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 REALITY SERIES "GIRLS VS. BOYS" BEING SHOT WITH PANASONIC AG-DVC30 MINI-DV CAMCORDERS FOR NICKELODEON
Teen-Style "Battle of Sexes" with $40,000 at Stake
SECAUCUS, NJ (August 26, 2004 ) – As if the teen years didn’t have enough built-in challenges, a new reality series, "Girls vs. Boys," will throw two teams of adolescents some devious curve balls involving fast-thinking and housework. The production, slated to air on the Nickelodeon Network’s The N this fall, is a "reality game show" that pits two teams of teenagers, one all-girls and the other all-boys, against each other. When not competing, the teams live together and are responsible for taking care of themselves and the house they live in. At the end of the series, the team that has amassed the greatest number of points wins $40,000 and apparel.
 "Girls vs. Boys," directed and produced by John Chiappardi and Steven Lerner, co-owners of Dancing Toad Productions (New York, NY), just completed an extended shoot in Montana with Panasonic AG-DVC30 mini-DV 3-CCD camcorders, and is currently in post-production. Eleven 30-minutes episodes will air starting this December. The production team will begin shooting the 2005 season in Puerto Rico late this year.
Chiappardi and Lerner, both veteran DPs, have been producing programming for Noggin/The N since the network launched five years ago. Most notably, they are the production team behind "A Walk in Your Shoes," which was recently awarded a Peabody as part of the "Know HIV Aids" public education initiative. In addition, they have produced programming for MTV, Lifetime Television, VH-1, and the USA Network.
 Dancing Toad purchased four AG-DVC30s to support production of "Girls vs. Boys." The ultra-compact, 2.4-pound AG-DVC30 delivers the high picture quality and high sensitivity professionals demand as well as inventive features including infrared nighttime and movie-like recording modes.
According to producer Lerner, "We needed a camera that was easy to use by people other than our principal cameramen, since a good part of the action happens when there are only producers--us--around to film. Also, we decided we needed something small that we could easily take on horseback, down the rapids, rock climbing, bull riding, etc. We had used an infrared system in the past, and the DVC30’s nighttime recording capability was a crucial factor this season as well. The kids pull pranks in the middle of the night, and you want to be able to film without the bother of bringing out or turning on the lights. The camera does allow you to be very spontaneous. Also, the Movie feature that allows for more detail and saturation while changing the gammas was beautiful."
 Lerner continued, "The shows are essentially broken into two sections, the game show competition part and then, later in the day, the reality part. We shot with these cameras out of helicopters, on rafts going down a river, on horseback, on a mechanical bull. And then we shoot till the wee hours of the morning as the kids deal with the drama of being 17 years old.
 "Overall, we needed cameras that perform well in spontaneous situations. Since there is a reality component to the show, we never really knew what was going to happen. Also, the cameras needed to be a self-contained unit (since our shooters are working without soundmen) and low-profile--our shoots typically happen where we don’t want to attract too much attention. This is hardcore acquisition on a shoestring budget, so the cameras had to be as flexible and durable as the people doing the shooting."
Editing and mastering are being done in-house at Dancing Toad, which owns two Avid suites.
"The AG-DVC30s were great performers and responded well to a range of rugged environments and fluid situations in Montana," Lerner added. "They are exceptional in low—or no—light. I would recommend these cameras for anyone shooting a project like ours."
Equipped with three 410,000-pixel ¼" CCDs, the AG-DVC30 offers four shooting styles:
- a simple, sleek configuration (resembling a consumer camcorder) for "no permits required" or undercover shooting
- with its standard detachable handle and large 3.5" LCD monitor, it’s perfect for low- and multi-angle shooting
- with the addition of its optional XLR mic adaptor and unidirectional mic, it’s outfitted for high-level pro audio performance
- and by adding its optional infrared light, the camera can capture detailed black-and-white images in the dark (at 0 lux).
 The camcorder is outfitted with a newly-engineered, wide-angle 16X Leica Dicomar zoom lens with Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) and a focal length of 39.5 to 632 mm (35mm still camera equivalent) to meet virtually any broadcast and professional need.
John Chiappardi or Steven Lerner at Dancing Toad Productions can be contacted at 114 E. 32nd St 18th Floor, NYC NY 10016 or info@dancingtoad.tv. |
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