FREMONT, CA – Blackmagic Design today announced that MixOne Sound Partner and Videographer Kevin Garcia used an URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 digital film camera to capture live performances from top artists such as Blink‑182, Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, The Flaming Lips, ZZ Top, Marilyn Manson, Ice Cube, Rob Zombie and more. Shooting in Blackmagic RAW, Garcia captured more than 25 artists across four U.S. music festivals this fall, including Hometown Rising, Bourbon & Beyond, Louder Than Life and the Aftershock Festival.
More details from BMD (www.blackmagicdesign.com):
For the recent festival season with Danny Wimmer Presents, an L.A. based music festival production and promotion company, Garcia was tasked with capturing live performances for the artists to use as part of music videos and marketing, as well as daily recaps for the festivals.
“The headliners usually have more elaborate production elements during their sets, for example things like pyrotechnics, and that’s where we really needed the URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2. The camera’s higher frame rates and dynamic range allowed us to capture incredibly detailed shots that showcased how much work and thought these artists put into their sets to make them something truly special to watch,” Garcia explained.
“I shot in 4.6K to use the full sensor in Blackmagic RAW the entire time. It simply just looks better and has more control, which is key during these festivals,” he added. “Within five seconds, the stage will go from complete darkness to strobing lights and flames. Blackmagic RAW makes it much easier to retain all that information without blown out or overly grainy moments. That was the biggest thing for me with the extreme variations in lighting and color on stage. It made a world of difference knowing I could rely on the footage when the edit needed to be done immediately after the festival concluded.”
Despite the changing lighting conditions, the URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 captured so much information during shooting that Garcia had room to do whatever he needed with the footage in post. “It’s a great feeling going back to edit and seeing a shot with dark areas and fire, both perfectly clear. It’s something I don’t think I really had until shooting with the URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 and Blackmagic RAW,” he noted.
Garcia also used a Pocket Cinema Camera 4K for specialized action shots, shooting in 4K in Blackmagic RAW. “Huge crowd sweeps and running shots are essential when trying to capture the enormous energy of rock shows like Aftershock and Louder Than Life, and the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K did this effortlessly,” said Garcia. “Its dual native ISO was crucial when shooting at night or in low light areas. The low light ability really saved the day in some instances.”
The Pocket Cinema Camera 4K also proved useful when shooting in small tents or activations during the festivals where a larger camera wouldn’t fit. “No other camera that size delivers the quality, so you’re not sacrificing either. That was the main reason I got the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, for quick run and gun shoots or shooting in tight spaces while maintaining quality footage,” Garcia concluded.
