Genesis on TV

[Michael Nash]

I read somewhere that ABC's Night Stalker is shot with the Panavision Genesis system, just wish I could remember where I read it! Anyway, it's a show that's on the air right now (tonight, Thursdays 9/8C).

 

Watching ABC's Invasion last night I noticed that it had an odd, clean look to it, with some video-ish highlights here and there. Very good looking overall though. I was wondering if anyone knows what format this show is produced on. The end credits show Panavision cameras and lenses, and HD lab services. I don't know if that means shot on film and posted on HD, or if the show is captured with the Genesis.

 

Anyone have any production knowledge on this show?

[Stas Tagios]

I read somewhere that ABC's Night Stalker is shot with the Panavision Genesis system, just wish I could remember where I read it! Anyway, it's a show that's on the air right now (tonight, Thursdays 9/8C).

 

Watching ABC's Invasion last night I noticed that it had an odd, clean look to it, with some video-ish highlights here and there. Very good looking overall though. I was wondering if anyone knows what format this show is produced on. The end credits show Panavision cameras and lenses, and HD lab services. I don't know if that means shot on film and posted on HD, or if the show is captured with the Genesis.

 

Anyone have any production knowledge on this show?

 

Check out this link for an article on the shooting of the "Night Stalker" pilot:

 

http://www.studiodaily.com/filmandvideo/te...oting/4514.html

 

They had the Genesis for only 48 hours before it was shipped off to the "Superman Returns" set. 60% of the pilot was shot with the F900. They mention that the rest of the season was to be shot with the Genesis, though I'm surprised it is, since to me, the show has a kind of obvious and not particularly pretty HD video look, not at all what I expected the Genesis (and very different from the much more "filmic" footage I've seen of "Superman Returns", though the different lighting and shooting styles for "Nightstalker" and "Superman" obviously have a great deal to do with this).

 

Don't know what "Invasion" is shot on.

[Lionel Pina]

Just worked on Dick Wolf's new show "Conviction", they use the Panavision Genesis. There was at least one scene shot where there was so little light used, I don't believe you would have gotten much of an image on film. Results from the Panavision Genesis set up are pretty impressive to me. I had screened the first/pilot episode on a large screen TV and didn't realize that I was viewing HD, until I got to the set.

[Michael Nash]

I had screened the first/pilot episode on a large screen TV and didn't realize that I was viewing HD, until I got to the set.

 

Are you certain the pilot episode was shot on HD? It's not uncommon to change techniques after the pilot once the show gets picked up. I've only seen the pilot so far and no subsequent episodes.

 

In any case, I thought it looked great. I've always liked Ernest Holzman's lighting.

[Tenolian Bell]

There was at least one scene shot where there was so little light used, I don't believe you would have gotten much of an image on film.

 

If the scene was low lit for mood or tone you would have gotten an image on film. The major difference in underexposure is that you will see significant amounts of grain on film before you see significant amounts of noise on video.

 

You would have to have extremely little to no light before you would get no image on film.

 

In any case, I thought it looked great. I've always liked Ernest Holzman's lighting

 

I've been to the Law&Order set many times. Mostly watching Constantine Makris light.

 

The first time I met him they had just recieved a new Panaflex Millinium he was complaining about how the camera keeps going down. He said something like "the more computer crap they put in these cameras the more complicated they become. Back in my day they were more simple and just worked. "

 

Anyway the lighting style of Law&Order seemed pretty simple and efficient. I'm sure that helps speed the shooting pace.

 

One scene that stood out to me in the pilot of Conviction. The scene where the new young DA has come into the office. A warm hard shaft of light from the other side of the building into the office as he speaks with a senior DA. The senior DA is sitting at is desk putting on his shirt. Over the DA's shoulder is a window overlooking New York.

 

Inside the office the sun is low to horizon shooting hard shafts of light through the building. While outside the window it is clearly over cast and gray. Normally outside a window in New York on a sunny day you would see warm sunlight illuminating the tops of taller buildings, taller buildings casting shadows on shorter buildings.

 

In this scene you could see warm sunlight in the office while looking out of the window you clearly see an overcast gray skyline. I thought it was an odd choice.