‘On a Wing and a Prayer’ de Prime Video, rodada con la URSA Mini Pro 12K de Blackmagic

The URSA Mini Pro 12K camera Blackmagic It was used for the filming of 'On a Wing and a Prayer' (Prime Video), Sean McNamara's latest film.

Christian Sebaldt (ASC) was the director of photography appointed by Sean McNamara to lead the staging of On a Wing and a Prayer, a film based on a true story of “faith and survival” that tells the experience of a family that, during a plane trip, is forced to make an emergency landing when the pilot dies in mid-flight.

The film would have several challenges that would make the production unique. One of them would be the use of the plane King Air 200, which had to be adapted so that the wings, tail, engines, cockpits and windshield could be removed, thus providing more versatility for the choice of shots. The very nature of the plane added layers of complexity to the filming: the distance between the seats was just 25 centimeters, and the cabin was a mere 150 centimeters high.

In order to capture Sean McNamara's full creative vision, Sebaldt decided on three cameras. Blackmagic Design: a URSA Mini Pro 12K and two Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro. After exploring several possibilities, the cinematographer's team was able to deploy the Mini Libra head mounted on a 9-meter telescopic crane inside the cabin, removing, however, the windshield, which allowed access to the bottom of the plane to capture close-ups of several passengers. Another solution deployed was a rail mounted on the ceiling, in order to be able to capture close-ups of the actors in the cockpit, or the possibility of shooting at very high resolutions in order to resize the angle later. Likewise, the team of On a Wing and a Prayer was able to have a unit URSA 12K additional at an airport to film sequences of the airport fire brigade sliding down the drop pole and capture the landing or movement of the plane.

Sebaldt, despite all the complications of the shoot, is especially pleased with one shot: "Another shot that I am very proud of and that I thought we would never be able to get, after working on it for a week, was filmed with an URSA Mini Pro 12K on a low-profile fluid head. We equipped the unit with the extraordinary lens ARRI Ultra Prime 8R and we placed it on the floor of the plane, in the back of the cabin. I wanted to get a 360 degree image, from a very low angle, of the mother and two daughters desperately praying for a miracle, with tearful faces and holding hands. With the help of Ryan, my first assistant, who was lying on the floor constantly turning the camera, we got a very emotional and dramatic shot.”

Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, en On a Wing and a Prayer

Beyond the use of URSA Mini Pro 12K, Sebaldt's team decided to use two Pocket Cinema 6K Pro cameras to shoot in the smaller spaces: the narrow luggage compartment, in which part of the plot takes place, or between the mechanical components such as the propeller or the rudder pedals. For these last shots, the director of photography On a Wing and a Prayer turned to a goal Innovision Prove II Plus, which ensured “extraordinary angles.”

The limitations of space and lighting were a constant in the development of the plot, but the format Blackmagic RAW helped maintain the quality standards that Prime Video production sought. As Sebaldt comments: "The Blackmagic RAW format is amazing. The cameras offer exceptional dynamic range and sophisticated color processing. In the final version, it is not possible to see any difference between the images captured with these cameras and other high-end ones, and the colorimetry of the units gives me great flexibility during grading."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4UKU7W3PKE