Cinema Raw

CHAPTER 5

Looking sharp

In the Field with Blackmagic’s Digital Cinema Camera

BIRTH OF A NEW CAMERA

John Brawley sits on a park bench across the street from production trucks and picnic tables. It’s lunchtime after a morning shoot of an episode of the Australian series, Offspring, on location in the old movie theater, Westgarth Cinema, in a Melbourne neighborhood (see Figure 5.1). Headquarters of Blackmagic Design is less than 30 minutes away. Brawley, long graying hair and a seemingly permanently engraved five o’clock shadow, runs a relaxed crew on set. At his disposal are a pair of RED cameras and Angenieux cinema lenses, as well as a Blackmagic Cinema Camera—the first low-budget raw camera. He uses it as third camera and a primary camera ...