‘Belle’ Is First UK Movie To Be Shot With Sony’s f65 Camera
Posted on Dec 14, 2012 by Alex Fice
Ben Smithard on the set of ‘Belle’ with the Sony f65.
Sony Professional Solutions Specialist Top-Teks has today announced that the upcoming Pinewood Films release BELLE is the first major British motion picture to be shot using Sony’s F65 CineAlta digital production camera. Starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tom Wilkinson, Sarah Gadon, Miranda Richardson and Emily Watson, and directed by BAFTA Award winning director Amma Asante, the period drama inspired by the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle is scheduled for UK release next year through Pinewood.
Director of photography, Ben Smithard. “The amount of detail and colour it captures is breathtaking. I wanted the audience to feel the beauty of the 4K images and be involved in the story, and the F65 made that a reality. It really is a camera for the future and I plan to use it again on future film projects.”
Commenting on his experiences shooting with the F65, Smithard continued: “We shot Belle in a range of different environments – on location and at Pinewood – and having a camera that was easy to use and delivered stunning detailed images in bright and low light was essential for such a visually-rich period feature. With the F65, Sony has developed a camera that not only produces beautiful skin tones but also retains tremendous amounts of highlight and colour detail. Having such detailed and colour-rich true 4K DPX files for the DIT and post production team to composite from means the final cut will be as close to actually being on set as possible.”
Shot in the Isle of Man, London, Oxford and Pinewood, and boasting an impressive ensemble cast of Britain’s finest actors, BELLE is a true ‘Best of British’ production. It is the third project to receive investment from Pinewood Studios as part of its Pinewood Films initiative which was established to help fund and support British, independent films. Ivan Dunleavy, Chief Executive, Pinewood Shepperton plc said: “Through Pinewood’s investment in British, independent films we are helping to support up and coming talent who are pushing the boundaries and exploring new and creative ways of storytelling. This is especially true when it comes to technology and it’s great that Belle is the first feature to be shot with Sony’s F65 camera.”
