American Cinematographer - August 2011 - 12

Short Takes
The climax of the short The Arrival, designed to showcase the capabilities of Sony’s F65 camera, was shot at the Los Angeles Theater. The piece was conceptualized, directed and shot by ASC member Curtis Clark.

Interchange Framework/Academy Color Encoding Specification, a workflow architecture whose components are designed to preserve the widest possible image information from production through Directed and shot by Curtis Clark, ASC, The Arrival is the first post, exhibition and archiving, using a standardized, non-proprietary project to be photographed with Sony’s F65, the company’s soon-to- set of transforms and file formats ( AC March ’11). be-released 4K digital motion-picture camera. The movie is a modern “Those two things started to converge,” says Clark. “I film noir set in downtown Los Angeles, and Clark describes it as “an became the focal point for the convergence in that I brought Sony effective test of the F65’s performance in production.” into the mix by making them aware of IIF/ACES.” Sony became Clark chairs the ASC Technology Committee, and he committed to designing the F65 as a true digital motion-picture confesses that prior to the committee’s involvement in the ASC-PGA camera that would support IIF/ACES. Camera Assessment Series ( AC June and Sept. ’09), he was “not a Sony’s major goals for the camera included: fan of so-called digital-cinema cameras,” even though he’d been • Spatial resolution: Unequivocal 4K, 4096x2160, using a following their evolution closely. “For me, the issue was that most of single 20-megapixel CMOS sensor. those cameras were too restrictive in their tonal latitude and color • Dynamic range: The target is more than 14 stops without gamut because of their reliance on HD-video parameters,” he says. the use of blended-exposure techniques or electronic-gain increase The limitations were exacerbated by post workflows that frequently to extend dynamic range. “It’s a single-frame exposure, just like film, took place in a Rec 709 environment that “tended to accentuate an so there are no motion artifacts from shooting blended exposures to HD-video look,” he adds. get a wider dynamic range,” explains Clark. But Clark was intrigued by how closely Sony’s F35, configured • Color reproduction: The camera was to have not only with S-Log and S-Gamut, was able to match images from the film significantly wider color space, but also “the emotional quality of cameras that were used as benchmarks for the CAS, and this led him how film reproduces color and contrast,” says Clark. “It had to be to more in-depth conversations with the Sony development team. able to replicate a cinematic film look and feel.” Eventually, he became a consultant for the company, advising on an Planning to introduce the F65 at this year’s NAB conference, advanced motion-picture workflow for their next-generation highSony wanted to present footage that would demonstrate how the resolution camera. Sony, he says, was eager to get the input of work- camera had reached all of these goals. So, in December 2010, Clark ing cinematographers, and Clark felt it was essential to help them began conferring with Toshitaka Ikumo, Sony Electronics’ businessget it. development manager of digital motion-picture production, about He was also becoming increasingly aware of the work the what the NAB presentation should include. Clark recommended a Academy’s Science and Technology Council was doing on the Image short, dramatic narrative that would not be based on a collection of
12 August 2011 American Cinematographer

Sony’s F65 Makes Debut With The Arrival By Stephanie Argy

Photos and frame grabs courtesy of Curtis Clark and Sony.

American Cinematographer - August 2011

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