Multi camera setup for concert

[varun sud]

Hi

I have been asked to shoot a big concert with PL mount cameras. They have been doing it with a 12-15 broadcast camera setup. This time in addition they want to add cine style cameras for shallow dof and better latitude. My first preference is Arri Alexas

Anybody can share more insights into shooting a live 2-3hrs concert with super-35mm sensor cameras. I believe big concerts like Coldplay, Beyonce etc are shot with cameras like Alexa, Sony F55 and Panasonic Varicams. 

Any suggestions for lenses and workflow?

Thanks

 

Varun

Director of Photography 

Mumbai, India 

[Max Field]

..What's your budget?

[Phil Connolly]

I think the main issue is finding long enough super 35mm zooms. Most big arena concerts rely on a couple 84x or 100x zooms on 2/3" cams at the back of the room. You could look at getting a the  Canon CN-E 50-1000mm super 35mm zoom  for the rear positions,  but won't give you as tight a shot as on a 2/3" with similar focal length of course.

So you might have to bring some of the camera positions forward, and/or only use the rear place cameras for wider shots.

Or consider a mix - include a few 2/3" broadcast cams with zooms to get the range. I've spotted a lot of time it can be a mixure of cameras - e.g super 35 near the front to get the beauty shots and 2/3" for where you need the big zoom. The lighting at a concert is so dramatic - is easier to match different types of cameras, since the lighting is changing all the time - its harder to spot the quality diff between cameras if your careful:

I was at the above gig and spotted at mix of 2/3" broadcast cams, RED Ones and 2 Panavision Genisis 's, it would probably be easier to match cams now

The other advantage of 2/3" broadcast zooms is you can get stabalised ones. Panasonic do a 2/3" Varicam - so maybe match that way and do a full Panasonic or full Sony shoot.

Would you put servos on the Iris's? On traditional multi-cam the exposure is controlled centrally by a racks operator in the truck. You might want to replicate that.  Super 35mm cameras might have more latitude, but the dynamic range of concert lighting can be huge and you'd still need to co-ordinate iris shifts between cameras. Servos on the iris and a racks op is a little bit slicker then calling stops for the cam ops to ride on the fly.

One concert TV lighting director I know, when working with 2/3" cameras would put Lee Diffusion (Soft 1) on the back of the lenses. A little bit of diffusion helps make the lights bloom and glow. So it might be something you want to consider. The nice thing about putting a gel filter on the back of the lens is its doesn't need matt boxes and the filters are cheap - glass filters would be a notable cost on a 15 cam shoot

[varun sud]

Hi Phil

Thanks for your detailed reply. I think we will have to keep a mix of 2/3" and super 35mm cameras. The ones on the FOH can be on stabilized 100x zoom and the closer ones can be Super 35mm

We are trying to do full Sony or Panasonic by using Sony F55 or Panasonic Varicam as the super 35mm cameras. I think that will make things a lot seamless

I was reading that Arri Amira and Mini can be controlled by Sony RCP by using a DTS Fibre Camera Adaptor. This way a lot of multicam parameters can be controlled remotely. Any experience with those?

Are there any ENG style PL mount lenses that are good? Do they come with stabilization? I have attached an image from Amira's catalogue which seems like a ENG style Canon lens

If we don't get remote access, will definitely go for iris control through servo motor

Pls do share if you have any more insights into multicam with mix of broadcast and super 35mm cameras. Thanks a ton!!

Varun 

[Phil Connolly]

I've heard the Fuji Cabrio Eng lens series is good in Super 35 - but not quite the range of 2/3" zooms.

I've not used Amira's in multicam. I have tried the Black Magic Ursa minis in multi-cam, you can control a lot of the parameters remotely and they work nicely on smaller multi-cam shoots using the BM Atem Switcher.

Most of my live multi-cam experience is with 2/3" cameras.   

Is this for a live broadcast or will it have post production? Its a lot easier if you record ISO's and grade the footage afterwards.