Panavision’s Engineering team has begun working on an ergonomically configurable Directors Finder optimized for large format and smartphones, tells Michael Cioni from frame.io. The goal is to combine iPhone technology with frame.io, so directors can upload and share their concept shots with the rest of the crew.

Apple and Panavision

We heard the words Apple and RED in various contexts. However, we haven’t heard the words Apple and Panavision, yet. Nevertheless, Panavision reminds RED Digital Cinema as a high-end cinema technology manufacturer, when it comes to breaking boundaries and not being afraid to try new things. Michael Cioni, a former VP at Panavision and now VP at frame.io posted his vision regarding utilizing iPhone and Panavision technologies in professional production. The idea is pretty simple. The movie director will be able to use a dedicated finder attached to an iPhone, with Panavision glass. Then the director will be able to use the Filmic Pro app to shoot concept shots and upload them to the cloud via the frame.io framework, and then share these shots with the crew. 

Filmic Pro and frame.io: Smartphones and C2C technology

This is what Cioni has to say about the implementation of this new tech combination: “Prior to launching frame.io Camera to Cloud, one of our goals was to bring C2C technology to smartphones so the widest array of creatives could shoot to the cloud. We began a partnership with the talented and visionary team at Filmic App, to make ‘Smartphone Cinema’ real. They delivered. But in order to push this idea to its limits, several technologies came together. First, Apple created iPhone 13 Pro (the Max model is preferred) which now captures 4K ProRes (HQ). Coupled with Filmic Pro, instant dailies are created from ProRes files right in the camera after you cut and automatically uploaded them into Frame.io. Automated 4K ProRes dailies from a phone to 1080 proxies for editing!”. 

Inventing a new Directors Finder

Cioni continues: “To push this tech even further, I met with Panavision CEO Kimberly Snyds to brainstorm how Panavision’s innovative ideas could contribute to the vision. Panavision makes the best cinema technology and Phones and Directors Finders are common tools for their customers. So the idea we had was to experiment with the combination of a Director’s Finder with Filmic Pro so DPs can record their concept shots and automatically publish to Frame.io for their team to see”.

Real-world testing

According to Cioni, cinematographer Alissa Rooney has begun experimenting with the technology and learning how far we can push the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Cioni emphasizes that: These tests were not just purely image tests, but heat, recording, transmission, power, aliasing, compression, and color tests to ensure a reliable workflow was possible”. Thus, Panavision’s Engineering team has started work on an ergonomically configurable Finder optimized for large formats and smartphones. For several months, Alissa shot hundreds of tests, using custom LUTs for the cinematic look, and shared feedback with Panavision and Filmic, and Frame.io to optimize the system. One crew member said, “It looks like large format Super16mm.” Cioni concludes by mentioning: “This is not the future of cinematography, but I do believe it points to something we haven’t seen before”.

Final thoughts

A Directors Finder is a crucial tool in a professional movie set. Directors use it all the time, in order to meticulously design the correct shot for the story. Furthermore, smartphones are also been heavily utilized on movie sets. Hence, it’s rather logical to combine those tools together, based on an advanced framework and technology (Panavision glass, frame.io, and Filmic App). That will allow the director to share his vision with the crew, in a much more accurate, and cinematic way.

Post Game Questions

1. What do you think about using smartphones in a professional cinema production?
2. Is it practical to share the concept shots via Camera to Cloud framework, during the pressure of a movie set?
3. What’s your opinion about Director Finder made of iPhone Pro Max and Panavision lens?

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