PBS's 'DESIGN:E2' SHOT ON VARICAM
Issue: Cameras - August 2006

PBS's 'DESIGN:E2' SHOT ON VARICAM

NEW YORK - Manhattan-based production company Kontentreal recently produced Design:e2 (the economies of being environmentally conscious), an original six-part PBS series that explores the vitality of the environment through eco-friendly architecture.  The series is narrated by Brad Pitt and was shot exclusively with Panasonic's AJ-HDC27 VariCam HD Cinema camera. The program is designed to introduce viewers to the inventive leaders and technologies driving sustainable practices worldwide in the design of buildings where we live, work and play. 

The studio also created the companion Website (www.design-e2.com), which features podcasts, as well as two :30 commercials for series underwriter Autodesk, Inc., all of which were shot with the VariCam camera. Kontentreal's Tad Fettig served as director and co-executive producer with Karena Albers. Rob Humphreys was the director of photography. 

"The concept of shooting Design:e2 in HD arose early in pre-production, as Tad and the producers wanted a widescreen, highly-polished look to accompany the heavier subject matter that the series set out to tackle," says DP Humphreys. "The idea was to make the issues palatable by staying away from didactic talking heads, and instead to overlay the interviews over a foundation of simple, yet poetic images.   "Even though I'm an experienced VariCam shooter, we felt obliged to look at everything on the market, from prosumer DV and HDV cameras to high-end HD 1080 24p cameras," notes Humphreys. "The series schedule was incredibly demanding - we had 60 interviews to shoot in multiple international cities in five countries over an eight-week period, along with extensive B-roll ranging from skyscraper roof tops to hiking the Great Wall in China. The budget allowed for a permanent crew of only two - Tad and me.   

"Given the budget restrictions and crew size, the first instinct was to look for lightweight options in the HDV range, but the available equipment had limited menu options and not enough resolution. HD cameras in the 1080p range offered the best resolution, but were quite costly and lacked the frame rate options we needed. The only camera that had the versatility of a film camera with HD resolution was the VariCam. That, along with a P+S Tecniks Pro 35 adapter, a set of tilt lenses, a 20:1 zoom and a 14mm prime lens, was going to allow us to shoot endlessly and achieve the filmic look we were after."  

Design:e2 was shot over eight weeks, starting in Chicago, then on to Stuttgart, Boston, New York City, Austin, Mexico, China and Singapore. The VariCam and lenses for the single-camera shoot were rented from Handheld Films in New York City.