rush (2013)

Feature Film

Our Role
Main Unit onset DIT and Equipment Services 

Directed by
Ron Howard

Cinematography by
Anthony Dod Mantle

Shooting Format
Arri Alexa Studio, XT - Arri Raw
Canon C300 - H264
Indiecam - cDNG
GoPro - H264

Experience
This shoot was split into 2 parts, a drama section and a Race unit section. Principle photography took place in the UK with a 7 week section in Germany.

Anthony Dod Mantle selected the Arri Alexa Studio as his A Camera. This digital camera with an optical viewfinder gave the camera operator a more traditional film camera look through compared with a digital viewfinder. The B camera was an Arri Alexa XT which also was utilised on Steadicam. Both Alexa captured Arri Raw. Other camera formats used were the C300 and Indiecam POV cameras. 

All camera live video signals were passed through Digital Imaging Technician Dan Carlings colour and exposure management workstation enabling live image QC at all times. When using the Indiecam POV cameras Dan Carling would take only his waveform monitor to the camera to set an exposure from the debayered RAW image, trying to carefully exposure these cameras protecting the highlights due to the cameras reduced dynamic range in comparison to the Arri Alexa. Often with bright skies in the background meant lots of neutral density (ND) filters had to be used to protect these highlights. 

Due to the large volume of data generated from shooting so many formats all camera backups were performed by the Farbkult and Cinepost in a near set digital lab that followed the crew from location to location. Dailies rushes could be screened in the near set projector room always close to the set at unit base.

A magnificent shoot to be part of and the first to use the entire alphabet for camera IDs.