Aerial cinematographer David Nowell, (The Avengers, Pirates of the Caribbean, Transformers, Top Gun), recently relied on SHOTOVER’s K1 stabilization platform to shoot aerial sequences for the upcoming summer release Transformers 4. The footage was shot at multiple Chinese locations including the Great Wall of China, Beijing and Wulong National Park.
SHOTOVER explained that its K1 is the only motion picture-grade aerial camera system with no ITAR restrictions, allowing it to be shipped anywhere in the world without State Department approval. The system’s modular design supports both 2D and 3D shooting, accommodating cameras such as the Red Epic and Dragon, ARRI Alexa, Phantom Flex4K, Canon C500, Sony F55 and F65 along with a broad range of lenses.
For the Transformers 4 shoot, Nowell worked with aerial coordinator Alan Purwin (Tropic Thunder, Transformers, Pearl Harbor, National Treasure) and aerial coordinator Fred North (Inception, Clash of the Titans, Man of Steel) to achieve shots from a Eurocopter Astar. The team worked with local SHOTOVER reseller Beijing Shadow Times and its president Gong Bin to ensure all aspects of production coordination.
During the shoot, the K1 was used with a variety of camera and lens combinations including the new 6K Red Dragon, Angeniuex Optimo 16-42 and Angenieux 50-500 anamorphic lens as well as the IMAX Digital 3D rig.
“SHOTOVER systems represent the pinnacle of flexibility and convenience for producers, with the ability to travel around the world with no export restrictions and quickly rig to virtually all aircraft, even those with strict weight limitations,” said Purwin, president of SHOTOVER and parent company Helinet Aviation. “From an image gathering perspective, aerial cinematographers can capture motion picture quality 2D and 3D images in a user friendly package that enables them to utilize multiple camera and lens configurations in the course of a single day of shooting.”
SHOTOVER is exhibiting the K1, along with the more compact SHOTOVER F1 at NAB booth C12635.
