'Winning Time' adapted classic cameras to digital streams with AJA's V2Digital

Director of photography Mihai Malaimare, responsible for the 'Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty' series, used V2Digital's V2Digital analog to HD/SD-SDI digital video converter. AJA to integrate classic cameras into the digital workflows required for their latest production.

He nostalgic look y imperfections produced with the classic analog cameras They continue to be an important attraction for those responsible for cinematographic and serial fiction. Although the imaging capabilities of modern digital cinema cameras are ideal for capturing video 4K/UltraHD HDR, some cinematographers opt for VHS-C camcorders classics to create a highly stylized look, set a time period or tone, or improve visual storytelling.

The director of photography Mihai Malaimare (ASC) first devised a process to integrate classic cameras into an all-digital workflow for the 2017 crime drama November Criminals. Capturing the film's opening sequence with a VHS-C camera presented a number of challenges; Although the sequence was shot analog, the footage had to be recorded digitally for dailies and integrated seamlessly into the production workflow. In addition, a video signal of the analog sequences had to be sent to the set monitors so that the director and crew members could review them live. Using a single cable hidden in the back of the camcorder, Malaimare routed the signal VHS-C to Analog Digital Video Converter to HD/SD-SDI V2Digital from AJA. Once the camera output was converted from analog to digital, the signal was recorded in 1080 24p and routed to a transmitter and the director's monitor for live viewing on set. The V2Digital's voltage capabilities allowed the team to power the converter from a battery with enough power for half the day.

For the HBO sports drama Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Malaimare and the director of photography Todd Banhazl (ASC) took advantage of a similar production workflow to transport the public to the eighties. With the V2Digital converter repeating as key equipment in the workflow, they shot with analog cameras Ikegami using old lenses, and Panavision provided boxes compatible with modern accessories such as remote focus. In sequences shot with analog cameras, Malaimare and Banhazl recorded interlaced video to double the perceived frame rate without using additional bandwidth. “Although modern lenses offer superior visual quality, the imperfections obtained when shooting with old cameras offer a look so distinctive that it cannot be recreated with all the modern technology in the world,” Malaimare himself emphasizes.

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