TX has purchased “matched sets” of Arri Alura Zoom lenses. These matched wide and long PL mount zooms allow crews to work at an efficient shooting pace. They are of small size and low weight for quick and easy handling on set, compared with other PL mount zooms.
These lenses provide outstanding optical performance with high resolution and consistent contrast, even field illumination and greatly reduced chromatic aberration through the use of extraordinary dispersion glass across the whole focus and zoom range.
Available to hire:
“Arri Alura/Fujinon 18-80mm zoom lens T2.6 at £600.00 per week
Arri Alura/Fujinon 45-250mm zoom lens T2.6 at £720.00 per week.”
TX provide comprehensive HD multi camera recording facilities, with surround sound and lighting, for the third series of the award-winning BBC period drama “Land Girls”, filming in and around the West Midlands.
For the new series, TX spent a lot of time researching ways to improve the look and style of the series. After testing a range of systems and lenses, they decided on the Sony PMW-F3 and its Exmor™ Super35 CMOS image sensor. This sensor is the same size as super 35mm film and has been specifically developed for digital cinematography. The sensor offers exceptional noise reduction and greatly reduces power consumption. The cameras take PL mount lenses, which provide immediate compatibility with the huge range of filmic 35mm optics, including prime, digital cinematography and even stills lenses.
Will Trotter, Executive Producer of Land Girls, says: “It’s brilliant to be able to continue the story of the land girls and the people whose lives interact with theirs, going back to see familiar faces as well as introducing new and exciting characters. This new series gives us the opportunity to explore further how those left at home lived their lives in the shadow of the Second World War.”
Liam Keelan, Controller of BBC Daytime, adds: “This third series of Land Girls is part of BBC Daytime’s ongoing commitment to produce more quality original British drama, which our audiences continue to ask for. It builds on the success of the previous two series which our viewers have loved for the dramatic way they have told the story of land girls – and their families and friends – in the Second World War.”
Land Girls Series 3 is due to aired daily from Monday 7th November in the lead up to Armistice Day on 11th November.
After a comprehensive Tendering process on the Bravo Solutions Portal, the BBC has now approved TX, under their Wet Hire Framework Agreement, as a preferred supplier of Camera, Sound & Lighting equipment with Crew.
Steve Lloyd, Facility Manager for Transmission TX says – “This is a major award for TX. The BBC don’t choose Wet Hire suppliers lightly and we greatly value their decision to validate TX as a preferred supplier of Broadcast recording equipment with crew”.
The TX 360 video crew have been out and about with the latest range of Porsche automobiles, catching all the action from both inside and outside the car. To do this, the crew used a specially designed range of mounts and accessories. The high speed sequences around the Circuit Zandvoort track on the Dutch coast provided some amazing 360 video footage, followed by a calm but head turning interactive cruise along a nearby seaside boulevard. The final sphere movie gave a real sense of “On the road with Porsche” when viewed on iPads at the European Motor Fair, where Porsche engaged stand visitors with a unique promotion utilizing the latest in 360 video mobile apps for iPad and iPhone. A very long way from the promotion used for the Porsche 360 Cisitalia, first introduced in 1949.
Tigress Productions came to TX with another challenge following the success of the specialist systems we devised for Everest: Beyond the Limit and Alone in the Wild. This time the challenge to design and provide a kit which would film 24/7 in HD in the extreme conditions of an African summer capturing what happens when an elephant dies in the wild and the life cycle that it feeds, from vultures and leopards to flies and beetles.
Design and development started months in advance of the shoot. Fibre optic links connected the remote cameras, sound and controlled IR lighting at the elephant site to the camp where the crew worked and lived. There were a number of factors to consider we had to ensure the reliability of the cameras, dealing with the cold of the night without getting condensation in the early mornings and then the extreme heat with silent cooling units so as not to disturb the animals or upset the sound department! Once they had started filming going out to the site to fix any technical problems would be a huge risk due to the predators that would be roaming.
Capturing anything and everything that moved continuously for three weeks, from amazing sunlit shots, changing to long shadows and the IR images at night. A fascinating insight into life cycles.
“It isn’t very often you get a fresh angle on a subject as comprehensively filmed as African wildlife.” – Tom Sutcliffe, The Independent
One thing we had not anticipated for in our months of planning and development was smell of the equipment when it arrived back at TX!
32 Brinkburn Street, a new drama as part of BBC One Daytimes’ programming to mark the event of the 2011 Census.
TX as a BBC preferred supplier provided this drama with a two camera HD unit with Surround Sound, Lighting, crew and full technical support. Filmed over seven weeks on location in and around Manchester, set in a Georgian terraced house following the lives of two generations of the same family, one in 1931 and one in 2011 exploring the changes in society and family.
Liam Keelan, Controller of BBC Daytime, says: “This new warm, accessible, compelling story about a family across the generations, with another high calibre cast, is part of BBC Daytime’s ongoing commitment to produce more quality original British drama, which we know our audiences love.”
32 Brinkburn Street will be on BBC One and BBC HD from Monday 28th March to Friday 1st April at 14:15 on BBC One at 17:15 on BBC HD.
The 2000th episode of the multi-award winning BBC drama will be broadcast on February 16th.
The series airs weekdays at 1.45pm on BBC One and simultaneously on BBC One HD. It is also repeated later in the day on BBC HD.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mh9v
Speaking on BBC Breakfast earlier in the week, Roland Moore, the creator of this highly-awarded drama commented ‘The first series proved to be hugely popular, pulling in audiences of more than two million, which was exciting but perhaps more so was the age range of those who had watched the series – ranging from early teens to over 70’s.’ Becci Gemmell and Seline Hizli who both play Joyce and Connie in the series, added that the success was down to ‘great scriptwriting of a warm, uplifting and compelling story’ but also ‘fantastic teamwork on set.’
TX have been responsible for shooting all the footage for both series…
To watch a behind the scenes video of the making of the second series of Land Girls go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00d92hf
“For more information on the series visit
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00xxnhv#clips“
Life after Death will be broadcast on Channel 4 at 9pm, Wednesday 16th February.
“For further news and articles, including an interview with Simon visit:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-elephant-life-after-death/articles/category/features“
Doctors, the award-winning British day-time Drama filmed exclusively by TX, will broadcast its 2000th episode on Wednesday, February 16, 2011. Will Trotter, Doctors executive producer commented, ‘It’s wonderful that this day-time drama has reached it’s 2,000 episode. Its success is down to all those involved in its production.’