The Philippine series 'Bella Bandida' shot with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K model

During the filming of this six-episode action series, produced by Viva and Cignal for the TV5 channel, the Video Assist device was also used, and the grading of the images was completed in DaVinci Resolve Studio.

The Pocket Cinema Camera 4K of Blackmagic Design It has been used as the main camera in the filming of Bella Bandida, from the Filipino channel TV5. During the production of this six-episode action series, based on the comic of the same name, the device was also relied on Video Assist, and grading of the images was completed in DaVinci Resolve Studio.

Bella Bandida is a series based on a comic by renowned Filipino illustrator Francisco V. Coching. Produced by Viva Communications and Cignal, stars Ryza Cenon as Bella, a doctor who, after being violently attacked, receives superpowers with the help of May'ari, goddess of the moon.

The series has been directed by Raffy Francisco, who, together with the directors of photography Shem Hampac y Jericho Filomeno, chose to use the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K model as the main camera.

Francisco comments that the look of the series "had to be cinematic and have a certain comic style. After all, Bella adopts mystical powers and fights for the oppressed in this series. Her life delves into a world of adventure, and she goes from being the town's doctor to living in the forest with rebels, so I wanted it to stand out from other prime-time shows."

Urban and natural environments

The production team filmed in both urban and natural environments. Authenticity balanced with a certain fantasy were fundamental aspects to achieve the necessary aesthetic, which included shots inside an active prison. Due to tight deadlines and the variety of shots required, the production team needed a camera that could be used in different lighting situations, offering images of high resolution and wide dynamic range for visual effects and other post-production tasks, and that it was also compact enough to install anywhere.

"I knew that the Pocket 4K would give us enough latitude to play with the lights in the outdoor shots and achieve more dramatic night scenes with a touch of fantasy in the studio. We had enough capacity to work in low light, so we were able to continue recording until very close to sunset. We hoped to finish the dramatic sequences by searching for light in dense forests while shooting at an ISO value of 1250," Francisco continues.

"With the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K model, we had a compact unit that allowed us to move around easily. It was possible to shoot handheld during fight scenes in the forest or on a stable support to film more dramatic indoor ones with conflicting characters. Platforms for heavier, more complex and slower cameras were not an option," he acknowledges.

For Raffy Francisco, it was imperative to film in real places and not just on a set. Regarding the possibility of recording handheld in places that are difficult to access, the production relied on the compact design of the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K model.

"We went from closed spaces, including a market and moving Jeep vehicles, to filming a fight scene next to a foggy lake at 2 in the morning, in which Ryza acted not only in the fight, but also in the stunt parts. Many of the handheld action sequences were shot by the protagonist herself, so we needed a camera that could capture the action up close, and the cameraman was practically part of the choreography," he explained. "We had to be fast, and “The camera had to be there, in the center of the action. Fortunately, we had enough latitude to capture all the emotion.”

"There was even a scene filmed inside a real prison cell. And yes, there were real prisoners there with us. The Pocket camera allowed us to be creative to the fullest. These types of shots also depended on the Video Assist device, since we used it remotely to avoid wiring during fight scenes or actors getting tangled there, instead of on a controlled set," he adds.

Post-production

The series includes a wide variety of visual effects that allow us to tell the story of Bella as she faces her destiny and receives new superpowers from the goddess of the moon.

Post-production was carried out by WildSound Studios in Quezon City, who also carried out grading in DaVinci Resolve Studio.

“The rigidity of the files of the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K model allowed us to further improve the grading of the images in Resolve and distinguish each scene with a particular aesthetic,” concludes Francisco.