AV Department’s Acquisition of Panasonic VariCam LT 4K Cinema Camcorder Helps Fuel Rapid Growth
Director/Director of Photography Michael Cogliantry recently found himself in the enviable posi-tion of needing a higher-end camera to handle the dramatic growth of his business, Manhattan-based production/creative agency, the AV Department. After months of renting acquisition gear more fully-featured that his own DSLRs, Cogliantry found “everything I’d been looking for spec-wise” in Panasonic’s VariCam LT 4K cinema camcorder.
The AV Department specializes in providing premium digital, creative and motion content for a cli-entele that includes such global brands as Gillette, Toyota, Verizon and Wells Fargo. Since pur-chasing the VariCam LT earlier this year, Cogliantry has used it on more than a dozen commercial projects.
“Looking at the VariCam LT, I saw a camera that represented a big investment for my company, but I knew it would be all that I needed for 90% of my jobs and that I’d quickly realize a return-on-investment,” he said.
Previously, AV Department was using Sony A7s and the Canon C100 Mark IIs as its in-house cameras. “With these cameras I always needed to rely on an external recorder to get high enough color space and sharpness quality,” Cogliantry noted. “I’m thrilled to have been able to dump the recorders and various connectors, batteries and accessories in favor of in-camera 422 ProRes HD capture.”
“If there’s one consistent signature among all our projects, I’d say it’s putting people front and cen-ter, so the VariCam LT’s cinematic rendition of a gamut of skin tones was crucial,” Cogliantry said. “The camcorder has versatile and ample I/Os and, as an editor, I understood how flexible the LT footage would be in post.”
One early assignment with the VariCam LT was a 60-second television spot for Providence Health Plan. “We shot in a remote location on an Oregon mountainside, and needed a high-degree of confidence that our camera would be nimble and reliable—the LT performed flawlessly,” he said.
Cogliantry took the VariCam LT to South Dakota and Florida to shoot a 2 1/2-minute documen-tary-style profile of a young taekwondo Olympic champion for the United Services Automobile
Association web site. “I don’t always have the luxury of a big lighting package or a gaffer, so being able to deploy the LT’s native ISO5000 low-light setting for a dawn sequence was a definite plus on the USAA project,” Cogliantry noted.
The AV Department has a recurring assignment to shoot features for the Women’s Health maga-zine web site, and utilized the VariCam LT to capture behind-the-scene (BTS) footage of cover model/actress Priyanka Chopra. “This was a high pressure situation where we had to work fast while sustaining ultimate beauty shots, especially of ‘star skin,’” Cogliantry recounted.
To view commercial assignments Cogliantry has shot with the VariCam LT:
1.) 60-second television spot for Providence Health Plan (http://www.av-department.com/commercial/2016/10/26/providence-heathcare-decisions).
2.) Young taekwondo Olympic champion for the United Services Automobile Association web site (http://www.usaastories.com/magazine/3439).
3.) BTS footage of cover model/actress Priyanka Chopra for Women’s Health Magazine (http://www.av-department.com/profiles/2016/10/25/womens-health-priyanka-chopra-interview).
4.) Promotional pieces for Singapore Tourism (http://www.av-department.com/commercial/2016/10/25/singapore-tourism-lyft-of-a-lifetime).
5.) KinderCare Learning Centers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGIOWTJs1BA&feature=youtu.be&list=PLn1jXnMBoOkAwpGi2JORQSl-_bYyNTks-).
6.) Series of seven run-and-gun promos for the Carphone Warehouse (http://www.av-department.com/commercial/2016/10/26/samsung-challenge-2-curviest-things-in-new-york).
For more information on the AV Department, visit www.av-department.com.
About the VariCam LT
The VariCam LT camcorder inherits the same super 35mm sensor and superb imaging capabili-ties that distinguish the award-winning VariCam 35, but with significant reductions in size, weight and price. Incorporating this identical imaging “DNA” in a more compact rendition, the VariCam LT delivers 14+ stops of dynamic range with V-Log, and the esteemed cinematic VariCam image quality and color science, as well as the VariCam 35's breakout innovation, dual native ISOs of 800/5000. Weighing just under six pounds and having superior capability to similar sized cameras, the VariCam LT is the ideal camera for handheld, SteadiCam, jib, crane, drone, gimbal and overall cinema verité work. The VariCam LT offers a host of new features including an EF lens
mount, hot swappable batteries, IR shooting capability, a 23.98 PsF output, cinema style file nam-ing, and image presets such as scene files. For more information about Panasonic VariCam cin-ema and high-speed cameras, visit us.panasonic.com/varicam, or contact Panasonic at 877-803-8492.
About Panasonic Broadcast, Cinema and Professional Video Systems
Panasonic offers leading products to acquire, transmit and view high-quality video, over both vid-eo and IP networks. Professional products include VariCam cinema cameras, P2 HD camcord-ers, 4K and HD handheld cameras, Pan/Tilt/Zoom cameras, studio and box cameras, switchers and monitors. These products serve customers in cinema, broadcast, professional sports, higher education, enterprise and other markets.
About Panasonic Corporation of North America
Newark, NJ-based Panasonic Corporation of North America is a leading technology partner and integrator to businesses, government agencies and consumers across the region. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Corporation and the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. Panasonic was featured in Fortune Magazine’s 2016 ranking of 50 companies that are changing the world and doing well by doing good. Specifically cited were its smart and sustainable technologies, including its contributions to smart cities and the electric vehicle revolution. Learn more about Panasonic at us.panasonic.com/news.
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Pat Lamb
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Neil Matsumoto
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