NEWPORT BEACH, CA — FilmEd Academy of the Arts (www.cinematicarts.org), which provides production services and filmmaking training to high schools throughout Orange County, recently added 18 Panasonic VariCam 35 4K camera/recorders to its inventory. FilmEd provides equipment to secondary schools to produce institutional broadcasts and cover school events. The organization also develops curricula for advanced media students, mentors film school applicants and provides core movie-making instruction in a series of two-week summer workshops for high school students.
Previously, FilmEd students worked with Panasonic AG-HPX500 P2 HD and AG-HVX200 P2 HD camcorders for shoulder-mount and hand-held instruction. The Academy’s executive director David Junker went to the NAB convention earlier this year seeking an HVX200 replacement, and was impressed with the new VariCam 35's low-light capabilities.
“We were so impressed with the VariCam 35's dual native 800/5000 ISOs, and have worked with Panasonic for so long, that I began to envision the 4K camera as a switch-out for the HPX500s,” Junker recalls. By working with AbelCine on a HD by 35 adapter, FilmEd found a way to re-use its B4 lenses on a PL mount and consequently lower the cost of entry to the VariCam 35s, which were purchased from VMI, Inc.
“The VariCam 35 is so ergonomic, requiring only minimal rigging, that we can use it as a documentary camera, but the Super35 image quality and depth of field give us unprecedented cinematic options,” he says.
FilmEd rolled out the VariCam 35 at its summer workshops, which have just concluded. Beginning students shot in 1920x1080 ProRes HQ while the advanced students shot exclusively in 4K, 12-bit 4:4:4 and 4:2:2 LT. All students used the VariCam 35 on four test projects, encompassing the production of a PSA, spot feature, music video and short silent film. Editing was done in Adobe Premiere.