August 2017 CREATION 19
MK cinema lenses cinematographer ’ s choice for documentary shoot
Upon accepting a project from Radiant Entertainment to shoot a major historical documentary that will take cinematographer Jim Frater over multiple continents over a six-month period , he made a key decision to use the new Fujifilm MK 18-55mm cinema lenses .
Frater explained : “ The main reason for choosing the new Fujinon ML lenses for this series was quite easy — their light weight and excellent functionality . We are spending six months overseas with a lot of flights to exotic destinations and long car rides .
“ With this in mind , I knew I needed a small , light zoom lens that wasn ’ t a still camera zoom lens . I also wanted a lens that could cover most of our demands without having to do a lot of lens changes . The
Branksome Hall Asia partners with KCTV to create private broadcasting channel
by jose zarate
On Jeju , South Korea , the Branksome Hall Asia ( BHA ) film department , in collaboration with Jeju ’ s KCTV , is creating a student-led cable channel .
Prior to that , a dedicated group of 20 students and I had created a weekly news and variety show . Called Branksome TV ( BTV ), it started from scratch as a vehicle to provide school bulletins and news , but just as the school has grown , so has the show .
Sueshin Moon , BTV ’ s first student director , stated : “ BTV is an academic and delightful show that represents BHA . As the first BTV director , I ’ ve noticed how BTV has grown in the past two years . BTV is unique because each segment is run by a group of students . We have both educational and entertaining segments , such as BHA Dialogue and Branksome Fun Facts that are targeted at the whole BHA community .”
new MK lenses fit the bill perfectly .”
Because speed was of the essence for Frater and B camera operator Ben Berkhous , the size of the MK lenses and weight , or lack thereof , saved them valuable time , while its 200-degree barrel rotation is “ just right of single-handed focus pulls ”.
Frater continued : “ It also has an in-built macro option and adjustable back focus . We are shooting with Sony FS 7 Mk II camera so the native E-mount is rock solid . The 18-55mm range is a great length and we are lucky that we are acquiring in 1080p , which means we can centre-crop our sensor and the MK lens covers most situations .”
Frater and Berkhous also used the Sony FS5 camera as backup and in tight shooting situations — cars ,
Since then , we have been in talks with KCTV , Jeju ’ s local news channel , and we now have the infrastructure in place to start a broadcasting channel . It will be called Branksome Network and will be broadcast on Channel 567 on the KCTV Jeju cable network .
This will create great learning opportunities in BHA ’ s after-school CASE ( Creativity , Action , Service & Enrichment ) programme . Under the programme , students produce segments , create their own moving titles using Adobe After Effects and edit their segments using Adobe Premiere .
Students such as BHA dialogue producer Linnea Bidder drive the content of the show . “ I help brainstorm ideas for segments , organise interviews , and film engaging and informative segments about the Branksome community ,” she said .
We also have a Film Academy group who will create short movies for the channel . Next year , DP Film small rooms and low-profile times — where the MK lens goes straight on so they can shoot for longer and have pictures matched .
Having previously worked
students will have the opportunity to broadcast their student films on the channel .
Currently in Phase 1 , we broadcast through an HD-SDI optical transmitter that sends the signal to KCTV . For now , our transmission is limited to 1080p , but we plan on upgrading to 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) within the year . As this collaboration grows , students will have the opportunity to intern and shadow KCTV producers and directors , as well as volunteer and help local communities with broadcasting at stations throughout Jeju .
This fall , we will move into Phase 2 , where we will be using a 12x12 Blackmagic Design Smart Video Hub . Blackmagic Design products are versatile and support many different formats . This will be important for scalability , as we will broadcast events such as assemblies , theatre productions , concerts , graduations and speaker series that take place in our audi torium . This is another great opportunity with Fujinon ENG lenses , Frater described the MK lenses as being “ very similar ” to what he was accustomed with .
“ The fact that they are para-
Jim Frater , ACS , took his Fujifilm MK 18-55mm cinema lenses to countries such as Uzbekistan , Georgia , Germany , Austria and the UK to shoot a historical documentary .
Branksome Hall Asia , a South Korean educational institution , is working with KCTV , a Jeju news channel , to produce a broadcasting channel that will air on Channel 567 of the KCTV Jeju cable network .
for students to learn about live broadcasting .
Under my supervision , BHA ’ s Control Room Academy will also broadcast live events .
Yehsom Jung , a G12 student , said : “ It is very exciting to be a part of live broadcasting . In the past , I had worked on live streaming events such as graduation and assemblies . Being involved in live focal and have the macro ability puts them streets ahead of what else is on the market at the moment ,” he said . “ I have yet to see anything that comes close . From the first time we mounted them to the camera and saw the results , the decision was made , it was that simple . The image is very pleasing , the lenses are versatile and light , and they also match quite well with the Sony G series 70-200mm we are also using .”
Frater concluded : “ I must also say that while the MK lenses are light , they are strong , well-made and robust .”
broadcasts will put more pressure on the Control Room Academy , but I think we will be able to overcome that pressure and help each other to make the best live broadcasting possible !”
Jose Zarate is DP Film at Branksome Hall Asia , an independent educational institution located in Seogwipo , Jeju Province , South Korea .