Within the week of posting, my NYC test run of the new Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera went north of 3k playbacks, seeming sensible now to complement with a split-screen comparison of the untouched footage straight from the camera, alongside that finished product after color correction/grading. I have no delusions of being a studio auteur, who could justify a braggart director’s commentary, but after thinking about the option to write a long, wordy blog post, I figured it’s easier and better all-around just to talk over my footage. It’s a visual medium anyway, and I’m sort of surprised there aren’t more of these. Would love to see yours, too.
The video streams by default in full 1080p high definition, so if you get jitters, click the HD icon in-frame to reduce your playback resolution. For reference, here’s the original seven-minute film:
Filmed handheld on a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, using a single lens (Panasonic 12-35mm, continuous f2.8 aperture, optically stabilized H-HS12035). Shooting was on September 1 and 2, 2013, with post-production on September 7 and this commentary on September 12. Edited and graded in Adobe Premiere Pro CC, with clip-by-clip balancing adjustments using Fast Color Corrector, then applying an Adjustment Layer over the entire sequence with FilmConvert Pro 2, using its Blackmagic Cinema Camera profile and selecting the classic film stock emulation of KODAK VISION3 250D Color Negative Film 5207/7207 (with vintage Super 16mm film grain to match the feel — and the actual size — of the BMPC’s digital sensor).