In May of last year, I was hired to shoot a web interactive game for Yahoo sports in the LA Coliseum. The director was Jason Zada who helms at the production company, Tool of North America. He saw the short film The Last 3 Minutes, loved the look of it, and wanted to try the Canon 5D technology in the sports arena.
Canon 5Ds for 2010 World Cup Spot
The game was one that you played online to get people all fired up about the 2010 WORLD CUP. It was a shootout where you could select to be the penalty kicker or the goalie. From there you would select where you were going to kick the ball or as the goalie, where you were going to leap to make the save.
We shot the spot over 2 days and I employed the same kind of lighting style that I used in the drum battle at the end of my film Drumline. I used a very controlled, super soft source from overhead that fell off quickly.
This lighting effect was used to showcase the kicker and the goalie, while all the other elements in the stadium fell off to black.
Here you see the wide shot and the fall off of our huge overhead soft source, in post we added the flashbulb effects, and sound design for the crowd and I lit the tunnels of the LA Coliseum to give it a little depth
The same effect was used with the kicker’s direction as well as the goalie’s. This gave us the ability to shoot 360 degrees with 9 cameras and still have wonderful contrast and color
Using the shallow depth of field of the Canon 5D sensor we were able to take a 24mm Canon L series 1.4 lens and throw the goalie out of focus in the background so that the overlaid circles popped off the screen
Kicker Celebrates after a score
The goalie readies herself for the shot. I lit the arches at the Coliseum to give more depth along the retaining wall
Canon 5Ds and Canon L Series Glass
We shot with a total of nine Canon 5Ds with all Canon L series glass, from a 24mm to a 800mm. Over the course of the two-night shoot, we had over 158 setups planned.
With synergy and support from several of my talented Elite Team members: Darin Necessary, 1st AC Mike Svitak, 2nd AC Derek Edwards, 1st AC and Chris Mosely, Camera Operator we brought this baby to life.
Every set-up required us to repeat all of the shots again with a different kicker and a different goalie. Once again, the power of this platform and its nimble ability to capture wonderful moments were showcased. Here are some screen grabs from the interactive game as well as a BTS.
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About Filmmakers Academy Cinematographer Mentor Shane Hurlbut, ASC
Director of photography Shane Hurlbut, ASC works at the forefront of cinema. He’s a storyteller, innovator, and discerning collaborator, who brings more than three decades of experience to his art. He is a member of the American Society of Cinematographers, the International Cinematographers Guild/Local 600, and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Hurlbut frequently joins forces with great directors: McG’s Netflix Rim of the World and The Babysitter, plus Warner Bros. We Are Marshall and Terminator: Salvation; Scott Waugh’s Need for Speed and Act of Valor; and Gabriele Muccino’s There Is No Place Like Home and Fathers and Daughters. His additional film credits include Semi-Pro; The Greatest Game Ever Played; Into the Blue; Mr 3000; Drumline; 11:14, which earned Hurlbut a DVDX nomination; and The Skulls. Notably, his television credits include the first season of AMC’s Into the Badlands.
