We’ve collected the data from IndieWire’s cameras survey regarding Sundance 2020 to create cameras charts to explore a tendency and/or inclination toward a specific brand and/or model. Unfortunately, the results are quite dull and similar to Sundance 2019. The dominant cameras are ALEXA Mini, SONY Venice, and RED Helium. Scroll down to reveal the chart.

Sundance: “Cameras are not crucial factors.”

According to Sundance Film Festival Filmmakers’ Guide, the gear is not the dominant factor. Of course, we all have heard about selected films been shot on iPhones. Nevertheless, when examining the 2019 and 2020 selections, we can notice a clear tendency regarding expensive cinema cameras, as the math doesn’t lie. More than 80% of the films were shot on high-end cinema cameras. The Sundance 2019 and 2020 dominant camera was the ALEXA Mini without any doubt. Take a look at the chart below and try to find there some affordable cinema cameras (Blackmagic, Kinefinity, or even Canon, for instance). Logically, there are high standards regarding imagery that can be achieved only by using those high-end cameras, and that’s acceptable. However, do not claim that the camera isn’t essential. The contrary, choosing your camera for your project, in case you are planning to submit it to Sundance and get into 0.75% selection, is a critical decision in your production. Be aware of that.

Nevertheless, it’s important to emphasize that we’ve created these charts based on the IndieWire survey. This year, the study includes only a small portion of the categories. I believe that in the documentary categories, you should see more inclination toward more affordable cameras (like C300 Mark II, URSA, and so on).

The cameras behind Sundance 2020

Take a look at the list below: (Film, director, DP, and cameras). The chart is down below. 

1. “Blast Beat”- Dir: Esteban Arango, DoP: Ed Wu- Camera: RED HELIUM
2. “Charm City Kings”- Dir: Angel Manuel Soto, DoP: Katelin Arizmendi- Camera: ALEXA Mini
3. “Dinner In America”- Dir: Adam Carter Rehmeier, DoP: Jean-Philippe Bernier- Camera: RED Epic-W Helium
4. “The Evening Hour”- Dir: Braden King, DoP: Declan Quinn- Camera: ALEXA Mini
5. “Farewell Amor”- Dir: Ekwa Msangi, DoP: Bruce Francis Cole- Camera: ARRI Alexa Mini
6. “Minari”- Dir: Lee Isaac Chung, DoP: Lachlan Milne- Camera: ALEXA Mini
7. “Miss Juneteenth”- Dir: Channing Godfrey Peoples, DoP: Daniel Patterson- Camera: ALEXA Mini
8. “Palm Spring”- Dir: Max Barbakow, DoP: Quyen Tran- Camera: ALEXA Mini
9. “Save Yourselves!”- Dir: Alex Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, DoP: Matt Clegg- Camera: ALEXA Mini
10. “Shirley“- Dir: Josephine Decker, DoP: Sturla Brandth Grøvlen- Camera: ALEXA MINI
11. “Sylvie’s Love”- Dir: Eugene Ashe, DoP: Declan Quinn- Camera: ARRIFLEX 416
12. “Wander Darkly”- Dir: Tara Miele, DoP: Carolina Costa- Camera: ALEXA Mini
13. “Zola”- Dir: Janicza Bravo, DoP: Ari Wegner- Camera: ARRI 416
14. “Dream Horse”- Dir: Euros Lyn, DoP: Erik Alexander Wilson- Camera: ALEXA Mini
15. “The Father”- Dir: Florian Zeller, DoP: Ben Smithard- Camera: SONY Venice
16. “Four Good Days”- Dir: Rodrigo Garcia, DoP: Igor Jadue-Lillo- Camera: SONY Venice
17. “The Glorias”- Dir: Julie Taymor, DoP: Rodrigo Prieto- Camera: SONY Venice
18. “Herself”- Dir: Phyllida Lloyd, DoP: Tom Comerford- Camera: ALEXA Mini
19. “Horse Girl”- Dir: Jeff Baena, DoP: Sean McElwee- Camera: SONY Venice
20. “Kajillionaire”- Dir: Miranda July, DoP: Sebastian Wintero- Camera: ALEXA Mini
21. “The Last Shift”- Dir: Andrew Cohn, DoP: W. Mott Hupfel III- Camera: SONY Venice
22. “Lost Girls”- Dir: Liz Garbus, DoP: Igor Martinovic- Camera: SONY Venice
23. “The Nest”- Dir: Sean Durkin, DoP: Matyas Erdely- Camera: ARRICAM LT
24. “Promising Young Woman”- Dir: Emerald Fennell, DoP: Benjamin Kracun- Camera: ALEXA Mini
25. “Sergio”- Dir: Greg Barker, DoP: Adrian Teijido- Camera: RED Helium
26. “Tesla”- Dir: Michael Almereyda, DoP: Sean Price Williams- Camera: SONY Venice
27. “Uncle Frank”- Dir: Alan Ball, DoP: Khalid Mohtaseb- Camera: SONY Venice
28. “Wendy”- Dir: Benh Zeitlin, DoP: Sturla Brandth Grøvlen- Camera: ARRI 416
29. “Worth”- Dir: Sara Colangelo, DoP: Pepe Avila del Pino- Camera: ALEXA Mini
30. “Amulet”- Dir: Romola Garai, DoP: Laura Bellingham- Camera: ALEXA Mini and AMIRA
31. “Bad Hair”- Dir: Justin Simien, DoP: Topher Osborn- Camera: ARRI 416
32. “Impetigore”- Dir: Joko Anwar, DoP: Ical Tanjung- Camera: ALEXA Mini
33. “Relic”- Dir: Natalie Erika James, DoP: Charlie Sarroff- Camera: ALEXA SXT & ALEXA Mini
34. “The Night House”- Dir: David Bruckner, DoP: Elisha Christian- Camera: ALEXA Mini
35. “The Nowhere Inn”- Dir: Bill Benz, DoP: Minka Farthing-Kohl- Camera: ALEXA Mini & ARRI 416
36. “Scare Me”- Dir: Josh Ruben, DoP: Brendan H. Banks- Camera: RED Epic-W Helium
37. “Black Bear”– Dir: Lawrence Levine, DoP: Robert Leitzell- Camera: ALEXA Mini
38. “I Carry You With Me”- Dir: Heidi Ewing, DoP: Juan Pablo Ramírez- Camera: ALEXA Mini & AMIRA
39. “The Killing of Two Lovers”- Dir: Robert Machoian, DoP: Oscar Ignacio Jiménez- Camera: RED Helium Weapon
40. “La Leyenda Negra”- Dir: Patrica Delgado, DoP: Matt Maio- Camera: Canon C500 & RED Dragon
41. “The Mountains Are A Dream That Call To Me”- Dir: Cedric Cheung Lau, DoP: Jake Magee- Camera: ALEXA Mini
42. “Omniboat”- Dir: Lucas Leyva, DoP: Daniel Fernandez- Camera: ALEXA Classic
43. “Some Kind of Heaven”- Dir: Lance Oppenheim, DoP: David Bolen- Camera: ALEXA Mini
44. “Summertime”- Dir: Carlos Lopez Estrada, DoP: John Schmidt- Camera: ALEXA Mini & AMIRA
45. “Charter”- Dir: Amanda Kernell, DoP: Sophia Olsson- Camera: ALEXA Mini
46. “Exil”- Dir: Visar Morina, DoP: Matteo Cocco- Camera: ALEXA Mini
47. “High Tide”- Dir: Verónica Chen, DoP: Fernando Lockett- Camera: ALEXA Mini
48. “Identifying Features”- Dir: Fernanda Valadez, DoP: Claudia Becerril Bulos- Camera: SONY FS7ii, Alpha A7Sii, Phantom 4 Pro, Inspire 2 + Zenmuse x7
49. “Jumbo”- Dir: Zoé Wittock, DoP: Thomas Buelens- Camera: ALEXA SXT
50. “Luxor”- Dir: Zeina Durra, DoP: Zelmira Gainza- Camera: ALEXA Mini
51. “Possessor”- Dir: Brandon Cronenberg, DoP: Karim Hussain- Camera: ARRI AMIRA
52. “Summer White”- Dir: Rodrigo Ruiz Patterson, DoP: María Sarasvati Herrera- Camera: ARRI AMIRA & ALEXA MINI
53. “Surge”- Camera: ALEXA Mini
54. “This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection”- Dir: Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, DoP: Pierre de Villiers C- Camera: SONY Venice
55. “Yalta, a Night of Forgiveness”- Dir: Massoud Bakhshi, DoP: Julian Atanassov- Camera: ALEXA MINI & ALEXA Plus

Sundance 2020: Camera chart

Explore the Sundance 2020 camera chart below. Credit: Y.M.Cinema Magazine