Boris And Natasha Help Peter Jackson Shoot World War One Action Film
Down at NAB, the premiere of Peter Jackson's new First World War film has taken place. The film was shot only two and a half weeks ago, to test the new RED digital camera.
Running just twelve minutes long, the film featured aerial dogfighters and lots of explosive tank action back down on the land. Apparently, the vehicles were shot practically rather than CG created, though effects were added to the footage afterwards - bullet traces and so on.
The film was projected at 4k resolution and, apparently, all in attendance were blown away by the image quality. You have to note that every frame of it was ungraded and represented the data as captured by the RED camera system without any kind of colour correction or digital intermediate. Sounds as though the two RED cameras used on the film - prototypes named Boris and Natasha - really did Jackson proud.
[EDIT: In fact, subsequent reports confirm that a DI was carried out - and the raw RED data held up to it perfectly]
For now the film is going to remain under wraps and only visitors to NAB are going to see it. Downgrading the images from the 4k presented there would be counterproductive, certainly while RED cameras are still rolling out. Jackson being Jackson, however, I'm sure we'll get to see the film at some point - if only as a special feature on the eventual Blu-Ray disc of Dambusters.
