International. Director, editor, colorist and post-production supervisor Alex Ferrari used URSA Mini Pro digital film cameras alongside the DaVinci Resolve Studio program to shoot, edit, edit, edit and finalize the web series The S.P.A.A.C.E Program.
Also known as The Scientific Pop and Also Cultural Explorations Program, this new installment of Nerdist and Legendary Digital Networks is available on the Alpha platform and consists of eight episodes in which science and pop culture are mixed in different fictional kingdoms and planets, such as Tatooine, Krypton, Arrakis and Westeros, examining them from a scientific approach.
Host Kyle Hill and his assistant, the ai robot, visit a different place in each episode and address various questions, for example, what it is like to live on a planet with two suns, or what are the essential characteristics of a White Walker.
Ferrari shot the series with two URSA Mini Pro cameras. "We had only four days to shoot all eight episodes, so filming was done at a breakneck pace. We decided to use the URSA Mini Pro model because we knew it was reliable and would give us the possibility to achieve the cinematic look we were looking for. In addition, just take the unit out of the box and it is ready to start rolling. The menus and operating system are intuitive and easy to use, saving time. On the other hand, it was extremely useful to have the timecode on the side of the camera. Reliability in equipment is rare, so being able to rely on this model during the most demanding times made a significant difference."
Ferrari added: "We shot everything on a stage that simulated the interior of a spaceship, with the cockpit, the hallway and the combat room. The windows were green, and we created the outer space and fictional worlds during post-production. It was vitally important to be able to achieve a perfect image composition, and the camera sensor made that task easier. We shot the series in ProRes 4.6K format, which gave us greater flexibility when it came to editing."
In turn, the DaVinci Resolve Studio program was used not only by the digital imaging technician during recording, but also by Ferrari to edit the material, retread it and put the finishing touches.
"DaVinci Resolve Studio allowed us to organize and synchronize everything in real time. When filming was over, we exported the content and started editing immediately. By using a single system, I was able to perform the assembly of the series in the original resolution without the need to convert the material. The fact of using a single platform gave us the possibility to save a lot of time, avoiding having to export files and then import them again," Ferrari said.
In editing the series, Ferrari was inspired by the kingdoms and planets that Hill and AI visited. "We wanted to achieve a coherence between the episodes, but also that each one reflected the specific place where it was developed. For example, the chapter on LV-426 has a cooler and not so saturated appearance. In the case of the episode where the Borg appears, I resorted to a general greenish hue, while in the Dragon Ball Z episode I used a warm palette for King Kai's planet. Each place has a certain appearance, and in this way I was able to pay homage to that link," Ferrari concluded.
