Z CAM strikes again. The super affordable cinema camera was utilized (once again) in a mega-budget Hollywood movie, Meg 2: The Trench. Z CAM E2-F6 full-frame boxy camera was attached to an FPV drone for the intense aerial shots in the movie. That’s in continuation to its previous role as a crash cam in Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning.

Meg 2: The Trench (Shark 2)

Meg 2: The Trench (titled Shark 2 in some territories) is a mega-budget 2023 science fiction action film directed by Ben Wheatley from a screenplay, and stars Jason Statham, Wu Jing, Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Skyler Samuels, and Cliff Curtis. Like the previous film, it follows a group of scientists who must outrun and outswim the titular Megalodons when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival. Meg 2: The Trench had its world premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival on June 2023, and was released in the United States on August 4, 2023, by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film has grossed $262 million worldwide. Check out the trailer below:

Shot on Z CAM for the FPV aerials

The film was shot by cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos (Belfast) on various cinema cameras. One of the cameras that was responsible for the FPV (First Person View) aerial shots is the Z CAM E2-F6. Why is it a big deal? Because this camera costs only $3,000 as compared to other cameras used on that scale which cost 20 times more. Furthermore, it seems that the Z CAM E2-F6 is the new Hollywood star, as it was heavily utilized in Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning, not just as a crash cam (do you remember the train scene?), but as a B cam together with the top-tier cameras aimed for IMAX productions. And after watching MI7, the Z CAM did great on an IMAX screen.

Low-cost cameras on mega-budget Hollywood projects

It seems to be a hot trend, that affordable but very capable cinema cameras are being utilized on mega-budget Hollywood production, especially aiming for IMAX presentation. The most talked-about example is The Creator which was shot on the Sony FX3 (without any involvement of the ARRI ALEXA 65). It appears that acclaimed DPs have got to the conclusion that you don’t need the most expensive camera in order to professionally create and present a great story, even on an IMAX screen. Do you agree with this thesis?

We’d like to thank cinematographer Lee Thomas for sharing this intriguing fact with us. Explore his IG here.