Yet another beautiful commercial shot on the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras. This time, the BMPCC 4K and 6K were utilized to shoot the “with BMW” movie series in Japan. Let’s have a look.
BMPCC and BMW
Yeah, this title sounds catchy. Blackmagic Design announced that Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K digital film cameras were used to shoot the BMW web movie series “with BMW,” which was produced by the creative company bird and insect. Shuma, the director for the “with BMW” series, also used DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, color grading, visual effects (VFX), and audio post-production software for the post process.
A collaboration with Discover Japan Magazine
The series, which began in 2020, is a collaboration with the magazine Discover Japan. The series features BMW cars as they travel around Japan with creators and artists involved in craftsmanship. bird and insect, the creative company behind this popular project, produces videos, photographs, and designs, including branding and PR strategies, for clients. The company has used various Blackmagic Design digital film cameras and DaVinci Resolve Studio for a number of projects in the past.
15 movies- shot on the 4K and 6K pocket cinema cameras
The company created 15 “with BMW” movies so far, with Shuma involved as a director and editor for each. When the shooting began in 2020, the films were shot using a Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, and from 2021, all the films were shot with a Pocket Cinema Camera 6K with the post-production done in DaVinci Resolve Studio.
Minimal resources: Indie-style project
Shuma of bird and insect stated: “The shooting days for one episode are about three days, including time for location scouting, so it’s pretty busy. The crew is only three, including me, the DP, and the drone operator/photographer, so we can’t bring in a lot of equipment. We can hardly set up any lights, so we o en shoot using any lights available at the location and natural light. Therefore, the performance of the Pocket Cinema Cameras and their ability to retain color data helps us a lot.”
Switching from 4K to the 6K model
Shuma continued: “When I switched from the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K to the 6K model, I really felt the difference in resolution. The subtlety of the images increased, and it’s more like looking at a photograph. I create the LUTs with DaVinci Resolve in advance of the shoot and use them with all of the Pocket Cinema Cameras”.
Edited and graded in DaVinci Resolve on MBP
According to Blackmagic Design, this project is mainly live-action with very little use of effects and emphasizes the beauty of the footage itself. Shuma is particular about the colors for this project, and he edits and grades the footage with DaVinci Resolve Studio by himself. “DaVinci Resolve is very compatible with the MacBook Pro. I travel a lot, and the combination of the MacBook Pro and DaVinci Resolve Studio allows me to work comfortably through the entire process anywhere I go,” said Shuma. “Compared to when this project began, the concept of the work has gradually changed, and the color palette has changed accordingly. Before, I used to make the look a little brighter. Now, the look is a little darker and more bluish. The beauty of Pocket Cinema Cameras is that I can bring out the colors the way I want them”.
Final thoughts
It’s no secret that the main advantage of the BMPCC is to grant filmmakers the best cost-effective ratio. I mean, the cameras are very affordable, and within that price, you are getting outstanding imagery, and without too much hassle. Furthermore, the synergy between the cameras to DaVinci Resolve (which comes free with the camera, BTW) is ideal. Unfortunately, it’s not detailed the shooting specs of the BMW project. However, we can assume that the team was shooting, editing, and grading on BRAW, which is easily eaten by the mighty Resolve on a MacBook Pro. So for indie tasks, it’s more than enough. Nevertheless, high-budget projects would probably choose other tools for the job. For instance, the Pocket Cinema Cameras are not Netflix Approved (yet). But again, for independent filmmakers, these cameras may deliver the most beautiful imagery at that price point. See for yourself —Have a look at the “with BMW” movie series below:
Product List
Here’re the products mentioned in the article, and the links to purchase them from authorized dealers.
- Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve 17 Studio with Speed Editor
- Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Cameras
You should specify 2 things:
1.a camera shouldn’t be Netflix approved to be able to capture beautiful imaginary!
2. Netflix can easily stream a video shot on smartphone if they like it! “Netflix approved” is for internal productions only!