nofilmschool » arri

Welcoming Next Generation Broadcast Imaging in the ARRI Ikegami HDK-97ARRI

Micah Van Hove — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:00:14 +0000

Built with an ARRI Super 35mm CMOS sensor, the HDK-97ARRI intends to pave the way for large format sensors in a broadcast environment. The lovechild of two giants in the industry — Ikegami and ARRI — this imaging machine is business up front, party in the back, and vice-versa. Check the all-important specs and details below. (more…)

Want Some Free Aerial Footage Shot by the Arri Alexa? Neumann Films Has You Covered

Joe Marine — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 01:45:15 +0000

It might be possible to get higher quality aerial footage than ever before from somewhat inexpensive aerial vehicles, but getting a digital cinema camera into a real helicopter with a gyroscope is still the best way to get rock-solid footage. If you’ve been wanting to add some beautiful aerial footage to your own films, but you can’t afford the stock footage (or certainly the helicopter rental), you’re in luck, because Luke Neumann has put together some high-quality Arri Alexa aerial footage, and the best part of all: he’s giving away 5 shots completely Royalty Free on his website. (more…)

Blackmagic Cinema Camera, RED EPIC, and Arri Alexa RAW Camera Test Part 3: Overexposure

Guest Author — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 20:16:44 +0000

This is a guest post by Cinematographer Ryan E. Walters.

Welcome to Part 03 of Some Like It RAW, where I am comparing the Arri Alexa, Blackmagic Cinema Camera, and the RED EPIC. My goal for these tests is to explore how each of these cameras handle real world shooting environments. Part 01 explored how these cameras handle IR pollution. In Part 02, I tested underexposure. And here in Part 03, I’m exploring the world of overexposure and diffusion filtration. Continue on to watch the 10 minute video, read my summary, and get the downloadable RAW frames from each camera. (more…)

Blackmagic Cinema Camera, RED EPIC, and Arri Alexa RAW Camera Test Part 2: Low Light

Guest Author — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 07:37:37 +0000

This is a guest post by Cinematographer Ryan E. Walters.

Welcome to Part 02 of Some Like It RAW, where I am comparing the Arri Alexa, Blackmagic Cinema Camera, and the RED EPIC. My goal for these tests is to explore how each of these cameras handles real world shooting environments. Part 01 explored how these cameras handle IR pollution. In Part 02, I test the limits of low light levels, or underexposure. Continue on to watch the 11 minute video, read my summary, and get the downloadable RAW frames from each camera. (more…)

Blackmagic Cinema Camera, RED EPIC, and Arri Alexa RAW Camera Test Part 1: IR Pollution

Guest Author — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:59:37 +0000

If you’ve been using a newer large sensor digital cinema camera, you may have noticed that your image takes on more reddish tones when using increased neutral density filtration. This is related to the way many of these ND filters block visible light, but let in more infrared light which can pollute the image. We’ve seen a few examples showing what IR pollution can do, and today, we have a video comparing RAW cameras, specifically the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, Arri Alexa, and RED EPIC, and how each of them handles black cloth when using IR cut filters of different strengths along with increased ND filtration.

This is a guest post by Cinematographer Ryan E. Walters. (more…)

Arri Alexa Goes Internal RAW with Codex XR Upgrade, and Gets New In-Camera IRNDs

Joe Marine — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:10:07 +0000

There might be a lawsuit going on right now regarding compressed RAW, but Arri and their Alexa camera have avoided that business by sending out uncompressed, untouched RAW to third party recorders. Codex, maker of one of these third party recorders, has now partnered with Arri to design an internal RAW upgrade solution for all Alexa models called the XR Module that replaces the internal SxS technology, and takes a brand new 512GB card. From now on, the only new models offered from Arri will be the XT line with the XR upgrade, and the original Alexa with a 16:9 Super 35mm sensor. All new XT models will have the 4:3 sensor as standard. Check out the videos of the XR in action below. (more…)

RED Sues Arri (No One Wins). Now They Have Sights Set on Sony and the F65, F55, and F5 Cameras

Joe Marine — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:22:59 +0000

A litte over a year ago, there was an email hacking incident involving Arri, Band Pro, and RED; Jannard and RED have since dropped their lawsuit to the best of our understanding, since as of a few days ago that case was agreed to be dismissed by all parties involved (everyone comes out a loser having to pay all legal fees and expenses). Now we have word that a brand new legal suit has appeared against Sony, alleging patent infringement related to their F65, F55, and F5 cameras. (more…)

Film Looks the Easy Way: FilmConvert Now Supports Canon C300 and Arri Alexa, BMCC Coming Soon

Joe Marine — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 15:54:51 +0000

A solid color grade can very quickly take the edge off an image that looks “too digital.” If you don’t have much time to spend on said color grade, but you’d like to get a great look very easily, a film LUT that attempts to recreate some of the magic we get from Kodak and Fuji stocks could serve you well. We’ve discussed FilmConvert a bit before, but basically it’s either a standalone program or a plugin for the major Apple and Adobe products that uses the color science of the specific camera you’re using in order to precisely match the film stocks they have in their system. Now they’ve introduced another update, this time including support for the Canon C300 and the Arri Alexa. (more…)

'FRED et marie' and 'Marie et Fred,' Painful and Beautiful Arri Alexa-Shot Films About Domestic Violence

Joe Marine — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 20:45:18 +0000

We’ve talked about how just because something is made as an advertisement, that doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t stand on its own as a piece of art. The same can be said for a film made for a particular cause, in this case domestic violence. FRED et marie and Marie et Fred were both commissioned by Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, or the French Community of Belguim, one of the three official communities in Belgium. The films focus on the abusive marriage between Fred and Marie, and they were both shot on the Arri Alexa — I mention this because they are two of the nicer-looking films I’ve seen lately. Click through to watch both. (more…)

RED, Arri, and Sony: Meet Panavision's 70mm Digital Cinema Camera

Joe Marine — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 17:44:05 +0000

While there have been rumors for years about Hollywood rental and camera company Panavision developing a new camera to replace the aging Genesis, that’s pretty much all we’ve gotten: rumors. Back in early December at the Plus Camerimage 2012 festival, Panavision unveiled a prototype for a digital camera that will have a sensor equivalent to 70mm. It’s interesting and significant for a number of reasons, mostly because the last time Panavision developed a camera it became the standard that other digital cinema cameras had to live up to, and also because it signals that the company might think that’s where the future of movies is headed. (more…)

Choosing Neutral Density Filters with Infrared Protection: Necessary or Overboard?

Dave Kendricken — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:30:19 +0000

At this point, solid state image sensors have matched or exceeded film in a lot of ways, including light sensitivity, responsiveness to shadow detail, and overall dynamic range — but that doesn’t mean our chips aren’t susceptible to certain problems previously avoided by the nature of emulsion. Indeed, ‘sensitivity’ nowadays means something different altogether — and with the virtual necessity of neutral density filters as a result, this often means vulnerability to infrared pollution. Unless you like shooting at f/22 or you’re already using the Aaton Penelope Delta, you may also require an IR filter with your ND. AbelCine has recently shared a great rundown of which cameras suffer the most from IR pollution — and what filters work best to correct each. (more…)

Choosing Super 16mm over Digital and the Cinematography of 'Beasts of the Southern Wild'

Joe Marine — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 00:54:19 +0000

It seems like there have been tons of posts about this movie, but The Creators Project has been slowly releasing their exclusive Behind the Scenes videos over the course of the last few months. We’ve taken a look at the score and other aspects, but now we’ve got a video with Director of Photography Ben Richardson talking about the aesthetic of the film and their choice to shoot on celluloid as opposed to digital. (more…)

Watch Patrick Stewart the Poet in Angus Jackson's Short Film 'Epithet'

Joe Marine — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 14:25:14 +0000

Patrick Stewart has had a rather long and varied career, from the stage, to the screen, and literally everything in between (including a recurring role on Seth MacFarlane’s American Dad cartoon). In Angus Jackson’s short film Epithet, he plays a poet in the later years of his life who is keen on courting younger women. The film was shot on the Arri Alexa (which is completely inconsequential, but, you know, some of you may be wondering these things). Click through to check it out. (more…)

Roger Deakins Talks About Using the Arri Alexa at IBC

Joe Marine — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 06:38:58 +0000

Roger Deakins (The Shawshank Redemption, No Country for Old Men) is arguably one of the greatest cinematographers of the last 20-30 years (if not one of the greatest all-time). His work is timeless in a way that is hard to describe, but much of it comes from his ability to paint with light. Deakins had shot all of his work on film up until Andrew Niccol’s In Time, which he lensed on a prototype Arri Alexa. We covered back in February of 2011 an interview with Deakins where he stated that “film had a good run” and that he wasn’t sure if he would ever shoot film again. Now he’s taken on a much larger project with the camera, the new James Bond film Skyfall, directed by Sam Mendes. Mr. Deakins recently sat down with Franz Kraus, the Managing Director of Arri AG at this year’s IBC trade show. (more…)

Why Can't We Have Beautiful Digital Cinema Cameras?

Joe Marine — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:50:37 +0000

The very notion might be preposterous for many individuals. Cameras are tools, why should it matter what they look like? Does one choose a particular hammer over another because of its aesthetics? Not usually, often with any tool, style gives way to performance. For the longest time, personal computers were nothing more than grey boxes. Apple was a big part of the movement away from boring, grey boxes. Not to give them all of the credit, however, since there is a large modding community in the computer world that feels the same way — and they’ve been creating beautiful PC cases for years. But what about cameras, specifically the digital cinema kind? The Yolk Y2 Digital Cinema Camera aims to address that pesky function over form notion, and truly design a camera that is aesthetically pleasing and functional. (more…)

Can You Tell the Difference Between the ARRI Alexa and Canon C300 in This 'Game of Thrones' Test?

Joe Marine — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:36:20 +0000

Comparisons are fun, even more when they’re for expensive cameras. As I’ve said before, we try to look at all sorts of different topics from around the film industry, and we are not just going to look at DIY options like the hacked GH2. Shane Hurlbut, who runs a fantastic and informative blog himself, was recently shooting a promo for HBO’s Game of Thrones. He decided to shoot the Canon C300 alongside the Arri Alexa for the promo. Shane came up with some interesting results. (more…)

Band Pro Announces the NewFinder EVF: a 1920 X 1080 Viewfinder for Digital Cinema Cameras

Joe Marine — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:37:46 +0000

Band Pro has teamed up with Astrodesign to make a 1920 x 1080 Electronic Viewfinder. We’ve already talked about what might be the future for small EVFs, but for now, we’ve got this monstrosity weighing in at 3 pounds. Though many of us won’t be able to afford this when we actually find out the price, it will be a fantastic rental and it’s a good sign that high-resolution EVFs at affordable prices are just around the corner. (more…)

The Canoflex C300 Rig Combines the Best of Arri Past and Canon Present

Joe Marine — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 18:27:01 +0000

Speaking of the C300, AC Tim Arasheben has developed a camera rig for the Canon C300 based partially on the Arri SR3 16mm camera. Even though I’m calling it a rig, I probably shouldn’t, because it goes way beyond a normal rig. The Canoflex C300 is one of those tools that gives you exactly what you need, when you need it. It regulates power for practically anything you attach to it, and also has multiple HD-SDI outputs – a must on professional sets. Let’s see what makes the Canoflex tick. (more…)

MicroOLED Screen Promises Massive 1280x1024 Resolution for the Next Generation of EVFs

Joe Marine — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:43:48 +0000

Electronic Viewfinders have slowly been replacing traditional viewfinders for the past few years, but last year’s NAB saw an explosion in cameras with all-digital viewfinders – as well as standalone EVF products. Sony has been in the lead for the quality of the EVF on their cameras, specifically the NEX-7, A77, and A65. Panasonic is just behind with their GH2. But all of the EVFs on these cameras pale in comparison to MicroOLED’s technology. (more…)

ARRI ALEXA Hits 120FPS with Software Update

Ryan Koo — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:00:00 +0000

I’m a bit uncomfortable with how camera-focused this site has been over the past couple of weeks, but there’s so much going on it’s hard to keep up! That’s one reason I’m hiring more writers (I’ll be closing down the application in a day or two). Here’s some more camera news, though: ARRI has released Software Update 5 for their ALEXA, which brings 120 FPS recording to the camera along with several other new features (list below). To help ARRI demonstrate what 120fps looks like, I decided to grow my hair out and take up juggling. Check out my favorite vest: (more…)