Production on the series' first 13 episodes is wrapping up
this month. The pilot was shot using a Sony F900 CineAlta camera, though
director of photography Geary McLeod notes that an Arri 3 film camera was used
to handle off-speed work. Production then moved to a pair of Panasonic AJ-HDC27
VariCam HD Cinema cameras, rented from Hollywood's Clairmont Camera, which
accommodated the variable speed capture requirements and also provided
preferable treatment of skin tones, he notes.
"We've shot off-speed for pretty much every episode," notes McLeod.
"Customarily, we shoot at 60fps, so post can do whatever it wants in terms of
speed. But [digital imaging technician] Ethan Phillips has done some in-camera
ramping, allowing the director to ramp up and down on cue for specific
Steadicam work."
According to Dirt associate producer Joe DeOliveira, the
production provides select print dailies and a data DVD with sound to Modern
Video. The dailies are upconverted to 1080/24p and mastered on Panasonic D-5
HD. Tape-to-tape color correction is done on a da Vinci 2K system with Kim
Schneider serving as the colorist.
"The VariCam footage looks beautiful," says DeOliveira. "The
camera has given us utmost flexibility with speed changes, and the ability to
tweak the shutter angles lets us make shots on the spot."