InCinematographer - Issue 3 - 22

www.incinematographer.com | Issue 3

C700: Impressive Latitude,
Thoroughly Consistent
cont'd...

daylight, interior and exterior, and maxed out at
800 ASA at night for that time-lapse sequence when
I noticed the stars had a good exposure and sky
was a true black. Highlight detail is nice; roll off to
overexposure feels natural and clean respectful of
the look we have come to know with the C300 and
C500. Skin tones were spot on, and even offered a
natural organic quality, similar to that of the Canon
DSLR.
Full Range Encoding
As for post-production: the truth is technology on
the camera side is changing faster than most postproduction tools can be written to keep up. Keep in
mind that when shooting in the Canon Log XF-AVC
format, the video data utilizes full range encoding,
0-255 on an 8-bit scale, and not all NLE's recognize
that automatically as full range data.
Make sure your NLE software, be it DaVinci, Avid,
Final Cut, Premiere, or what have you, is set up
to access the full range that the C700 offers. As
updates continue and of course for any questions
regarding the NLE platform you are using, check in
with the Canon either on their support website or
by contacting their Support Facility, for excellent
professional guidance.
When on set for QC of dailies and review, Canon

offers their own software for viewing every
bit of metadata the camera has to offer,
aptly named XF Utility and available as a free
download on their website support page.
This utility offers option from location
notes input through the WFT-E6A (wireless
transmitter) and iPad interface, to frameby-frame tilt and roll readings captured
by the camera itself, and every bit of
information you would want can be seen
and documented. In addition, because of
that wealth of metadata, the software can
figure out the proper viewing LUT to apply
to your footage and allows you to export individual
frames for reference. Because so many filmmakers
have their own "magic LUT", having the ability to
see a technically accurate image builds a WYSWIG
confidence.
Overall the EOS C700 integrates into most
professional post-production workflow like a dream,
and the additional option of shooting various flavors
of ProRes assures a nice range of options for a
variety of productions.
(It's also important to note that Canon's Wide DR
gamma, probably one of the more popular curves for
quick turnaround broadcast clients, utilizes a 16-255
code value range.)

Rigorous testing regime

Right Stuff?
In closing the CanonC700 is sure to be a hit, the
fact that Canon has created a space to test, touch
and educate in Burbank, CA raises the opportunity
for more filmmakers to get their hands on it and
prove to themselves that the Canon C700 is the right
camera for their next project. Couple that with a
C100, C300, C500 of even a 1DS or 5D, a full set of
Canon Cine Zoom lenses and your production would
be well suited to tackle any location or shooting
situation with the confidence that image quality will
be incredible and thoroughly consistent.
www.usa.canon.com
www.dpmatlosz.com

Alchemy Post Sound Adds
Second Foley Stage
A

lchemy Post Sound, a specialist in
Foley sound for motion pictures
and television, has added a second Foley
stage to its facility in New York.
The new space is designed to
complement the company's original
Foley stage with a "live" sound
environment meant to enhance the
production of interior effects that can
benefit from natural ambiance. The new
stage will also enable Alchemy to boost
production, allowing two Foley teams to
work simultaneously.
"We needed to expand and to have
more flexibility with the sounds that
we create," explained Foley Artist and Company CoFounder Leslie Bloome. "This also allows us to keep
two teams working during normal business hours."
The new 1300-square-foot Foley stage has a
natural reverberation of 500ms of reverb delay.
That stands in contrast to the studio's original Foley
stage which has a traditional "dry" sound. The reverb
makes the new space ideal for recording interior
sound effects. A theatrical curtain was installed to
partition the space when the ambience needs to be
less.

specific... a wheelchair, drawing tools,
et cetera, and it was imperative that we
get them right," notes Foley Editor Ryan
Collison.
The stage's control room is fitted
with a C24 console running Avid Pro
Tools HD. Other key elements include
Neumann U87 and KMR 81 microphones
into Millennia microphone preamps and
an Apogee Symphony converter.
In addition to working on the stages,
Alchemy's crews often record Foley
on location. The company has regular
access to a 70-year-old private
residence, which it uses to record creaky
floors, staircases and other sounds. "We record Foley
in three, very different environments and that makes
us unique," says COO and Studio Manager Andrea
Bloome. "It gives us a lot of flexibility to deliver the
types of creative sounds that filmmakers want."
Recent credits for the company including the
upcoming features: Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far
on Foot; Radium Girls; and Good Time. Forthcoming
television series include: Berlin Station, The Sinner,
Master of None and Gypsy.
www.alchemypostsound.com

Leslie Bloome on Alchemy Post Sound Foley Stage Two

"The bounce in the room creates a beautiful
ambience and the existing floor allows us to recreate
the sound of concrete, linoleum and tiles," explains
Bloome. "It's virtually impossible to recreate that
ambience artificially." He adds that adjoining kitchen
and bathroom spaces are also utilized for recording
Foley in natural environments.
The new Foley stage was used extensively to
produce Foley effects He Won't Get Far on Foot, a
feature based on the life of quadriplegic cartoonist
John Callahan. "The props in the film are very

http://www.incinematographer.com https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/cameras/cinema-eos/eos-c700 http://www.usa.canon.com http://www.dpmatlosz.com http://www.alchemypostsound.com/ http://www.alchemypostsound.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of InCinematographer - Issue 3