Robbie Williams: 'Live at The O2' Trailer - BMCC & FS700

I've been filming content for Robbie William's latest O2 Arena shows here in London over the last 3 weeks.

This teaser trailer from filmed from the first couple of days of rehearsals to help promote the show on SKY HD and online. It's a combination of the BMCC for a lot of the close up performance shots and the Sony FS700 for any 50fps slowmo shots. As we had to deliver the trailer within a day of filming I shot ProRes Video on the BMCC and was impressed how well both camera formats matched together with minimal grading required.

Lenses used on the BMCC where:

Canon 17-55mm F2.8 IS
Canon 100mm Macro F2.8 IS

Minimal camera grip gear was used, just a hawk-woods battery mount and an Alphatron EVF

James how are you liking the Alphatron on production?
Is it worth it over the Zacuto?

How was the live audio at close range?
Did you record any?

James how are you liking the Alphatron on production?
Is it worth it over the Zacuto?

Hi Eric,

I've really liked using the Alphatron. It works very well with the BMCC. I can't compare with the Zacuto as it's HDMI though my friend Den Lennie has converted his to work with the BMCC has I think prefers it from using the Zacuto EVF more.

I didn't record live audio with the BMCC during this filming.

James, I was planning on getting the EF-S 17-55 2.8 IS to go with my BMCC....can you confirm if the Iris control works with this lens? Does IS?

Thanks
sean

Hi James: Thanks for sharing this. Nice mix of slo-mo and slow dolly moves, etc. Good to hear the BMCC ProRes held up well.

I could ask lots of questions ... (Was the BMCC footage sharpened or NR in post? Were the lightbulb filament CUs BMCC?) ... but mostly just want to say thanks, and great work! Cheers.

Sean, the Canon 17-55mm works perfectly with the BMCC. You have full iris control on the camera and the IS also works really well.

Thanks Peter... to answer a couple of questions... the BMCC footage wasn't sharpened and hardly graded in post due to shooting in ProRes Video mode. It just came out of the camera looking great. Also yes, the lightbulb CU shots were the BMCC. They just held the highlights so much better than the FS700.

the BMCC footage wasn't sharpened and hardly graded in post due to shooting in ProRes Video mode. It just came out of the camera looking great. Also yes, the lightbulb CU shots were the BMCC. They just held the highlights so much better than the FS700.

Thank You! This gives me new faith in ProRes 709 for my quick turnaround and hand off work.

Wow!!!!

In 709 looks pretty good too!!! AWesome!!!

Thanx for sharing this. It's beautifully shot and edited and photography is awesome too.

Jesus.

Niiiice....vids like this remind me why I'm waiting with most the rest of you guys. hahaha...

Dear Santa, please pay BMD a visit and help them crank out these cams. Thanks.

as a watcher i like that. i like the camera, eddie, yellow bulbs. they are look beautiful. but as a producer/organizer of the show, i need to sell the tickets. definitely, some "art" in this video, but as a producer i would suggest to re-edit the trailer.
happy crowd. eddie. eddie. eddie. new hit. bum. overvoice/text. eddie/concert/city. crowd going crazy. eddie. artists/10000 watts of sound/light/pyro etc. eddie. dates. tickets. eddie. location. eddie. sponsors. dates. tickets.
if you make a commercial product, think as a producer and forget about "art", "flowers", "dogs", "kids", "fences", "leaves", "brides". because if you won't, it will be one of the 99.99% of the videos that just are wasting your time. because the organizer companies needs to sell the tickets, not the "art".

as a watcher i like that. i like the camera, eddie, yellow bulbs. they are look beautiful. but as a producer/organizer of the show, i need to sell the tickets. definitely, some "art" in this video, but as a producer i would suggest to re-edit the trailer.
happy crowd. eddie. eddie. eddie. new hit. bum. overvoice/text. eddie/concert/city. crowd going crazy. eddie. artists/10000 watts of sound/light/pyro etc. eddie. dates. tickets. eddie. location. eddie. sponsors. dates. tickets.
if you make a commercial product, think as a producer and forget about "art", "flowers", "dogs", "kids", "fences", "leaves", "brides". because if you won't, it will be one of the 99.99% of the videos that just are wasting your time. because the organizer companies needs to sell the tickets, not the "art".

I don't think the promotors had any trouble selling tickets to that event. They sold out all 3 nights in just over an hour.

The trailer would resonate with fans and it shows Robbie as a likeable friendly character back stage. All part of his image.

I'm not a fanboy, but it's good pop music and this trailed does well to show that off.

Nice work James.

I agree.

While I understand where you're coming from. I think we've moved past a page in commercial theory, infomercials are a thing of the past, you aren't trying to sell people products anymore as much as a culture. What makes this so good is it isn't trying to sell on anything, just raise awareness.

producers are afraid of the bottom line, that effects a lot of decisions. commercials don't sell products - they raise awareness, and the more memorable - enjoyable avenue you go down, the better the company does on a whole.

it's the difference between a commercial for 'the general auto insurance', and mayhem from 'all-state'.

if you make a commercial product, think as a producer and forget about "art", "flowers", "dogs", "kids", "fences", "leaves", "brides". because if you won't, it will be one of the 99.99% of the videos that just are wasting your time. because the organizer companies needs to sell the tickets, not the "art".

Sorry Pete but to me your "concept" sounds exactly like the usual lame cliché ridden pop concert trailer that nobody would really notice/care for.. where you can't remember which band/artist it was about already a few seconds later.. this is much more likeable and imho fits the subject matter quite well.

Great trailer!

Loved to see the ProRes holding up so well.

Just waiting for BMCC to get to Portugal...

Nice work James. Can see the hand held and tripod pans and rises but would love to hear more detail on how you shot the dolly moves?

Thanks

Nice work James. Can see the hand held and tripod pans and rises but would love to hear more detail on how you shot the dolly moves?

Thanks

I use a small glidetrack for the dolly type moves. Fits in my tripod bag and normally always gets a bit of use on every shoot. Thanks Marshall.

Nice work James. Can see the hand held and tripod pans and rises but would love to hear more detail on how you shot the dolly moves?

Thanks

I use a small glidetrack for the dolly type moves. Fits in my tripod bag and normally always gets a bit of use on every shoot. Thanks Marshall.

Been looking for a small slider. So many of them are huge, heavy, and cost a great deal. I'm sure they're appropriate for heavy day in and day out but I've got to say I love the shots you're making with yours. Which size did you go with, the really small one? How does it work when you're recording sound . . . people talking? Is it loud?

Nice work James. Can see the hand held and tripod pans and rises but would love to hear more detail on how you shot the dolly moves?

Thanks

I use a small glidetrack for the dolly type moves. Fits in my tripod bag and normally always gets a bit of use on every shoot. Thanks Marshall.

Been looking for a small slider. So many of them are huge, heavy, and cost a great deal. I'm sure they're appropriate for heavy day in and day out but I've got to say I love the shots you're making with yours. Which size did you go with, the really small one? How does it work when you're recording sound . . . people talking? Is it loud?

Mine is just a simple Glidetrack SD http://www.glidetrack.com/glidetrack-shooter-sd.html

I shoot solo most of the time so my kit list all boils down to what I can lug about on long shooting days, hence a smaller slider so I always have it with me.

As for sound on the camera, I've shot a couple of projects with audio into the camera. I'm still looking forward to built in audio meters but hopefully that'll come soon.

Been looking for a small slider. So many of them are huge, heavy, and cost a great deal. I'm sure they're appropriate for heavy day in and day out but I've got to say I love the shots you're making with yours. Which size did you go with, the really small one? How does it work when you're recording sound . . . people talking? Is it loud?

I pre-ordered a Rhino Slider on Kickstarter. I haven't received it yet, but it looks like a pretty good slider:

The funding campaign is now closed, but I believe you can pre-order one on their site. I ordered the long 4ft Carbon version + the 2ft "PRO" Solid Stainless Steel Travel Rails with center-mount.

Hi James,
I gave you many compliments in Vimeo, but I wonder if when you'll post the video showed in the european roadshow.
Thanks

Mine is just a simple Glidetrack SD

I got the same one.. amazing that you get such smooth moves from it using the BMC!
I rarely use it because sadly is friction only.. which is ok as long as you don't want to slide + pan&tilt at the same time.. if you try that it get's really really hard to have smooth movement.

Recently I bought a CamDolly set and so far I love it.. but I haven't tried it's "slider dolly mode" yet because it's not really that portable compared to "real" sliders.
So many of them out there now.. had a look at some of the cheaper ones at IBC and many had sort of the "opposite problem".. having too little friction

Mine is just a simple Glidetrack SD

I got the same one... I rarely use it because sadly is friction only...

Have you tried the hybrid carriage? Has both roller and friction bearings.

Hi James,
I gave you many compliments in Vimeo, but I wonder if when you'll post the video showed in the european roadshow.
Thanks

Thank you for the compliments! I look forward to putting the film shot for BlackMagic online, but right now it is exclusive for the roadshows as there maybe more dates next year.

Hi James,
I gave you many compliments in Vimeo, but I wonder if when you'll post the video showed in the european roadshow.
Thanks

Thank you for the compliments! I look forward to putting the film shot for BlackMagic online, but right now it is exclusive for the roadshows as there maybe more dates next year.

Thx James,
I though the same thing. I lost the Milan meeting but I was in Bologna. I was curious to watch it.

Robbie is only for girls in my world but it is a really nice production.

Keep it up.

Cheers