Deep Sky Productions Invests in VariCam LT 4K Camera

Director/Director of Photography Frank Kraljic, a longtime Panasonic camera owner, recently invested in the VariCam LT 4K cinema camcorder to handle assignments ranging from corporate/industrial videos to documentaries and television series.

For the past decade, Kraljic has relied on the AG-HVX200 and AG-HPX250 P2 HD and AG-AF100 large-format camcorders to support the steady growth of his Arizona-based company, Deep Sky Productions.

“From the HVX200 onward, I’ve depended on the Panasonic camcorders’ filmic look and phenomenal image production, especially in handling skins tones and resolving color space,” says Kraljic. “I wanted my next camera to be capable of all that, plus 4K capture.”

“As an owner/operator, the LT represents a big investment for my company, but one I feel is more than justified by the longevity of the images that I can now create for my clients,” he adds.

Initial VariCam LT projects have included a documentary short for TGen (shot in 2K), a genomics research foundation, and anti-drug abuse reenactments as part of an educational program for the Arizona governor’s office (shot in 1080p). Kraljic will take the VariCam LT to Africa and continue acquisition on the documentary tentatively titled, “Behind Ebola/Marburg,” following virus hunters searching for the deadly disease in nature, and recently delivered a commercial for OdySea Aquarium shot internally at 2K, AVC-Intra 444 (see https://vimeo.com/191742710).  He said that the imager’s superb color gamut allowed for quick and expressive grading in Da Vinci Resolve.

Kraljic is also in pre-production on a 4K project commemorating the 90th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis flight across the Atlantic that he plans to shoot with the VariCam LT.

“The LT is rugged, lightweight and comfortable ergonomically—I’m very confident taking it into the field, which for me can mean jungles or mountain tops,” he says. “The camcorder’s dual native 800/5000 ISOs for extreme low-light shooting are a huge asset.”

“Ultimately, image quality is of foremost importance, and the LT’s exceptional performance in multiple formats, beginning with fantastic HD and extending through 2K/UHD/4K, assures me that I have a versatile and long-lasting acquisition tool,” Kraljic says.