International. Several Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro units attached to a V8 car were used in order to film the Shell V-Power race team's experience in the Supercars championship.
This event was exclusively created by the Traffik agency and gives those who attend the race day the euphoria of what it feels like to do a lap of the Phillip Island circuit with Anton de Pasquale at the wheel.
The production was carried out by Anthony Rose, one of Australia's leading directors and filmmakers, and included 12 Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro units mounted on different mounts placed on the vehicle. This offered viewers the fervor of being inside a V8 race car. The return to the track was recorded with the cameras strategically placed inside and outside the vehicle in order to create a highly real experience from inside a modified transport container, which has surround sound and 4D effects, in turn complemented by an exclusive aspect ratio of 32: 9.
Rose commented that they had different challenges during the project, and one of the main ones was to find cameras that could cope with speeds above 270 km/h. "After much talking and testing options, we chose the Blackmagic Design Pocket 6K Pro model for its rugged design and its compact and lightweight size. Then, we used the Blackmagic RAW format, which allowed the image to be cropped to take full advantage of the 32:9 wide aspect ratio," he explained.
At the time of recording, the cameras were mounted on the front, side and top of the V8 car, but the production team found that even having lightweight units and a custom stand had a significant effect when driving the vehicle. "As we found, mounting any type of camera outside the car and driving it at high speed drastically affects its handling, especially with a unit on the roof and another suspended on the tubular structure more than 1.8 meters on one side," Rose added.
Rose collaborated with the production team to create a custom stand, since the cameras could not be mounted to the vehicle only with suction cups, due to the speed and the fact that the chassis is made of flexible carbon fiber.
"My colleague Tim Dugan created a custom bracket that fits the tubular chassis structure and safety cage, and in turn provides a safe and firm mounting throughout the vehicle," Rose said. "With a limited number of laps and the driver securely restrained, after each lap, the film crew acted as the team in the pits to adjust the cameras as quickly as possible, so that the car would come back out instantly. Last-minute decisions had to be made about focus and exposure due to the changing light, and Blackmagic's units proved perfect to be able to achieve this."
"Since it has internal batteries and an integrated screen, this model made it easier to adjust the cameras without using cables or monitors," he added. "One trick I do with all Pocket 6K Pro cameras is to remove the battery cover so I can replace it quickly, especially when using stabilizers and mounts like this."
The Shell V-Power race team's experience will tour the various events across Australia during the season.
