BY BRETT MOSS
Rob Hardy, BSC, ASC, a British cinematographer known for his work on “Mission Impossible: Fallout” and “Ex Machina,” shot on the Sony F65 and F55, and “DEVS,” shot on the VENICE, recently had the chance to try the new VENICE 2, creating a short film as a real-world test for how he would use the camera on an actual project.
Hardy recently used the new Sony VENICE 2 digital cinema camera for something of a trial by fire, with a short project, entitled “Venezia,” that would mimic many of the challenges of a complicated digital video shoot.
Hardy explaina: “What we’re doing is putting it through its paces on a set using actors with a piece of drama with all of the issues and problems that may come with that. In other words, time pressures, having to move quite quickly in terms of lighting those things. I really wanted to see how the camera would perform in that context because that’s essentially how I would use it.”
He said, “The opportunity to use VENICE 2 is actually a really fantastic one because it’s a real test. I mean, that’s essentially what this is. We’ve designed [this shoot] so that we’re effectively testing this camera for the very first time in a real filmmaking scenario.”
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Hardy’s “Venezia” is a lush period piece he created to leverage and showcase the camera’s wide dynamic range, color science, and natural skin tones inherited from the original VENICE, and even better low-light performance as values for dual base ISO have bumped up to 800 and 3200.
SonyCine provides basic information on the camera’s features and specs ⸺ 8.6k image sensor, improved ISO — while also illustrating better battery power management and a lighter overall package than its predecessor, the VENICE.
He adds: “This is the first time I’ve ever used that large 8.6K sensor, and we were lucky enough to get some anamorphic lenses, for the full cinematic effect, that will really utilize that whole sensor. As a result, it was quite astonishing.”
Also quoted in the piece is Peter Wignall, Steadicam operator on “Venezia,” who said that the camera was light enough to use with a Steadicam rig.
We’re effectively testing this camera for the very first time in a real filmmaking scenario.
Rob Hardy
Seconding that is Chris Williams of drone operator Flying Pictures, who also noted the camera’s skimpy battery appetite. “I was expecting to be changing [batteries] between each flight but no, we’ve done two flights and I’ve still got 50% left on the [drone’s] batteries, which are powering the gimbal, the camera, the video link and the lens control as well. It’s a much more compact package within the gimbal.”
He adds, “The new VENICE 2 makes flying it on a drone possible. It’s going to last forever in the air.”
Read more about “Venezia” by Rob Hardy, BSC, ASC – Shot on Venice 2,” which also includes several related videos along with a demo of footage shot.
More VENICE camera tests, from Robert McLachlan, ASC, CSC, and Claudio Miranda, ASC, are below: