Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Skip to main content
Home
    • Contact Panasonic
    • Save Page
    • Home
    • Trends
    • Immersive Experiences
    • DP Johnny Derango captures Radio 88 with the AU-EVA1
    Back to Resource Center

    DP Johnny Derango captures Radio 88 with the AU-EVA1

    • Contact us
      • Twitter
      • Facebook
      • Linkedin
      • Email

    DP Johnny Derango captures Radio 88 with the AU-EVA1

    5 minutes Neil Matsumoto

    Cinematographer Johnny Derango came out to Los Angeles in 2002 after graduating from Columbia College Chicago. Before turning 25, he already had a number of feature films, television shows, and commercials under his belt.

    In 2016, Derango was at the SXSW Film Festival with a feature film he had shot, Small Town Crime, and while attending the festival, he attended a VariCam workshop with DP Shane Kelly (Last Flag Flying, Boyhood) and was greatly impressed. “I was gearing up to do a pilot that I was executive producing and shooting for [actor/director] James Lafferty, and I thought about using the VariCam,” says Derango. “I took the cameras out on the shoot and I had an incredible experience. It’s the least lighting I’ve ever done on a project. It was very run-and-gun, but we still wanted the aesthetic of a real show and it turned out great.

    Derango became the first U.S. cinematographer to test out the new 5.7K AU-EVA1. Radio 88, which Derango both shot and produced, tells the story of a young DJ, Angie DeFozzio (Cyrina Fiallo), who communicates with her dead father, Danger Dickie DeFozzio (Jeremy Ratchford), that she plans to blow up the radio station at the conclusion of its final broadcast at midnight. On the same night, a young musician, Fontaine (Paul Holowaty), is kidnapped and held hostage in a laundromat by a bank robber (Efren Ramirez) and finds a way to escape to get his record to Defozzio before midnight.Derango shot the project using two EVA1 cameras. “With this script, I thought it would be a cool exercise for the EVA1 because the environments are so different,” explains Derango. “The radio station has a warmer look to it with fantasy elements with Angie having conversations with her deceased father. I thought it would be an interesting stylistic approach to light it moody and play with the appearance of the ghost, yet still trying to make the environment look real. There’s also a laundromat with mostly overhead fluorescent lights, and night exterior running scenes with only practical city lights. The challenge was to take all three pieces and marry them together.”
     

    EVA1 on set.

    For the look of the short, cinematographer Robert Richardson, ASC’s work was a key influence. “Bringing Out the Dead (1999) is a piece that I really liked as a visual reference.  While discussing the look with gaffer Mateo Gonzalez, that was the film that I went back to for developing the Danger Dickie scenes in the radio station. I researched how Richardson created his signature blown out back/top lights. He used [Tiffen] Black Pro-Mists, so I used Black Pro-Mists, which is the first time I had ever used the filters. It gave me a great effect, which helped tie into the story.”

    With the EVA1, Derango captured AVC Intra 10-bit 422 Long GOP (150-Mbps) files in 4K DCI at 23.98-fps. He also captured in V-Log and monitored his footage in Rec 709.

    Even though the film takes place entirely at night, Derango reveals that he did not shoot at 2,500 ISO, but instead dialed down from 2,500 to 1,600. Shooting his character running down a street lit with practical street lamps, Derango felt he had enough light, even at 1,600. “The challenge for lighting is slightly diminished because you have the ability to light with smaller units, especially for an indie production,” says Derango, on EVA1’s Dual Native ISO capability. “If I’m on a big set and I can put up condors with big lights to light a night scene that’s great. If I’m shooting a smaller indie film, and I don’t have the availability to get a condor or big lights, the fact that I can shoot at 2,500 ISO and feel good about the image while shooting under natural streetlights and getting pops here and there with a few Par cans, that’s really beneficial.

    “When I was at the laundromat,” continues Derango, “I couldn’t get the camera in the space I wanted to because the space between the aisles was too tight so I had to shoot on a 14mm. After seeing the footage, I wasn’t happy with how close the camera was to our subjects and there was a bit of keystoning in the image. I went back and cheated the bench further off and took the camera way back across the laundromat. I then rated it at 800, rolled it down to 500, and shot at a T2.8-4. It really helped the scene.”

    For lenses, Derango shot primarily with Zeiss Otus lenses. “I was a little skeptical about using the Otus lenses off the bat,” says Derango. “They’re still lenses and if you don’t have an AC who is technically proficient pulling focus on a still lens, it can be quite challenging. Thankfully, my incredibly talented first AC, Derek Plough, was able to pull without any issues. The glass itself is gorgeous. [Zeiss Sales Manager] Snehal Patel told me that the Otus lenses are of a similar quality to that of Master Primes. I also used a Zeiss 21-100 compact zoom, which I had never used before and it was fantastic. It was nice having a zoom, especially the first night when we shot the jogging scenes because I was able to reframe while he was running.”

    Radio 88 was color graded at Technicolor in Hollywood by colorist Alexander Schwab on DaVinci Resolve 12.5. Radio 88 editor Neil Evans, who also co-produced the project, edited the native files in Adobe Premiere Pro and delivered a 4K DCI ProRes 422 HQ project to Technicolor.

    Watch a behind-the-scenes video on the making of Radio 88

    “Johnny really wanted a warm and vintage look for the interiors in the radio station and some of the exteriors as well,” explains Schwab. “For the laundromat, he wanted more of an even and open look, in comparison to the warmth of the radio station. For some of the night stuff, we were essentially chasing consistency and trying to make sure that all the night stuff played seamlessly and really felt like night. You can say the laundromat scenes were a lot cooler to the warm interiors without it feeling too cold. There were a lot of these aluminum fixtures in there that sort of gave it a cooler feel and he wanted those to look distinctly different.”

    According to Derango, the EVA1 is like a mini VariCam, especially in terms of color. “There is something that just feels more cinematic,” he explains. “The image looks soft, but not necessarily pastel and there’s something inherently pretty about it. I can’t exactly explain it from a technical level but it’s something that I can feel when I look at it. As a DP, that’s more important to me than knowing tech specs.”

    For more information on the EVA1, visit http://business.panasonic.com/AU-EVA1.html.

    For more information on Johnny Derango, visit his website here. His upcoming feature, Small Town Crime, will hit theaters on January 19th, 2018.

    Radio 88 Final Cut
    Authors
    Neil Matsumoto - Marketing Specialist, Professional Video, Panasonic North America
    Matsumoto has a decade of experience in the camera industry.
    • Au-eva1
    • Cinema
    • Johnny Derango
    • Panasonic
    • Professional Video
    • Radio 88
    • Technicolor
    • Video Production
    • Zeiss Otus

    Related Posts

    Woman with candle at home because of power cut
    Sustainability & Environment

    Be ready for power outages with renewable technology

    With more of us working, schooling & operating businesses from home, reliable electricity is now a must-have.
    Learn more
    Production of solar panels.
    Trends & Technology

    The rise of solar module OEM and what it means for homeowners

    Why are solar module manufacturers shifting to original equipment manufacturers to make their panels?
    Learn more
    Modern passive house with solar panels and white roof for energy efficiency.
    Homeowner Insights

    6 Key Benefits of Creating a Solar-Powered Home

    Has switching your home to solar power become a no-brainer?
    Learn more
    asian family with one child having fun in the woods
    Homeowner Insights

    Why you should unify your home energy system in 2021

    Purchasing the components of your solar & storage system from a single brand has its benefits.
    Learn more
    Sunset over solar panels
    Trends & Technology

    Solar-plus-storage poised to become more financially attractive, but seasonal solutions remain key

    The current and future state of solar power and energy storage in America.
    Learn more
    Father and son hiking through the mountain at sunrise
    Trends & Technology

    4 home renewable energy predictions in 2021

    Panasonic's Dan Glaser gives his residential renewable energy predictions and outlook for 2021.
    Learn more
    Wooden blocks with the word ROI and green arrow up. High level of business profitability. Return on investment, invested capital, rate. Success. Growth. Analytics. Report
    Financial & Incentives

    How quickly will your solar panels pay for themselves?

    Understanding payback period and return on investment of your solar panel purchase.
    Learn more
    Businesswomen discussing by table in office
    Financial & Incentives

    How to accelerate solar adoption for the underserved

    As solar panels have become more affordable, there's no reason home solar has to be exclusive to upper income households.
    Learn more
    Caucasian family sitting in a teepee, reading stories with the flashlight in dark room with toys and pillows. Caucasian models. Home comfort, family, love, Christmas holidays, storytelling time.
    Homeowner Insights

    How Homeowners Can Prepare For Rolling Blackouts

    Common questions and answers about rolling blackouts and solar-powered homes.
    Learn more
    Older female farmer with granddaughter
    Sustainability & Environment

    Mayors unveil $60B plan to support Midwest energy transition

    As fossil fuel use continues to decline, Midwest officials want to build on the green movement foundation.
    Learn more
    Buildings & Roof Tops Of Bisbee, Arizona
    Trends & Technology

    A $100 million investment will fund the largest ‘virtual power plant’ in the U.S.

    Combining innovative thinking and technology, companies are redefining how energy can be saved, re-distributed and consumed more efficiently.
    Learn more
    Brush Fire Threatening Homes
    Trends & Technology

    Why are Home Batteries Becoming so Popular?

    More homeowners are choosing to install battery storage. Here are the reasons behind the growth.
    Learn more
    Back to Trends

    Contact Sales

    Thank you for your submission. A Panasonic representative will contact you.

    Contact Support

    Thank you for your submission. A Panasonic representative will contact you.

    • About Us
    • News
    • Careers
    • Investor Relations
    • Social Impact
    • Contact Us
    • Do Not Sell My Data

    Get the Latest on Panasonic Trends

    Thanks for signing up!

    Connect with us

    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Linkedin
    • Instagram Link
    • Youtube

    Select Country/Language

    • United States - English
    • Canada - English
    • Canada - Français
    © 2020 Panasonic Corporation of North America. All Rights Reserved.
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms
    • Panasonic Global
    • Consumer
    • Industrial
    Reviewed by Accessible 360
    Reviewed by Accessible 360