Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/860302
www.postmagazine.com 22 POST AUGUST 2017 is why I chose the Ursa Mini Pro. The camera's 15 stops of dynamic range really shine in grayscale, and you need that wide gamma of dynamic range when you are into deep shadows and blacks through to over-ex- posed edges, which roll off very film-like with the Ursa Mini Pro." Burberry also noted that the Ursa Mini Pro's tac- tile controls helped him change settings and check looks without missing a beat. "We jumped around from 23.98fps to 60fps, and having that high frame rate button right on the outside of the camera was super handy," he explains. "I also looked at RAW and LOG a lot, using grayscale and false color to check exposure. I assigned RAW to function one (F1) and false color to function two (F2), and could easily switch between the looks with the press of a button. I love that the function buttons are customizable." "I used the Ursa Mini 4.6K on several occasions, but this was my first experience with the Ursa Mini Pro, and the design and control upgrades are fantastic," says James. "I enjoy the filmic nature of all Blackmagic Design's cameras and how simpli- fied the workflow crossover is from production to post. Since we shot the video in high-contrast black & white, the camera allowed us to get those rich blacks while maintaining plenty of detail within the camera's dynamic range to control our final product." In post, Burberry used DaVinci Resolve Studio and the DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel to enhance the theme. "The video starts out with a clean look, and as the story is told, the artists' hair gets messier and they're screaming and crying. By the end, they look terrible in a very beautiful way," he says. "I started off less contrasty and open in the midtones, and as the song intensified, I decreased the midtone detail just to soften everything up. I then increased contrast and darkened up the mid- tone details, as well as pushed the highlights hard. Increased midtone detail also brought out the texture of the skin thanks to the detail captured with the Ursa Mini Pro. "We really pushed the image, but it still stayed beautiful and clean, and DaVinci Resolve Studio's exceptional tracker came in handy. It's easy to move, change size, softness and curve; its power is incred- ible," Burberry says. "On top of that, the DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel made it so easy to add nodes, save and recall stills, move back and forth in frames, build Power Windows and more." James, who also edited the video on Adobe Premiere, wanted to maintain a smooth edit that allowed the emotion naturally build throughout the song. "I didn't want to over cut unless there was a dramatic moment happening within the performance itself," he says. "The song has a lot of rhythm, so it was tricky to slow down and let the performance drive the edit, but I feel that I struck a nice balance. Ben Montez was the VFX/online editor on the project. "Grant had the idea to intercut the straight 'black void' performances with shots inside of a vintage television set," he says. "Since Grant cut in Premiere, we decided to stay in the Adobe family for VFX and work with After Effects. Before we even addressed the TV set, Grant and I established the vintage look by modifying the performance footage; I used overlays of grain while decreasing the sharpness of the footage to date it back a few decades, then added some animated displacement maps to create the distorted warp effects that ap- pear later in the video." Montez says he then pre-composed each shot before turning to the TV itself. "The first shot in the video was the most difficult, since it's a dolly-in on an angled television set with a rounded, bulging screen. However, After Effects' 3D Tracker did won- ders to track the movement, which I applied to a mask that I had manually created with the pen tool. Since Blackmagic Design's Ursa Mini Pro shoots really clean Ultra HD, I was able to blow up the foot- age a fair amount in order to create that mask with precision. From there, it was as simple as plugging in our pre-composed shots, shifting the angle to match the TVs and applying a bulge to the middle of the shots." — By Linda Romanello JAY-Z: BAM Jay-Z's latest release is part music video, part documentary film. Bam takes the artist to Jamaica, where he explores the neighborhood known as the birthplace of late reggae legend Bob Marley. Directed by Iconoclast's Rohan Blair-Mangot, the 6:12 project was edited by Cut+Run's Sam Ostrove. Damian Marley accompanies Jay-Z as he explores the Jamaican neighborhood. Around them, kids play soccer in the yard, people take refuge from the waning heat at sunset, and music pulses in dance halls and worn courtyards. Captivating scenes are intercut with studio performances by Jay-Z, Marley and Sister Nancy. The title of the short, Bam, is a nod to Sister Nancy's popular song "Bam Bam," which is sampled and discussed in the film. Bam debuted on Tidal as part of Jay-Z's new project 4:44, the artist's 13th solo album, which includes a series of music videos and short films. According to Cut+Run's Ostrove, the video was shot on Arri Alexa and was edited using an Avid system. Ostrove was provided with music stems so he could weave individual instruments and vocals in and out of the story as it evolves. PUSSY RIOT: STRAIGHT OUTTA VAGINA Moscow's Pussy Riot garnered headlines — and even jail time — for their provocative performances in the past. The female band's latest music video, Straight Outta Vagina, may likely do the same. Produced by Matthew McCluggage and directed by Phillip R. Lopez, the project was shot in one 12- hour day at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in downtown Jay-Z's latest release, Bam, is part music video and part documentary film. Jay-Z's Bam was shot on Arri Alexa and cut on Avid.