IN THE
LIGHT OF THE
NEW DAWN
Leading DoP Arthur Wilson reckons on Sony VENICE 2 to capture the gripping action entertainer Waltair Veerayya
|“Waltair Veerayya”:|
An action-packed entertainment that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Waltair Veerayya, a Telugu action comedy film, is taking the cinematic world by storm with riveting visuals, arresting sequences, and a compelling narrative. The film is directed by Bobby Kolli and produced by Mythri Movie Makers. It stars Chiranjeevi as the titular character alongside Ravi Teja, Shruti Haasan, and Catherine Tresa.
But what distinguishes this movie's visual storytelling? The answer lies in the camera—the Sony VENICE 2, which has been creating waves in the cinematic world since its launch. Sony recently had the opportunity to gain experience more about this incredible film during an insightful conversation with veteran DoP, Arthur Wilson. Let’s know more.
|DOP ARTHUR WILSON'S TAKE ON SONY VENICE 2:|
The two catalysts coming together!
Initially, during principal photography, the DoP did a lot of research including the study of colour palette. This research led him to Sony VENICE 2, and the test footage impressed him a lot. Being an ardent fan of world cinema, he had seen cinematographer Vittorio Storaro's visuals which were shot on Sony VENICE, and he was amazed by the fantastic black levels. According to him, the closest he has come to achieving that, is when he used Sony Venice to shoot his single-shot nonlinear film, 'Iravin Nizhal'. He selected Sony VENICE 2 primarily because it helps create a more organic appearance similar to motion picture film stock.
“Sony VENICE 2 offers an incredible dynamic range and helps one shoot at a variety of lighting conditions, particularly and specifically in his case, for song sequences in the snow-capped valleys of France where the temperatures were minus 14 degrees Celsius”, he says.
|VENICE 2:|
A camera that excellently manages the challenges of lighting and colour settings.
The Sony VENICE 2 has excellent latitude to hold highlights and deep shadows when it comes to dealing with the challenges of lighting and colours. The camera is dependable and can help in challenging scenarios.
Waltair Veeraya came with its fair share of challenges which the DOP and his team embraced entirely. The intermission sequences were especially challenging. This sequence was full of wide setups with many action blocks shot at almost 500 fps. Additionally, these blocks were huge set pieces. To counter this, DoP personally created three circular light wheels. Each wheel had an ensemble of 220 Par Can lights. Once put together, the light appeared so stunning that he used it as a practical light that could be seen within the frame.
Another scene of the movie that he would like to mention is the lauded mid-sea action block, which happens on a stormy night. This visual was shot on a blue and green screen of the studio set. It garnered huge applause, crafting the illusion that it was truly shot on the water. For that sequence, Arthur Wilson lit as per the demands of the mood - one side cross-key lighting. And this was made possible with the Sony Venice 2, which has an excellent latitude to hold highlights and deep shadows.
|VENICE 2:|
A camera that brilliantly assisted in shooting vivid action scenes.
"The Sony VENICE 2 gave me the freedom to work with different colours."
Each action set piece in the movie was quite different.
The first one, mentioned above, a mid-sea sequence introducing Chiranjeevi, was shot with green matte. However, it was challenging to make it look real. For the huge night exterior setups, Arthur Wilson had to create his light wheel as detailed before. In the final shot, he had to create a very rugged look, so he concentrated on colours. And Sony Venice 2 gave him the flexibility to handle different colours.
In addition, he chose to use the basic and secondary grades rather than creating any LUT. As he had already predefined the color scheme for every portion, he created the look and color as intended throughout the process.
|VENICE 2:|
Led to creating a remarkable experience with incredible features & functionality..
The DoP was quite familiar with Sony Venice as he had used it to shoot "Iravin Nizhal,". Working with Sony VENICE 2 was therefore much simpler. Even in extremely cold sub-zero temperatures, it performs flawlessly. The full-frame sensor allowed an extra angle of view, great for elaborate wide-angle sequences with a selective depth of field.
"In terms of future projects, I plan to continue shooting with the Sony VENICE 2. I will be happy to be the Brand Ambassador for SONY VENICE 2”, Arthur stated.
