Pioneering Sony Cinematography Setup Brings Fashion Show to Millions

The GANNI winter fashion show is an institution on the global fashion circuit, showcasing the cutting-edge designs from the well-established designer brand. Their annual autumn/winter fashion show draws in over a million viewers wanting to see GANNI’s offering for the new season, this makes it an incredibly important part of their calendar and a key opportunity to show off with a unique and exciting event.

With limited room for an audience at its event space, GANNI decided to livestream the show in 2022 in order to bring the event to a wider group, but wanted to ensure the drama and occasion of the show weren’t compromised.

To achieve this the team turned to filmmaker Peter Vintergaard, an experienced Director of Photography who has filmed many unique live events and worked with GANNI before.

Vintergaard chose to use a new and exciting combination of Sony cameras for the project. “We used three ILME-FR7 PTZ cameras, plus six ILME-FX6’s and an ILME-FX3. We also had a Go Pro attached to a drone for some ariel shots” he explains.

“By using a range of Sony cameras we were able to give the production that dramatic, signature Sony look we all know. Keeping the brand of camera consistent was also great for ensuing colour matching across the production and turning round a quick edit. GANNI wanted edited highlights of the show the next day, so there was no time to be tweaking colours and ensuring they matched. Using the Sony cameras was great for this, especially the FR7 which allowed us to reach new angles never used before without having to majorly alter our workflows – it just slotted in like any other camera.”

Peter was responsible for over 50 different edits and pieces of content which were produced following the show, a mammoth project for one person to manage. He was supported by The Lab, a Danish equipment and studio space provider who work on innovative productions.

Vintegaard admits his choice of technology also helped him achieve the results he wanted. “Using Sony G-Master lenses with autofocus was a lifesaver for us. On a live shoot they are more effective and reliable than even the most talented camera operators as there’s lots of movement, meaning camera operators need to be dynamic and fast which isn’t always possible.”

Using cinema cameras instead of broadcast ones was a pragmatic choice as much as a creative one from Peter, who says “Renting 4K broadcast cameras is always very expensive, and just wasn’t practical for a small production like this. By using cinema cameras, we were able to maintain 4K quality at a great price.”

Putting on such an important production with limited resources left Peter with several challenges to overcome, the most significant of these was the fashion show environment. “It’s really hard to prepare for a fashion show compared to other environments, if you’re filming a football game the setup is very similar every time and filming the game is relatively predictable. Whereas, with a fashion show everything is much more unpredictable. Every setup is different, and there’s little chance for proper rehearsals, as models walk in a different way each time they use the catwalk and never wear their outfits until the actual events.”

There was also the issue of the space being relatively small, meaning the footprint of equipment had to be small so as not to take away audience space. “We bypassed this problem by using remote heads and PTZ cameras” explains Vintegaard. “By using Sony FR7 PTZ’s and remote heads we could capture great content without camera operators everywhere, which used to be a necessity. We were also able to reach new angles never-before used by mounting FR7s on tripods and ceilings which was exciting.”

While Peter was in charge of directing this new and innovative setup, he was assisted by The Lab production company, as well as Best Broadcast Hire (BBH), an equipment rental and tech facility house who provide tech support and equipment for some of the biggest shows on television, including The Batchelor and Ex on the Beach.

BBH has a 40-year relationship with Sony which continues to endure, working on a range of projects big and small, always trying new technology and techniques. At the heart of the live coverage of the GANNI fashion show was Sony’s world-first interchangeable lens PTZ camera, the FR7.

“It’s very, very cool” says Ulrik Samuelsen, CEO of BBH. “PTZ’s are the future of streaming and live production. They’re efficient, provide new angles, and can be controlled remotely. They’re so easy to use basically everything will be livestreamed in the future.”

“For the GANNI project the FR7 was a perfect fit and kept the exact look the client wanted by colour matching the other Sony cameras and keeping a dramatic feel while slotting into the existing workflow.” Samuelson also wanted to point out how effective the FX6 cameras are: “they’re a great camera and are being used everywhere because they’re so multi-functional and can be used on a wide range of projects.”

The show and livestream were an all-round success, with over a million people and counting watching the show on YouTube, and many more watching across all platforms.

“The show was a huge success thanks to the large amount of collaboration. BBH and Sony did a wonderful job providing reliable equipment, and The Lab were also a massive support on the production side.”

Ulrik from BBH commented “We were really happy with how the production went. Thanks to Sony’s great quality and reliable equipment there weren’t any technical problems and we were able to provide an efficient, budget friendly solution which provided the look and feel the director and GANNI wanted.”

“It’s great to see some of our newest and most exciting cameras being used for productions like this” says Daniel Listh, Content Acquistion and Solutions Specialist for Sony Europe. “The hard work of Peter Vintergaard, The Lab, and BBH proves that small budgets and awkward spaces are no longer a limiting factor in producing great quality, reliable livestreams which is great to see.”