Road Pictures and DOP Jim Timperman chose the Alexa LF and Signature Primes for their recent collaboration with bourbon distiller Four Roses.
Jim and I sat down to chat about his recent week-long shoot for Four Roses distillery. It was Jim’s first time shooting with the full frame Alexa LF and Arri Signature Primes so I was curious what he thought about the combo and why he chose it for this particular project.
Alexa LF in the mash house
Jim Timperman setting up the scene
“One of the main reasons I chose the LF specifically is because our client wanted the foreground and background to fall way out of focus.”
Shallow depth of field wasn’t the only benefit that Jim saw in the new Alexa LF. Having a native 4k sensor and the fact that the new Signature Prime lenses were specifically designed for the LF camera was another appealing feature. A lot of lenses tend to perform better or worse at certain T-stops but Jim was pleasantly surprised to find that the Signature Primes maintained a consistent look regardless of stop:
”I like knowing that the Signature Primes perform the same either wide open or stopped down. I had the ability to shoot wide open at all times but as you go in tight on a product I would shoot at a T4 or T5.6, and they still looked great.”
For these spots Jim had to shoot a wide range of subjects including architectural wides, human faces, and product closeups so I asked him what his thoughts were on the look the camera and lenses:
“The Signature Primes, I would say, are contrast neutral. However I light the scene, that’s how the scene appears. They are very faithful to my eyes. Even in the scene where we had a model in her 50’s I did not feel any need to use any diffusion in front of the lens. The highlights look fantastic and there is still plenty of color detail and information in the shadows.”
Instead of creating a brand new sensor and camera system, Arri simply increased the size of the sensor they’ve been using for years. By sticking it inside an Alexa Classic-like body and adapting the same user interface, DOP’s and AC’s feel right at home. I asked Jim what his thoughts were on the size of the camera and what the user interface was like:
“As big as the LF is, when paired with the Signature Primes, it’s not that heavy of a camera. They are fast, lightweight, and easy to work worth. It’s the friendly Arriflex interface that we’ve all come to know and love. I always know that I am getting what I need.”
All six of the current Signature Primes are a fast T1.8 across the board. Our set currently consists of 18, 25, 35, 47, 75, and 125mm. More focal lengths will be added to the set in 2019.