Blackmagic Design has announced that DP Toby Oliver, ACS used two Pocket Cinema Camera 4Ks to shoot the suspense/thriller Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island (Columbia Pictures). Sr. colorist Alastor Arnold of FotoKem then used DaVinci Resolve Studio to grade the film.
In Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island, the enigmatic Mr. Roarke makes the secret dreams of his lucky guests come true at a luxurious but remote tropical resort. But when the fantasies turn into nightmares, the guests have to solve the island’s mystery in order to escape with their lives.
From the producers of Get Out and Truth or Dare, Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island is directed by Jeff Wadlow, written by Wadlow, Chris Roach and Jillian Jacobs, and is produced by Jason Blum, Marc Toberoff and Wadlow.
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Oliver used the Pocket Cinema Camera 4Ks to capture wide angle shots throughout production and as action cameras during the film’s intense fight scenes.
“A lot goes into choreographing a big action scene, from special effects to stunts to wardrobe, so you really need to make sure you capture as much as possible during a take to avoid having to reset. The more cameras you can fit in the better,” said Oliver. “Due to the Pocket Cinema Camera 4Ks’ small form factor, we could easily position them within an action shot to capture unique angles while not having them appear in the other cameras’ coverage, which really helped us make the most of each take.”
The cameras’ internal recording capabilities were crucial for Oliver, since he could keep their footprint small and easily tuck them into tight spots to capture the action. “In one scene, there’s a big battle featuring a dozen or so actors and gunfire. A mercenary falls into a pool during the combat, so we positioned a Pocket Cinema Camera 4K below him in the water to capture a unique angle of his plunge. During a later scene, one of the actors falls during a skirmish, so we positioned a Pocket Cinema Camera 4K under a table for a different vantage point,” Oliver explained.
“By leveraging the cameras’ size and ability to record internally, we were able to get the shots we needed. Moreover, their dynamic range and ability to shoot high frame rates allowed us to easily match our main cameras’ footage so everything intercuts seamlessly in post,” concluded Oliver. “Within a limited budget, we needed to have reliable, affordable, all in one cameras that we could use to cover more ground and expand our reach, and the Pocket Cinema Camera 4Ks delivered just that.”
FotoKem’s Arnold worked with Oliver and director Wadlow to develop four distinct looks for the film, with each guest’s fantasy having its own tone that matches their journey.
“Working on a tight deadline to create the distinct looks in the film was equally challenging and rewarding. Grading in DaVinci Resolve Studio made experimentation and auditioning different color concepts with Toby and Jeff effortlessly fun,” added Arnold.
