Bayonet, a short political thriller from Bergen Films and director Gregory Horoupian, recently completed principal photography using digital recording technology from Codex. The short was shot by cinematographer Lyle Vincent using an ARRI Alexa Studio camera paired with anamorphic lenses and a Codex Onboard M recorder.
According to Horoupian – whose previous credits include A Perfect Execution and Solitude – Bayonet was inspired by the classic political dramas of the 1970s, and he noted that he, Vincent and DIT Matthew Martin conducted extensive camera tests during preproduction to find a modern version of the deep, rich widescreen look of those films. “Ultimately, only the combination of the Alexa Studio camera and anamorphic lenses was able to create the images we were striving for,” Horoupian said.
The Codex Onboard M recorder provided Horoupian with practical means to capture the uncompressed RAW output from the Alexa Studio’s 4:3 sensor. “No other recorder would have allowed us to capture the amount of data generated by the camera,” he said. “It was essential to our look.”
As a result, Horoupian said, he and his production team were able to produce a short film with the picture quality of a studio feature. “It’s exciting to be able to create a look of this caliber on the budget of a small independent,” he said. “Codex technology allowed us to achieve something that previously would have been beyond our reach.”
The Codex Onboard M recorder, datapacks and transfer station were supplied by Technological Cinevideo Services, New York.
Bayonet, produced by Gregory Horoupian and Zachary Meyer, will begin screening at film festivals this fall.
