Going down to Rio…
We’ve just finished a shoot in Brazil for BP, working with the extremely talented Toa Stappard, who managed to keep focused – in every sense – despite the many distractions of Ipanema beach.
Shooting on Canon 5D brought some challenges – as ever, but these far outweighed by the benefits of this fantastic camera. For a start, the complete kit could be flown as hand luggage (despite some animated discussion with security about the security threat posed by a tripod). It wasn’t very long ago that 12 or 15 massive flight cases of checked baggage was the norm.
But there are creative, as well as practical benefits. Getting informal shots on the streets of Rio at night would have been quite impossible with a conventional camera, according to our Brazilian fixer. Standing outside a bar in downtown Leblon with a Digibeta kit would have had us, at best arrested, at worst, shot. With the 5D we succeeded in looking like lost tourists – and got some excellent footage as a result.
The new C300 from Canon looks really interesting (combining the picture quality and lens options of the 5D with a ‘proper’ video camera) but I’m convinced the 5D will still have a really important role for shoots where portability and low profile are important.
Ipanema beach huh? It’s a hard old life. I remember taking 44 flight cases to Dagestan once (remember super 16mm). Send my regards to Toa.
Dagestan? That’s nothing. I once did a shoot in Bracknell.