Japan's Popular dTV Video Streaming Service Uses URSA Mini 4.6K to Shoot Movie for New VR App
Fremont, CA - August 10, 2017 - Blackmagic Design announced today that dTV, one of the most popular Japanese online video streaming services, used Blackmagic URSA Mini 4.6K PL to shoot a movie for the dTV VR, their streaming app for VR content. Tsutomu Umezawa from Tokyo’s D-CORD shot the movie and post production was done at Tokyo’s POWER GRAPHIXX Inc.
dTV VR is a dedicated VR app which allows audiences to watch 360 degree video content via a smart phone with or without VR goggles. dTV recently renewed the app and created a new vertical video to be displayed when a viewer opens the app. The video includes models wearing VR goggles with minimum movement, almost like a photograph, all of which was shot with green screen backgrounds.
Tsutomu Umezawa, the video’s DP, who is also a still photographer, was tasked with creating a video that felt like advertising photography. “I shot models wearing the VR goggles on green screen and those goggles were decorated with flowers and plants. Since I was requested to make this video more like advertising photography, the movement of the models were limited. Yet I let the flower petals swirl around, which added some movements in the picture. Also, the final image’s background is slightly moving, so it gives the unique feeling of a still and moving image, like between a movie and photography.”
“I mounted Sony PL lenses to the URSA Mini Pro 4.6K, changing the lenses between 35mm, 50mm and 80mm. For some shots, I wanted to capture the image of flower petals dancing around, so I shot in high speed 90 fps, which allowed the image to give better atmosphere,” he said.
“All shots had to be composited with graphics, so I attended the shooting sessions and did camera tests together with the DP. Usually, composite shots are shot in RAW, however, we found that even ProRes images from this camera are good enough for keying, so we shot everything in ProRes. The benefit of ProRes recording was that I did not have to transcode at all for my entire work for this project, which made the workflow smooth and shortened my work time,” said Yoshiyuki Komatsu, from POWER GRAPHIXX.
Komatsu continued: “I changed the contrast of the footage a lot. What surprised me was that the ProRes footage still kept the detail of the models’ hair even after heavy color adjustment. I could not see any digital noise that should be expected for this kind of situation.”
“The advantage of URSA Mini is that you can capture the same quality image as so called high end cameras, but with a low cost. I can shoot a clean picture without grain. And the camera OS is very simple and easy to use. I also used the camera with Blackmagic’s URSA Mini Shoulder Kit and Vlock Battery Plate. With these simple accessories, I did not need anything else, no extra accessories, which was easy to handle during the shoot,” Umezawa concluded.
Press Photography
Product photos of the Blackmagic URSA Mini 4.6K, URSA Shoulder Kit, URSA Vlock Battery Plate and other Blackmagic products are available at www.blackmagicdesign.com/au/media/images. Story photos can be found here.
About Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com/au.
About New Magic Australia Pty Ltd (Australian and New Zealand Blackmagic Design master distributor)
New Magic Australia Pty Ltd is a recognised leader in the distribution and marketing of multimedia hardware and software, representing a carefully selected range of innovative, leading manufacturers and catering for both the professional and consumer markets. New Magic Australia established in 1993 is the Australian distributor of Blackmagic Design, Convergent Design, Hauppauge Computer Works Inc, Cubix and Matrox Video products. www.newmagic.com.au.
