Media Group said it made a deal with Amazon's Fire TV Channel that will make content from several of Allen's outlet available via Fire TV and Echo...
31/05/2024
Robert De Niro, announced as the winner of the NAB's Leadership Foundation's Service to America Leadership Award on May 28, will not get the award. The ...
31/05/2024
Comcast Technology Solutions was selected by AccuWeather to create, manage and distribute linear and over-the-top video channels....
31/05/2024
Connected TV is becoming a bigger deal for consumers and advertisers, according to a new report from TVision....
31/05/2024
By Craig Anderton
Let's get right to what this sounds like. It's not quite feedback or tape reverse, it's well, listen to what it does in this blue...
31/05/2024
31 May 2024
VEON discloses April YTD trading update at its AGM Amsterdam, 31 May 2024 07:00 CEST -
VEON April YTD 2024 Highlights
Total revenue of USD 1,278 ...
31/05/2024
31 May 2024
VEON Announces Its New Board, Names Founder Augie Fabela as Chairman Amsterdam, 31 May 2024, 16.00 CET: VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON, Euronext Amsterdam...
31/05/2024
May 31st, 2024
TRIBECA FESTIVAL AND OPEN AI ANNOUNCE SORA SHORTS'
Five Commissioned Short Films Created Using Sora Debut at 2024 Tribeca Festival
New ...
31/05/2024
In-Venue Technology Wrap-Up: How 4K, IP, and More are Changing the Game Pres Gam...
31/05/2024
UEFA Champions League Final 2024: The host broadcast facts and figures for Real ...
31/05/2024
UEFA Europa Conference League Final 2024: Bringing the broadcast to global TV sc...
31/05/2024
Willow Offers Free 2024 ICC T20 Cricket World Cup Preview via DirecTV, Verizon, ...
31/05/2024
Women's College World Series: ESPN Brings Live Drone, Two-Point Cabled, and ...
31/05/2024
SVG College Summit Brings Video-Production Industry Together in Atlanta in the M...
31/05/2024
UEFA Champions League Final 2024: CBS Sports' UCL Today Studio Show Is Pitch...
31/05/2024
Back to All News
Master of the House' Unveils a Scandalous Tale of Power and Greed on July 18
Entertainment
31 May 2024
GlobalThailand
Link copied to ...
31/05/2024
Back to All News
JEEtu Bhaiya is Back: Kota Factory' Season 3 Arrives on Netflix June 20
Entertainment
31 May 2024
GlobalIndia
Link copied to clipboar...
31/05/2024
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
With around 9,000 employees, Ground Transportation Systems is a global leader in Rail Signaling and Train Control Systems, Telec...
31/05/2024
RT 2FM is the home of music this summer, entertaining listeners across the day and night, with the best music, chat and interviews providing the soundtrack to ...
31/05/2024
After the 2008 financial crisis and increased risk-management regulations that f...
In the true tradition of independent film, Cold Turkey is a dialogue- and character-driven movie, explained director of photography Lucas Lee Graham. We wanted an intimate, personal look with a really shallow depth of field and nice portraiture so that the visual emphasis would be on the characters and what they were doing. Graham added that the film also needed to be shot inside an actual home in Pasadena, California, and include minimal lighting and night scenes. For Graham, the solution to all of these challenges was to shoot Cold Turkey using an EOS 5D Mark III Digital SLR camera from Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, along with an assortment of Canon EF L-Series prime and zoom lenses.
