Digital Cinema at Home in Video Wisconsin Toolbox

The last two years have brought changes to the production world that are nothing less than revolutionary, with ripples reaching every facet of image production, from indie web-movies to network television and theatrical features.

The arrival of Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras capable of recording high-definition digital video has fundamentally changed the method and product of the moving image business. Specifically, the Canon 5D Mark II and the 7D have dramatically expanded the range of work that is possible.

VW’s staff took delivery of a 5D more than two years ago from one of the first shipments to arrive at our neighbors upstairs, the Mike Crivello Camera Center. First tests were performed against some high end broadcast cameras that were in for a demo and the results were unanimous: We had never seen anything like the images the 5D produced.

The camera went right to work, producing a promotional video for Grace Episcopal Church in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The camera’s extraordinary low-light capability allowed capture of remarkable scenes of church services using only available light, which produced remarkable results.

Since that successful start we have kept the 5D hard at work on a wide variety of projects from corporate and technical training to broadcast spots. The awards and the compliments from customers have been consistent.

The 5D has been an instant hit with customers, producing an image-quality that has convinced motion-picture professionals world-wide to embrace the new technology.

Of course, there’s a lot more to talk about with the new wave of digital cinema, and we’ll get to that in the weeks to come. And there’s also a lot more happening at VW that we will be sharing!