The horror film 'The Cleansing Hour' used Blackmagic cameras, ATEM mixers, converters and DaVinci Resolve

With a feature film whose main plot revolves around an Internet broadcast, director Damien LeVeck trusted the teams at Blackmagic Design to create the complex audiovisual system that drives the story.

The Cleansing Hour, a film starring Ryan Guzman, Kyle Gallner and Alix Angelis, used cameras, mixers ATEM y converters of Blackmagic Design to carry out its production, as well as the program DaVinci Resolve Studio during the post-production stage, in order to create an exclusive show within a horror film.

Millennial entrepreneurs Drew and Max run a popular live exorcism webcast. However, the performances are in fact a complete mockery. The two get what they deserve when their new actress is mysteriously possessed by a real demon who is holding the entire team hostage. The film premiered online on October 8 on the Shudder channel.

The concept originated from the experience of director Damien LeVeck in the realm of reality shows. "I've noticed that when people watch a video on the Internet, especially if it's low quality, they automatically think it's more realistic. And this was during a period when more and more outlandish things were being posted on Facebook, just for attention. So, I asked myself: What would happen if someone wanted to trick the audience with exorcisms and then they were forced to deal with a real one?"

With a feature film whose main plot revolves around an Internet broadcast, LeVeck relied on the teams at Blackmagic Design to create the complex audiovisual system that drives the story. While the characters fight to control the demonic elements that affect their broadcast, the camera screens showed the action in real time. LeVeck used Blackmagic models Micro Studio Camera to capture high-quality images, knowing that said material would combine perfectly with the photography of the first unit.

“The biggest challenge was making a movie about two kids doing a show in one room, but still have some interest,” says LeVeck. “Coverage was always a challenge, as there were cameras pointed in all directions.”

Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera

With active cameras feeding directly to the monitors, the main unit had to stay out of the frame while still capturing all the action. LeVeck chose the Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera model due to its compact size and compatibility with different types of lenses. "We liked that the Micro Studio Camera units performed quite well in low light conditions. From a creative point of view, we decided to keep the set dark, so this model allowed us to get very good quality images."

The cameras were connected to the mixer ATEM Television Studio Pro HD, and this one to the monitors on set. “We really appreciated that we could control the units from the mixer, which allowed us to create an on-set studio at a relatively low price.” Additionally, the production set where the action takes place was created with additional equipment, such as two monitors SmartView 4K to display multiple signals coming from the mixer, and two converters Teranex OFF, which allowed processing other analog signals coming from the ATEM. Several devices were even used Micro Converter in order to modify the signals received and transmitted by the monitors.

With the audiovisual system developed around Blackmagic products, LeVeck faced the challenge of creating the film on a limited budget and a limited deadline.

"We had a lot of obstacles shooting this movie. The main one was the extremely tight deadline. We had to move quickly; we couldn't really waste time because every day there was a different combination of special effects, makeup, stunts and pyrotechnics, which takes a lot of time to prepare. It was a logistical challenge to shoot everything on time and creatively," adds LeVeck.

Because the story depended on the reality of the characters working in a real recording studio, LeVeck was happy that it was a true set and not props. “Because all the Blackmagic cameras and equipment on set were in operation, Kyle Gallner (Drew) had the ability to interact directly with the ATEM switcher to switch between sources and play graphics.” Having a tangible and real set helped him a lot in order to achieve a more authentic and natural performance.

Once principal photography was completed, LeVeck and his team relied on DaVinci Resolve Studio for the finish. "It was an extraordinary experience. Resolve is a phenomenal program for creating the aesthetics and style of the finished film while working with agility and efficiency," he acknowledges.

The team used the collaboration tools offered by Resolve to achieve more efficient processes. "The first and most important thing was that we completed the formatting without any problems. We used a system with Resolve in my office, and thanks to a shared work dynamic, there were two editors formatting tapes at the same time. They had the possibility of working on the same project simultaneously."

Once the shaping was completed internally, the DaVinci Resolve Studio project was handed over to Banana Post in Burbank. where colorist Chad Mumford created the final aesthetic in three weeks, all within the same schedule. Cinematographer Jean-Philippe Bernier contributed a variety of stills from other projects with looks he wanted to simulate in different parts of the film. Mumford imported this content and used it as overlays for grading. “Bernier was inspired by a particular scene from SE7EN" by David Fincher, which features rapid drop-off shadows and blacks with subtle green tones," says Mumford. "Nothing beats a colorist who can bring those images into a project and compare them directly to the color settings."

Mumford applied a favorite technique in dark and sinister photography of The Cleansing Hour. "Personally, I emulate the tape format when grading. One of the plugins we managed to bring into the project was FilmConvertPro. We did a luminance selection for the deep blacks, used FilmConvert to add grain, and then inverted the selection. This is quite apparent in the scene where the stage lights burn Max (the priest). We had a lot of fun experimenting with the graininess and the HSL selection tools and masks in Resolve, which made it possible to create a subtle and unique cinematic aesthetic.”

More than 400 visual effects

With more than 400 visual effects shot for the feature, Mumford and LeVeck had to use every tool available to overcome multiple challenges during the shoot. project completion process, all in order to highlight the terrifying nature of the film. “If I think back, the creative challenge I remember most is color grading the monster that is revealed at the end," said Mumford. “The veins on this creature were modified in the Color module to look like boiling lava. It was probably one of the most noodly shots I've ever used in my life." LeVeck also emphasizes that “it turned out spectacular.”

In the end, the process was complex, but it was worth it. "The film was an incredible technical challenge, simply because of all the set and the screens on which different content was played, specific to that moment in history. In addition, there were a lot of visual effects and makeup. More than anything, the challenge was the deadline we had to finish everything. But despite this, it was the project that I had the most fun in my life, and I hope to be able to do it again soon," concludes LeVeck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUGfkayica4