Robbie Robinson 10minute Feature Story

FEBRUARY

We were asked to produce a 10 minute feature story for the University of Georgia Law School. The film was to highlight the life and tell the story of Robert Robinson, a former UGA Law grad and NAACP attorney who’s life was cut short by mail bomb assassination. Robbie Robinson was an attorney and Alderman in Savannah in 1989. The film was to debut on Feb 28th which was 9 days from the shoot start. The UGA Law School has set up a yearly scholarship in Robbie Robinson’s name and this was the inaugural launch.

On the technical side, I knew I was going to shoot in 4k and decided to go small and bring out the Panasonic Lumix S1H with my Zeiss CZ 28 - 80 lens. The camera setup isn’t really that small with the CZ lens but it’s a cine zoom and it beats taking a bunch of primes. The other equipment like the charger and batteries are small which makes the run and gun a little easier too. I do have a AB Dionic on the 15mm rails but for now it’s only use it for balance. I find myself double rolling on everything, now that I have the Atomos NinjaV recorder monitor. For lighting I packed 2 Litepanel 1x1’s with cloth diffusers. I was set for Broll, interviews and whatever might come up.

 We had a lovely time with the family, got our interviews, shot some Broll and ate some seafood. Then we came back, I edited the film in FCPX. 

I was asked to take part in the awards ceremony to introduce the short piece I put together on Robbie Robinson. I kept my remarks short but I wanted to thank the UGA Law School, Mrs Ann Robinson and her daughter Alexis who showed us around Savannah. My remarks centered around the moment. I explained in every documentary there is a moment either off screen or own that makes it al worthwhile.  In this case it was when I was shooting exterior footage of the rowhouse that use to be the downtown office of Robbie Robinson. As I was shooting the residents came out and asked what I was doing. I explained and while I was explaining Mrs. Robinson walked up to them and introduced herself. They invited her in and she entered the the house for the first time since the assassination of her husband. That I explained entering was only part of the moment. The true moment to me was when Mrs. Robinson exited the building and said. It's so nice to see a place of such tragedy could now be filed with such love. The 10 minute piece played. There was laughter and tears during its screening but most important to me is that Mrs. Robinson loved it and felt I did justice to the memory of her husband. 

Shot on Panasonic s1h, Full frame, 400mb All- I. Posted on FCPX  in 4k

 Adventures with the Panasonic Lumix S1H

JANUARY

So gang, I just got back from DPing a feature film with the new Panasonic Lumix S1H. The production was an Indie, directed by the best selling author, Zane. It was shot in various locations in Atlanta, Georgia on a 16 day shoot schedule in January. The movie entitled, I Wish I Never Met You, is filled with plot twists and brings the drama. IMDB  www.imdb.com/title/tt11724384/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt

I recently added the S1H to my stable of cameras and thought it might shine in several low light situations with it’s dual ISO and it’s Netflix approval at 400mb. I ran with the S1H as A cam and the RED Scarlet as B cam when we used 2 camera set ups. Before the shoot I did several tests to learn how to match the cameras as close as possible. I’m pretty happy with the results. 

Why the S1H:

So what made me buy the S1H when I have been using larger body cine cameras? The truth is, I was looking at the Sony Venice and saw it in it’s Rialto mode which just a lens connected to a small housing and it had two handles and a monitor on top. It’s tethered to the body like the old Betacam 5’s. LOL. That shows my age but also it shows that there is more of a willingness to accept not traditional camera builds. Anyway, that setup reminded me of a DSLR with a cine lens. That image sent a message to me that it’s all about the sensor and maneuverability and if the sensor can cut it, I can get the Producers onboard. So I got to thinking that if the S1H could deliver the quality of it’s older brothers minus the SDI connections and a pure cine build, it could be a gem for Indie work. Of course it’s not 4:4:4 but it’s 4:2:2 really shines and a solid image is a solid image. To me if the camera is good enough to be the B cam and cut with all the big boys then why can’t it be the A camera? If you  remove the stigma of it’s body type, you’ll get a beast of a camera.  

My Setup:

The camera itself is solid and feels rugged and with the SmallRig cage I added, there was no doubts about it’s stability. My lens selection for for most of the shoot on the S1H was my go to lens, my Zeiss cine zoom CZ 28-80. For me cine zooms are the way to go. They quicken the pace of the shoot especially on indie films when you don’t have a large crew. Now don’t get me wrong, I love and use primes when I need additional speed but I come from the network news world and having the whole range on one lens at f2.8 allows me to set up and move faster. The Holland 400 sent wireless video to the video village. I double rolled rotating two 64 gb Sony Tough cards in the S1H and used an Atomos Ninjav as a 5 inch monitor and back up on camera. The camera was set to Full Frame All I at 400mb. At the end of the 15mm rods is a Dionic 90 to add weight to the rig to help with balancing the large Zeiss CZ lens. 

My Impressions:

The camera is worth the money. It might be labeled a hybrid but think cine all the way. How did it do under real life situations? Stress testing to me is shooting a16 day schedule with several 12 hour days, running indoor and outdoor setups and counting on every shot. I had no issues with the camera. No noise from the fan and no crazy glitches. The colors look fantastic! I shot in VLog and looked at the footage with Panasonic’s LUT package, Nicest 709. I did find myself using the camera’s shutter button to start and stop the camera instead of the red start buttons. It was just easier with my cage. One other thing I should mention is that the camera EVF is fantastic even though I never used it. I wish all EVF’s were that clean and sharp.  

Overall, my impression is the S1H is for serious filmmakers and DP’s. It gets my stamp of approval. I enjoyed shooting with it so much that I’m using it to shoot another Indie this Spring. Now, I’m not saying it replaces your Venice or LF but if your project can afford one of those cameras and its support system you’re most likely have a budget over 2 million. Me, I wouldn’t feel shy about using the S1H as an A camera for films and tv shows.

SELF QUARANTINED

Production starts March 15th 2021.

Feature. Genre: Thriller Location: Georgia, USA