5299 the miracle stock?

[Nathan D. Lee]

So I just read the March issue of American Cinematographer and was blown out of the water by Gordon Lonsdales use of 5299 on the TV show Bones.

 

According to Kodak the Stock is rated between 320 and 500ASA. Yet Lonsdale uses it between 320 and 1000ASA and occasionally pushes it to 2000ASA.

With the exception of pushing the film to 2000 he claims you can re-rate within the same roll and do little more than shooting a new chart!

 

"Bones is the first show I have ever set my meter to 2000 ASA" (Pg 55)

 

According to Kodak you "must be used with the KODAK VISION2 HD Digital Processor."

yet:

"When Lonsdale ran his emulsion tests through the digital processor, he didn't care for the results. Ultimately he and Level 3 dailies colorist Rick Smith decided to transfer the film at 1080p 24fps on a Spirit and and grade with a da Vinci 2K. In that respect 5299 'is no different than any other film stock'." (57)

 

the article further talks about them shooting a scene in a LA restaurant at night at 2000ASA and lens at a T2!

 

then an interesting last quote: "If you don't transfer at exposure and clip out the windows and highlights when necessary 5299 will turn into a noisy, grainy stock in the final color."

 

This all seems like craziness! I need to watch more bones with this in mind.

 

Apparently Desperate Housewife's shoots the same stock but i think they rate it at 500ASA.

 

Whats the deal here? Why isn't more TV shooting on it if all this is true?

 

 

Nathan