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 SWELL
PICTURES SHOOTS TWO UPCOMING HISTORY CHANNEL SPECIAL
IN GREECE WITH PANASONIC VARICAM®
One-Hour Documentaries to Air Summer 2004 Prior to
Athens Olympic Games
SECAUCUS, NJ (May 23, 2004) – Director/Director
of Photography/Producer Geoffrey Madeja has shot two
upcoming
documentaries for The History Channel with Panasonic’s
AJ-HDC27 VariCam® HD Cinema camera.
The 60-minute specials, one dealing with ancient paleontology,
the second with archaeology, will air on the History
Channel this summer in advance of the 2004
Summer Olympics, which return to Athens, the birthplace of the Games, this August.
The documentaries are productions of Swell Pictures Inc. (Chicago, IL), with
Marcy Marzuki serving as Producer/Writer, Bernie Dudek as Producer/Editor and
Joe Doria as Line Producer. The equipment for the shoot was rented from Zacuto
Films (Chicago, IL).
 Panasonic’s AJ-HDC27 VariCam replicates many of the key features of film-based
image acquisition, including 24-frame progressive scan images, time lapse recording,
and a wide range of variable frame rates (4-fps to 60-fps in single-frame increments)
for "overcranked" and "undercranked" off-speed in-camera
effects. The AJ-HDC27 VariCam also features CineGamma™ software that permits
Panasonic’s HD Cinema camera systems to more closely match the latitude
of film stocks.
Madeja, whose has a lengthy background in national commercial work, began his
collaboration with Swell Pictures several years ago. He had become interested
in longer format, documentary work, and was eager to bring the high-end production
values of commercial spots to recurring assignments Swell Pictures undertakes
for the History Channel, among other outlets. On previous specials for the network
(Forensic Firsts, The Oracle of Delphi, e.g.), Madeja shot location work in Super
16 and interviews on Digital Betacam.
 He said, "This was a month-long shoot, and we were on a tight schedule
to film two documentaries at remote locations on mainland Greece and two islands.
Film was simply going to be too expensive, and, as a small crew of three, we
didn’t want to carry two different camera systems, especially as a lot
of hiking was going to be required. I’d looked at the VariCam previously,
and was particularly impressed with its off-speed capabilities - variable
speed was pretty intrinsic to these shows. By that point in time, I felt that
there were plenty of VariCam systems available worldwide, so that I could always
get one in Athens if need be."
Madeja continued, "On Crete, we had a steep and rocky 500’ climb
to a ledge in a gorge that had about a 1000’ drop off. Because of the
danger, only three of us went. We had all our gear in backpacks - the VariCam,
tripods, jib arms. Considering its size, the camera doesn’t weigh that
much. It was 100 degrees but it didn’t bother the camera. With all the
equipment on our backs we couldn’t always carry a sun block for the camera,
but the VariCam worked quite well in the intense sun and heat."
" The colors are great - almost better than nature! There’s a lot of
range - VariCam digs deeper into blacks than most video cameras. Contrast
was much like what I deal with in film. You don’t need a lot of lighting
- the camera sees a lot. You don’t overexpose anything - for instance,
I didn’t go past 100% when shooting white rocks against the blue sea.
You can expose for the rocks, and bring the rest back in post. I did a fair
amount of filtration; because you can immediately see what you’re getting
with the VariCam, you can essentially paint your picture while you’re
on location. I prefer to use the electronics on the front end to make a pretty
picture, rather than in post."
Madeja shot battle scene recreations off-speed at 60 and 48-fps, and experimented
with 12-fps "just to see how it looked." "We shot swordsmen
pillaging a town - lots of smoke and flames," he recounted. "The
images are great - very cinematic."
 The crew comprised Madeja, an assistant camera operator and producer/editor
Dudek, who had worked with the director previously. Regarding the selection
of VariCam for the assignment, Dudek said, "We wanted as high a quality
deliverable as possible. Due to past experience shooting in Greece, we knew
that the logistics of carrying a full video and film package with a small crew
would be overwhelming, so we were looking for other options that would allow
us similar creative freedom with simpler portability. And we definitely wanted
the flexibility of the variable speed capability."
He added, "Throughout, we dealt with extreme natural conditions - excessive
heat,
sand, salt water. We traveled to remote locations inaccessible by motor vehicle.
The VariCam afforded quicker set-up time, flexibility of mobility, the opportunity
to get more shots quicker when needed, and easier transportation of stock."
Line producer Joe Doria commented, "The decision to use the Panasonic
camera and HD in particular was based on the cost of tape versus film, which
we had previously shot on docs like this. The advantages VariCam offered - the
ability to shoot off speed coupled with the quality of the picture - made it
an easy pick for this project."
Dudek is editing the documentaries at Swell on the Avid Media Composer, and
will finish to HD.
Madeja said, "The VariCam is made for this type of documentary work.
With one camera you can achieve really striking scenics and recreations in
a filmic style, and then turn around and do conventional interviews. There
are enormous cost-savings in terms of film stock, audio sync-ups and color
correction. Ultimately, the camera gave us flexibility without compromising
the quality of the show in any regard."
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