It appears that the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema cameras are very popular among MCU, and being used as the weapon of choice when high-octane action sequences are needed. For instance, the Pocket 6K was utilized to shoot the skydiving scenes in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. 

BTS shots revealed the Pocket 6K

After Marvel has released its “Assembled” chapter focusing on the making of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, a few frames grab exposed the Blackmagic Pocket 6K camera. After a bit of investigation, we’ve found a Reddit thread that talks about that specifically. It’s known that the series was shot mainly on RED VV sensors (which in that case is the Panavision DXL 2 paired with T-Series glass). However, it’s very interesting to explore the Pocket 6K as well. It seems that cinematographer P.J. Dillon ASC utilized Pocket 6K in the skydiving shots as a main or B-cam in some scenes.

Have a look at the trailer of “Assembled- The Making of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier”

Why not using the RED Komodo?

According to the IMDB Tech Spec, a RED Komodo was used as well. If so, this is the first high-end production that the Pocket 6K is being used together with the RED Komodo. However, the question raised is why not using the Komodo for the skydiving shots instead of the Pocket 6K? Obviously, the Komodo can be paired much easily in post with the R3D output of the DXL2. Furthermore, the Komodo is also compact, robust, and armed with a global shutter sensor that constitutes a major advantage in fast shots (like skydiving, for instance). So why there is a need for Pocket 6K? Well, it’s a good question to be asked. Anyway, if I’m not mistaken, this is the 3rd time that the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema cameras are being utilized on Hollywood’s high-end productions. 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – Tech Spec (according to IMDB):

• Black Magic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K (skydiving unit)
• Panavision Millennium DXL2, Panavision T-Series Lenses
• Red Komodo, Panavision T-Series Lenses
• Red Monstro, Panavision T-Series Lenses
• Zeiss Master Prime Lenses (Some Shots)

Blackmagic Pocket and MCU

There seems to be a love between MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and Blackmagic cameras. 6 years ago, the Pocket Cinema camera was used in Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” as a B-cam. According to the team, the 12-bit RAW image, accompanied by a decent latitude of the lightweight Pocket, was a solid advantage for the production. The crew needed lightweight cameras that can be distributed around the set, during the filming of battle sequences. Furthermore, we wrote about the Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera that was used to shoot the action sequences on ‘Captain Marvel’. Cinematographer Ben Davis elaborated on his on-set experience using the Micro Cinema camera to shoot action in Captain Marvel: “The bar for action sequences has been raised so high that for these to work you have to be very creative with the cameras you use,” concluded Davis. “I want to put the audience in amongst the action, so having a small camera you can rig very quickly is great for that. That’s what I like about action cams like those from Blackmagic Design. They can get you into places you can’t always go with ordinary cameras.”

Final thoughts

There’s no doubt that the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema cameras are an integral part of the MCU imagery. The Pockets are being used as compact cameras to deliver high-quality footage straight from the heart of the action. It will be interesting to reveal though, the reasons for choosing the Pocket instead of the Komodo, in R3D production like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Feel free to comment your thoughts below.

Products List

• Camera: Blackmagic Pocket 6K. Price: $1,995 [maxbutton id=”1″ url=”https://adorama.rfvk.net/yR2JJD” ]
• Camera: Red Komodo 6K. Price: $6,000 [maxbutton id=”1″ url=”https://adorama.rfvk.net/JrzN3E” ]