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MillimeterMagicWig Productions Uses Pansonic AJ-HDX9000 and AG-HVX200 for Green Documentary
Oct 23, 2007 12:00 PM
Director/director of photography Justin Maine of Schenectady, NY-based MagicWig Productions couples Panasonic’s multiformat AJ-HDX900 DVCPRO HD camcorder and the AG-HVX200 P2 HD handheld camcorder for the production of So Right, So Smart (working title), an independent documentary on the growing momentum of the corporate world’s focus on environmental sustainability.
Founded five years ago by production veterans Maine, Guy Noerr, and Don Fisher, MagicWig’s assignments include industrial videos and events for large corporations and business leaders. The production company has worked exclusively with Panasonic cameras since the purchase of a 24p/30p/60i 3-CCD DVCPRO50 camcorder and two AG-DVX100A mini-DV 3-CCD 24p camcorders in 2004. Earlier this year, MagicWig decided to upgrade to the HDX900 and HVX200 as part of its progression to become a “full-fledged HD production and post house.”
An avid environmentalist, Guy has always been inspired by one of MagicWig’s clients, Interface, whose founder, Ray Anderson, is determined to make his international modular flooring manufacturer the first environmentally sustainable corporation with zero waste and emissions.
The documentary illustrates how companies such as Interface are incorporating “green” strategies into their business models and features interviews with senior executives of such high-profile brands as Stonyfield Farm, Ben & Jerry’s, Herman Miller, Patagonia and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. Environmental stars David Suzuki, Paul Hawken, Janine Benyus, and Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies are also interview subjects. Actress Darryl Hannah, likewise an advocate of sustainable living and renewable energy, narrates the piece.
The scope of production for So Right, So Smart was “broad, but on a small scale,” according to Maine. “We traveled all around the country over several months, gathering footage from the best minds in the business and environmental world, with a crew that varied in size from three to five people,” he says. “Our goal was to use no stock footage and shoot entirely in HD—on a budget.”
“That’s where the HDX900 and HVX200 came in handy,” Maine says. “We were able to buy two HD cameras for less money than one HD camera would have cost not long ago. It proved to be a highly cost-effective way to have the two HD cameras on a shoot, especially since most of the interview locations were less than production-ready.”
“At times, the shoots would be logistical nightmares,” he says. “We were a small documentary crew interviewing prominent figures. We didn’t have time to do complex rigs. I would set up both cameras near each other and operate them both, reframing one then the other, giving us greater flexibility for the edit. The cameras matched beautifully.”
“The HDX900 had amazing picture clarity and color reproduction, affording us instant, high-end production value without breaking the budget,” Maine says.
“One of the best things about the HDX900 is its dynamic range,” Maine says. “It has great built-in settings, but you also have the ability to customize the settings to address varying lighting situations. The HDX900 reproduces life-like colors that pop off the screen without bleeding and delivers a coveted, film-like look.”
“We could change from shooting 1080/24p to 720p within seconds, which achieved the same overall look but with increased ability to reframe and manipulate in post,” Maine says.
For most of the production, the crew used the HDX900 as the main camera for interviews and overall B-roll, with the HVX200 positioned as the secondary camera.
“We were able to put the HVX200 in places where you just can’t fit a full-size camera,” Maine says. “We did a few shots interviewing people in cars while they were driving, for example, and put the HVX200 right in the passenger’s seat for terrific dynamic shots.”
“I liked the fact that with the HVX200 we had off-speed shooting capabilities as well as the option to use high gain settings to give us a grainy 16mm look,” he says. “Also, unlike HDV, the HVX200 records images at a full 100Mbps and uses uncompressed 16-bit sound.”
The team shot most of the interviews in DVCPRO HD 720p/24p with B-roll content captured in 1080/24p. “All of the HDX900 footage was transferred via IEEE 1394 with Panasonic’s AJ-HD1400 DVCPRO HD VTR and then stored on a 10-terabyte RAID system,” Maine says.
“With the HVX200, we shot both 720p and 1080/24p, recording directly to a FireStore FS-100,” Maine says. “Each day of the shoot, we captured close to 100GB of material. Every night, we transferred the footage to a LaCie FireWire external hard drive and re-formatted the FireStore for shooting the next day.”
So Right, So Smart, directed by Maine, with Guy Noerr serving as Executive Producer, and Leanne Robinson as co-producer/writer, is being edited by Michael Swantek in 720p/24p in Final Cut Pro Studio 2, on site at MagicWig Productions. Postproduction is expected to be completed by December 2007. So Right, So Smart is aimed for theatrical release. Maine says they plan to pursue 2008 film festival opportunities, and possibly broadcast distribution.
For more information about MagicWig, visit www.magicwig.com.
