Ascender Studios produces the Modern Wardudes series with solutions from Blackmagic Design

The Pocket Cinema Camera 6K and the DaVinci Resolve Studio software have been the pillars for the production of the popular series that parodies famous games such as 'Modern Warfare' or 'Call of Duty'.

The producer Ascender Studios has produced the popular series Modern Wardudes, broadcast on YouTube, exclusively with the model Pocket Cinema Camera 6K and the program DaVinci Resolve Studio of Blackmagic Design.

For this parody based on Modern Warfare, Call of Duty and other famous action video games, Stephen Ford, director and series producer at Ascender, was inspired by the first Activision advertisements created with the aim of promoting the franchise Call of Duty. Ford saw the potential to continue exploiting this idea, but with a much smaller budget.

Early in his career, Ford starred in various shows for Disney, Nickelodeon and ABC, before starring in Kamen Rider Dragon Night (CW). But even then, it didn't take long for him to put his skills as a filmmaker to use. “I would gather the other actors to film parodies on YouTube while we worked on series such as Teen Wolf o Desperate Housewives. It was a fun way to be creative and keep my friends employed. But over time it became a way to improve as a director and producer,” says Ford.

At first, Ford worked for Machinima, a company specialized in video game content for YouTube, from broadcasting to commenting on games and disseminating news. Given his passion for games and cinematography, it suited him like a glove. "The participation of producers and creatives in the generation of said content was encouraged, instead of hiring third parties. It was in one of these periods, in which the company was trying to bring together people with different ideas, that I began to work for them." Ford carried out various test projects, including the action series Sixers, based on the game Rainbow Six Siege. But when Warner Bros. acquired Machinima, it decided it was time to go independent, and that's how Ascender came to be.

Quality on a small budget

Inspired by the work done at Machinima, Ford began developing the idea for Modern Wardudes with a group of close friends in the fledgling company. They immediately considered Blackmagic Design products. "I always liked the notion of being able to create high-quality content on a small budget. Many of the series and movies we watch are unnecessarily excessive. We can achieve a lot with very little as long as we have a specific vision," he acknowledges.

Despite having filmed for several years, Ford had not been able to find a solution that was economical and at the same time allowed him to achieve a truly cinematic quality. "It had been almost impossible until I had the opportunity to use the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K in a pilot production last year. I was immediately impressed with what we could create with such a small unit. Because we shoot instinctively, we don't always have time to prepare lighting or sets."

In the case of Modern Wardudes, Ford knew that a creative approach was necessary, from script to photography to post-production. "The biggest challenge was creating an action-packed series with a minimal budget and a very small crew. At any given time, there were only three or four people on set fulfilling various roles." Ford himself multi-tasked and even played one of the roles.

The project is a testament to teamwork and depends not only on talent, but also on an appropriate production philosophy. "I had an incredible group of people who helped me make this dream a reality: Colton Mastro, Jennifer McDonnell, Michael Lieberman and Brandon Winfrey, as well as the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K, which was essential because of its size and quality. We could go around and record shots very quickly. The unit worked smoothly and allowed us to focus on the story, which is the best."

For the post-production, the Ascender team stopped using the usual platforms and opted for DaVinci Resolve Studio, given the ecosystem that the program offers. This was used for edit and finish the series, and was a positive change from the applications used previously. “I had used other post-production tools for several years, but after working with Blackmagic cameras, I decided to give Resolve a try and see if it would make the process easier for us, and I'm really glad I did,” he says.

Learning to use the program was easier than Ford expected. “I started out knowing nothing and became an expert after watching tutorials for a weekend.” This allowed delivery times to be reduced, which is essential in any project. "It streamlined our workflow a lot. I tell all the creatives I know that, even if they don't have a Blackmagic camera, they should still learn how to use Resolve, as it makes the whole process significantly easier."

Given the success of Modern Wardudes, Ascender has its sights set on new content. “I want to produce a film based on Doom and inspired by the action films of the 80s and 90s that shaped me during my childhood and adolescence," said Ford. "But for the moment, we are creating digital content. Maybe in the future we will make a feature film with Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera units. “It sounds fun,” he concludes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6R1oziCnos