Canada's Genlock Digital Imaging Leverages Leader's ZEN Series LV5350 12G Video Waveform Monitor

Clint Paglaro, one of Canada’s most experienced Digital Imaging Technicians, has joined the growing number of film and TV production facilities, postproduction houses, and broadcasters investing in Leader test instruments as master reference tools. Founder and operator of Genlock Digital Imaging, he recently chose an LV5350 waveform monitor for use alongside his LV5330.

“I’ve been in the industry for more than 20 years now,” he comments. “Over all this time, Leader has been the best and in my experience the only option for waveform monitors and vectorscopes. As 4K SDI imaging is now upon us, I chose the new and future-proof LV5350 for its 12G capabilities.

“Today I use Leader equipment in my work as a DIT. Most recently, I’ve been working on television series projects in Vancouver, BC. We shot three seasons of ‘Siren’ and recently started season two of the drama series ‘Motherland: Fort Salem’. My Leader LV5350 scope is able to handle the 4K 6G SDI signals coming off the Sony Venice cameras we are using.

“We currently use the LV5350 waveform monitor and LV5330 multi SDI test monitor, side by side on the DoP-DIT cart, to measure all aspects of camera exposure and color. These Leader systems are among the most important devices on set. The three features we use the most are waveform, vectorscope, and CINEZONE false color.

“The waveform is set up in a multicolored overlay with four color channels but I often keep it on multipage with the CINEZONE, waveform and vector on the same screen for general monitoring. We often go full-screen when doing precise readings but it is very useful to have an array of options for the monitor page layout. The screen capture function is also handy.

“I work closely with the DoP designing the look of each show before it hits the lab, and I help to get the colors and tones dialed in so that dailies are color-timed just right. The DoP and I set up light and color levels using the Leader devices on my DIT cart right off set, often in a dark tent. It helps us determine color temperature and light levels.

“We also use the Leader instruments to monitor the live color grading we do on set with the stand-ins, or second team, then fine-tune when the actors or first team are on camera. At every step in the filming process, our Leader products provide crucial information about all the cameras we are shooting with.

“When we send color-timed footage to editorial, the DoP and final colorists don’t have to worry about the broad strokes because the colors and tone are set from the get-go. Because they don’t have to work from scratch, they have more time to fine-tune images.

“Leader products play a vital role in helping bring the DoP’s vision to life. Even before I owned my own equipment, Leader devices were in all camera rental houses across North America. Their waveform monitors are the most precise, intricate and well thought out of all available devices on the market. When it was time to purchase my own, there was no doubt that I was buying Leader.”

Introduced at the April 2018 NAB Show, Leader’s ZEN Series LV5350 waveform monitor incorporates a wide range of production-related features such as PQ, HLG and SLOG3 HDR measurement; a CIE chroma chart for color space issues; focus assist; simultaneous SDR and HDR monitoring; customizable screen layout; a tally interface; and support for 4K/UHD, 12G and 6G-SDI. LV5350 can also be rack-mounted and operated on AC or DC power. Integral to the LV5350 are Leader’s intuitive CINEZONE and CINELITE features which are used by many Digital Image Technicians and Directors of Photography. The Focus Assist feature enables precise focus detection using a new algorithm optimized for high resolution images across a very wide range of image contrast levels. The LV5300 waveform monitor offers the same capabilities as the LV5350 but also includes an eye-pattern display with jitter measurements.