TECHNOLOGY WIRE
Fujinon HD lenses capture Gwen Stefani Concert for DVD
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Mar 24, 2008 - 10:36:58 AM

Fujinon HD lenses captured a recent concert by pop star Gwen Stefani in Stockton, California for a DVD release of the artist’s live performances during her “Sweet Escape Tour.” Los Angeles-based Oil Factory, Inc. produced the show and hired Burbank, California-based Big Vision Studios to supply the equipment used to shoot concert footage from the Stockton Arena. Fujinon lenses were also used to shoot a concert performance by Stefani in San Diego.

A Fujinon E Series HAe10X10 Super Cine-Style lens mounted on a Sony F23 camera was deployed for the shoot. The F23 was positioned on a 50-foot Technocrane unit that extended over the crowd and above the stage. The camera was operated via remote control, and images from that camera position were recorded directly into a Sony SRW1 deck.

Fujinon’s HA13X4.5BERM Super Wide Angle ENG/EFP HD lens with 2X range extender and the HA42x9.7BERD HD ENG-Style lens were also used during the concert. In addition to the Sony F23, nine Sony F900 cameras recorded the performance from various positions within the Stockton Arena.

DP Steve Chivers, who worked with Oil Factory during the Gwen Stefani concert, said he appreciated the long focal length, coupled with a built-in image stabilizer, offered on the HA42x9.7BERD HD lens: “We got a great close ups of Gwen from about 400 feet or more away. Having such a long lens within a video configuration is pretty unique, and this lens delivered a beautiful shot.”

According to Big Vision owner Chuck Haifley, Fujinon lenses provided the filmic look Oil Factory producers and directors were looking for in this production. “In my experience, the use of film cameras in a concert scenario can make the production much more complicated and expensive,” explained Haifley. “In this case, we had the ability to combine an HD camera with a lens that adds a film-quality look, so we could achieve this with a simplified equipment arrangement.”

Big Vision set up what they call an “air pack” to be used during the concert. The air pack consisted of an Evertz VIP video signal monitoring and display module and a 50-inch flat screen that displayed the shots from the nine F900s and the F23. At the event, a line-cut version of the show was created. Line-cut editing refers to the edited version that takes place as technical director switches from various camera angles as the performance is ocurring. That version and the isolated recordings from each camera were combined to create the live concert DVD.

Haifley said that sometimes the set up time for film and television productions can be a matter of days, and streamlined equipment set up is essential: “We got our go-ahead for this last show on a Friday night at midnight and had to be at the concert the following Tuesday. Compared to a traditional film set up, I had fewer elements to gather. Being able to go with the Fujinon lenses and get the film look the producers wanted was key in this production.”