Technicolor CineStyle & Zacuto EVF Review

Since the release of the Canon 5D Mk2 back in 2008 we've enjoyed the quality and look this camera brought. We used to shoot with a Sony EX-1 but have completely migrated to Canon 5D Mk2s and 7Ds. We have welcomed the change and fortunately so have our clients. They love the narrow depth of field and more cinematic feel of the image. But with all good things come the bad. The 5D Mk2 records in H.264 which is a highly compressed video codec. The other downfall is that the camera lacks some basic professional features such as peaking (highlights what is in focus) and zebra stripes (allows for gauging accurate exposure).

To our delight both issues have been addressed to varying degrees. First off the people at Technicolor collaborated with Canon to produce a "picture style" that allows the camera to pack more bits of info into that H.264 file and effectively increase dynamic range. It is great to see Canon willing to put continued effort into a camera that's  three years old. I won't go into detail about the Technicolor picture style or CineStyle as they call it, since there are very informative articles widely available on the internet already. But for us we have definitely found an improvement in quality after introducing the Technicolor Cinestyle into our workflow. There is more detail in the shadows and more flexibility in colour correcting without making a mess of the image. The greatest part is that it is free and available here.

In addition, you will need to apply an "S" curve to the image during post-production to bring it back to where it should be, as the image will be quite "flat". We use Magic Bullet's LUT Buddy to apply the curve in Final Cut Pro. You can find the LUT Buddy here.

However to achieve the results that CineStyle provides, while filming it makes the image extremely low contrast and flat. Unfortunately this could make a shot a mess to focus. Recently I was just on a shoot where I had to frame a woman's face from a three quarter angle. She didn't have alot of makeup, the lighting made her eyes lighter in colour, and I was on a Canon 135mm 2.0L at 2.8 (I had a depth of field of 1"). With CineStyle running on the camera it would have been super difficult to nail focus. There simply wasn't enough contrast on her face to confidently pull focus on her. I discovered this while viewing the image without peaking enabled on the new Zacuto EVF (electronic viewfinder)! I was shocked.

Here enters the other piece of an almost symbiotic relationship with CineStyle. Zacuto released an EVF that has a pristine screen that shows off an amazingly sharp image and brings those professional features that the 5D Mk2 has been lacking... zebras and peaking. I used peaking on the entire shoot, confidently pulling focus because I was able to clearly see her eye in the shot. A task a definitely could not have accomplished without the EVF. Life is easy now... well maybe easier. 

The EVF has buttons on the side where you can select a menu system or program quick select buttons so that you can select zebras and peaking right away without navigating a menu. The EVF has a wealth of other features as well, such as being able to view different frame lines, dual HDMI ports, false colour etc.

Another handy thing about the EVF is it's ability to assist in handheld shots. In one instance I had to be very light and portable, so I just had the camera with the EVF on a ball mount and ran around with it handheld. The EVF offered a third point of contact with my head and the whole form factor was Hasselblad style. It was quite stable and comfortable to use.

Again, i'm just briefly touching on CineStyle and the Zacuto EVF. You can find more detailed info on CineStyle here. And for the Zacuto EVF you can check out their website here. They have a series of videos that show off their product quite well. 

To tie off I just really wanted to share my experience with these two new innovations to our field. I think the combination of CineStyle and the Zacuto EVF is essential. The 5D Mk2 started as an amazing camera and three years down the road it is just getting better.

Stan

Forevergreen at Brick Works

With the summer starting to draw to a close - sorry to point out this depressing truth - we at Silverpoint decided it was high time that the entire team set off on a shoot-off. This time, two new members accompanied Keith, Stan, and Josh: Caroline and myself. We arrived on location, at Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto, at 8:30am and began scouting the area. Keith drew us all together and surprised us with the following rules:

1. We had from 9:30am to 12:00pm to shoot our footage

2. We were going to break for lunch and eat at the restaurant on location - which, by the way, was "off the charts" (as Keith would say)

3. When we got back to the studio around 2:30pm, we had until 5:00pm to compress, edit, and render out a final SDE of our footage

For those of us, like Stan and Josh, this was old news and they took on the challenge with smiles on their faces. Caroline and I, however, felt the stress level peak a lot more. Several amazing things struck me while I was at Brickworks. The first being that in a concrete jungle such as Toronto, there are still areas like Evergreen that allows one to escape the city, while still - ironically - being in the city. The busy street and crosswalk noises soon drowned away as we trekked deeper into the natural reserves behind the old Brick Work's factory.

Another thing that struck me is that nature is untamable, especially for a filmmaker. I have yet to hear of anyone, on location shooting, muster some kind of mother-nature force within them and command the sky and trees to do whatever he or she desires. Yet, there are these perfect, unchoreographed moments that appear just because the sun is at that particular angle at this particular time and the trees are blowing in this particular fashion. And I think it is the job of the photographer and cinematographer to be able to find those moments and capture them...

 CAROLINE

For the first time while interning here at Silverpoint, I finally had the opportunity to pick up my camera, shoot and edit a video on my own. The one-day edit challenge that Keith placed upon us was daunting to say the least, as I had never used Final Cut before and barely knew how to turn my camera on, but with a bit of help from the team and lots of perseverance , I was able to finish my shoot-off. 

To be honest, the most difficult part of the challenge for me wasn't learning how to use the equipment and software in a day, but choosing a specific aspect of Brickworks that I wanted to showcase. With so much going on, it was hard for me to find and tell a coherent story. Now I know for next time to pinpoint and focus in a specific direction that is best for me.

JENN

With the above reflections in mind, I also discovered some other important things to consider while shooting. This was my first shoot-off with Silverpoint and I learned afterwards that while the story and the moments are important, technique and consideration of equipment is equally important. I failed to consider that a rode mic would be a hundred percent better than my camera mic for an interview.

I also learned after my shoot that my monopod technique is still shaky and needs to be sharpened and firmly grounded such that my shots looks as if I were using a tripod. However, with colour correction, SmoothCam, and soundtrack pro, I was able to work with my footage and create some nice still nature shots.

JOSH

I had previously visited the Evergreen Brick Works a month ago on a complete whim. My girlfriend and I had been driving along Bayview Avenue when the combination of industrial red bricks, gardens, and park trails caught our eyes. Unfortunately on that day I was only caring my photography equipment, but knew that someday I would want to shoot a video there.  

So, it came as quite a pleasant surprise when Keith decided that our next shoot-off would be at, but of course, the Brick Works. Like all other shoot-offs that I participated in, I wanted to take the opportunity to practice a particular style or technique. So without hesitation I grabbed our trusty Philip Bloom Slider, and darted to the area which was originally the Don Valley Brick Works. Unlike the others in the group whom were more attracted to the picturesque natural trails present at Evergreen, I was drawn to the red brick, the industrial, and at times grungy counterpart. And so I slid...

STAN

This was my first opportunity to shoot with the Canon 100mm 2.8L and it was a great experience. The lens has a new hybrid IS that allowed me to go handheld when presented with situations that would not allow the time to setup a tripod. The shots of the monarch butterfly, woodpecker, and bees are examples of how stable the IS can be. Another plus for this lens is that when the rain came I had no fear because it is weather-sealed. I did not have an ND for this lens so exposure was a challenge. I had to increase the shutter to compensate which also created a pleasing staccato effect to anything moving such as insects.

KEITH

Shooting behind the scenes of the Silverpoint shoot-off at Evergreen was a nice change from the regular shoot-off challenge. I was able to capture the entire team out on a shoot. I interviewed each of the members and they told me... actually instead of me telling you, just watch the video:

We all learned many things that bright, yet rainy, day, which I think will drastically improve our skill sets. Thanks Brick Works for allowing us to shoot your amazing grounds. 

Jenn