Bollywood Hits the Sweet Spot with VENICE

From Hollywood to Bollywood, VENICE, Sony’s game changing Full-Frame Digital Motion Picture Camera is transforming the way movies are made, and seen.

You could say Sony’s VENICE was made for Indian films. Think Bollywood and what immediately comes to mind are the resplendent costumes, the lavish song and dance sequences, the larger-than-life sets and of course, the opulent colours. What better way to capture all that and more than with the VENICE.

Launched in 2018, Sony’s next-generation CineAlta motion picture camera system with a revolutionary 36x24mm full-frame sensor and phenomenal colour science pushes the boundaries of high-end cinematography like never before.

Recalls well-known Indian cinematographer and scriptwriter, Sudhakar Reddy: “I used the F65 CineAlta for a song sequence in the box-office hit Marathi film Sairat. The F65 blew my mind with its uncompromising images, breathtaking colour, depth and detail. I imagined what the VENICE could achieve.”

Luckily for Sudhakar, the VENICE’s arival in India coincided with his next film, Saand Ki Aankh, a sports biopic based on the real life story of two of India’s famous octogenarian sharpshooters, Chandro and Prakashi Tomar, or more affectionately known as Revolver Dadis (Grannies) of Johri, Uttar Pradesh.

Directed by Tushar Hiranandani and produced by Anurag Kashyap, the film stars Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar. Shooting is slated for March 2019.

Says Sudhakar:”Saand Ki Aankh is a story that spans various stages of life, and as such make-up will be one of the most important aspects which changes with the storyline. This also means that the tone had to be accurate.”

To ensure that VENICE was a perfect fit for Sudhakar’s stringent requirements, a ‘look test’ was done with actors before shooting commenced. Adds Sudhakar: “The ‘look’ test was important as it allowed me to test the VENICE’s latitude, its 8 built-in ND filters and wide Dynamic Range, which impressed me the most.”

VENICE’s phenomenal colour science ensures a soft tonal film look with natural shadows and mid-tones, which was pretty much what Sudhakar was looking for.

“VENICE’s 15+ stops Dynamic Range combined with Dual Base ISO of 500 and 2500 meant that I could shoot confidently in low light conditions,” adds Sudhakar.

Another highlight for Sudhakar was the amazing variety of lenses that VENICE could use. VENICE has a native E-mount but accepts existing PL lenses as well as still photography lenses.

For Saand Ki Aankh, Sudhakar opted for Zeiss super speed compact prime lenses and Supreme prime lenses.

Says Sudhakar: “Even with a suite of innovative features, I found VENICE very compact and easy to navigate. The OLED viewfinder is highly dependable and in Full HD. What a nice touch.”

Sudhakar leased the VENICE camera and its extension system (CBK-3610XS) from R.D. Equipment, a well-known rental service provider in Mumbai which incidentally is also the first company in India to acquire this breakthrough camera.

Concludes Sudhakar: “It’s easy to see why VENICE has hit the sweet spot with cinematographers around the world. It delivers that distinctive VENICE look and feel that I am sure movie-goers will fall in love with.”