Super 35 who?

Resistance is futile...

With the recent announcement of the Alexa Mini LF and the other camera manufacturers already having their own version of larger than S35 sensors the age of full frame image capture is officially upon us.

While the Alexa LF may have cracked the door open for some productions to embrace full frame capture, the Mini will end up blowing the entire house down. In this episode we will take an extensive look at a spot I shot using the Alexa LF and the Arri Signature Primes.

There are pros and cons with any format change and we outline a few of the big ones in today's show.

Enjoy the episode!

Patreon: Feature Film - The Final Countdown

The breakdowns are now coming thick and fast over on Patreon. We are plowing through the schedule and looking at exactly what it takes to make a feature film and how the lighting approach chagnes based on scenes, timing, budget restrictions and more.

If you are interested in seeing what it takes to get a feature film in the can then this Patreon series is for you.

You can find this week's Patreon Breakdown Podcast by clicking the link below:

The Wandering DP Patreon Group

If you are a fan of the podcast and want more video content the patreon group is the place to be. Each and every week I release an exclusive podcast, video, or live stream just for the Patreon members.

Patreon members also get access to the Private Facebook community for the show. The podcast couldn't exist without the Patreon support and I do my best to take care of the supporters.

Alexa LF & Signature Primes - A World Apart

This commercial was all about the gear. A relatively straight forward comedy spot but we tried to lift the level of the images by going with the Alexa LF and the Signature Primes.

Camera Gear:

Check out the gear I use on all of my commercial shoots by clicking the link below:

Wandering DP Commercial Cinematography Gear

The only kit not listed on that page is the set of Signature Primes and the Alexa LF.

For lighting we went all Kino LED.

Alexa LF - Large Format Cinematography

Set Up #1 - The White Wall Wide

The Shots

In the opening shot we see a sole rugby player snacking on something when another player enters from frame left.

The Lighting

This entire spot was LED and the main challenge for all the angles was keeping the ambient levels low enough to actually get some shape on the areas we wanted.

The white walls everywhere made it challenging as did the low ceilings and lack of any windows.

We used a variety of Kino LEDs kitted out with egg crates to help direct the level right where we needed it to sit.

The Result

Alexa LF - Full Frame

Set Up #2 - The First Single

The Shot

A classic single to deliver the comedic lines.

The Lighting

Here the full frame sensor of the LF really becomes apparent. This is the 47mm somewhere near wide open and look at how much the BG falls away. The depth of field is millimeters wide.

The lighting was the same as the previous shot but as we get tighter we can fly in some diffusion to help wrap the light to make it more pleasing.

The Result

Tech Scout Reference:

Full Frame Blow Up:

Set Up #3 - The Reverse

The Shot

Straight forward reverse of the previous set up. Normally we would orbit around more to have a tighter eye line on the dialogue but in this case the more we came around the more we shot straight in to a white, boring wall.

The Lighting

Same set up as the wide but we moved the floor lamp camera left closer and angled it to get more wrap on the shadow side of his face.

The Result

Arri Alexa LF - Full Frame

Tech Scout Reference:

Set Up #4 - In Tight

The Shot

This was the hero shot for the gag of the ad.

The Lighting

Nothing really changed from the previous single here for light. It was just a change in distance of the subject relative to camera which then changes the out of focus characteristics.