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21 QUESTIONS ABOUT THE D-21

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21 QUESTIONS ABOUT THE D-21

21 QUESTIONS ABOUT THE D-21

As a manufacturer of both film and digital

motion picture cameras, ARRI is able to offerthe right tools for any type of productionthrough its global rental network. Thedesign and development of the D-21has benefited from ARRIs unrivalledknowledge of film camera technology andthe result is the most film-like digitalcamera available today. Cinematographersand camera crews accustomed to working

with Super 16 and 35mm film camerasadapt easily to the D-21, and the camera fitsreadily into established production processes.

The D-21 can be used for feature films, high

quality TV drama, visual effects sequences,commercials and music videos. Decisionsregarding whether to use it, and how touse it, are inextricably linked to the entireworkflow of a production and involve manyvariables. This booklet attempts to pose andanswer the questions most commonly askedby producers, directors and techniciansconsidering the ARRIFLEX D-21 for a

forthcoming project.

TheARRIFLEX D-21 film style digital camera is the successor to the D-20 and representsthe significant progress ARRI has made in the field of digital image acquisition. Whilst thesensor and camera body of the D-20 have been retained, major hardware and softwareimprovements, as well as greatly expanded versatility of functions and workflows, make theD-21 well suited to a wide range of applications.

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1 The ARRIFLEX D-21 belongs to a differentcategory of camera; it is much more thanjust another HD model because it isdesigned to share as many features of an

ARRI 35mm film camera as possible thesame optical viewfinder, the same lensesand the same accessories. It uses a singleCMOS sensor, which is the size (24 x18mm) and shape (4:3) of a 35mm filmframe, and incorporates a spinning mirror

shutter that replicates 35mm motioncapture better than any other digitalcamera. Unlike some single-sensor HDcameras, the D-21 does not make image

resolution claims that ignore thesignificant effect of its Bayer colour filterarray; the sensor has a native pixel countof 2880 x 2160, resulting in true 2K orHD alias-free effective resolution, afterimage processing.

The D-21 is a premium product, withfeatures in common with the finest 35mmfilm cameras. Since the look of imagesgenerated by the D-21 is nearer to 35mmfilm than conventional HD, it is to film thatthe D-21 must be compared. This being thecase, the stock and processing costs ofshooting on film play an important part inevaluating the cost-effectiveness of the

D-21. In general, if a production can affordSuper 16 then it can afford the D-21,though exact costs will depend on theshooting ratio, equipment packageand other factors. Of course, a detailedquotation for any particular project andadvice on suitable camera equipment canbe obtained from your usual contactat ARRI Media.

ARRIFLEX D-21

HOW IS THE D-21 DIFFERENT FROM OTHER DIGITAL CAMERAS?

2HOW AFFORDABLE IS THE D-21?

ARRICAM Studio

35mm Camera

The D-21 at work on location

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21 QUESTIONS ABOUT THE D-21

DOES THE D-21 USE ANY COMPRESSION AND WHAT ARE THERECORDING OPTIONS?

In HD Mode the D-21 outputs uncompressed signals with full 16:9 resolution (1920 x1080 pixels), and in addition full-height 4:3 video assist PAL or NTSC SD signals. TheHD output can be either 4:2:2 (via single cable) or full RGB 4:4:4 (via dual cables or fibre)

and set to either linear or logarithmic contrast characteristic. Signals can be recordeduncompressed using the Flashmag (10 minutes in 4:4:4 or 15 minutes in 4:2:2), mildlycompressed with a Sony SRW-1 HDCAM SR portable VTR (with a maximum recording timeof 50 minutes per cassette in standard mode) or on another HD format (such as HDCAM).Additionally, raw data can be provided from the camera in Data Mode for uncompressedrecording on an S.two DFR system.

WHICH RECORDING FORMAT SHOULD I CHOOSE FOR A FEATUREFILM, TV DRAMA OR COMMERCIAL?

The decision on which format to use for any particular production will be bound up withthe practicalities of the shoot and the workflow through post-production. Log HD Mode(either log C or log F) is likely to benefit a production destined for cinema screens becauseits advantages come to the fore in a DI environment, where technicians are used to dealing

with log files generated by film scanners. Full RGB 4:4:4 is also likely to be beneficialfor feature films or effects-heavy TV productions (including blue or greenscreen shots).The D-21 uniquely offers the option to shoot in full resolution anamorphic (2.40:1) usingconventional anamorphic lenses, in either the Mscope HD-based workflow or Data Mode.

On ITVs Law & Order: UK, the D-21 was used with the on-board Flashmag

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5HOW DOES RAW DATA SHOOTING WORK IN PRACTICE AND

WHAT ARE ITS PROS AND CONS COMPARED WITH HD?

The D-21 is (uniquely) capable of workingin either HD Mode or Data Mode, oreven both at once if appropriate. Using

the D-21 in Data Mode to generate rawdata can be beneficial when maximumflexibility of the recorded image isrequired in post-production. Just as in digitalstills photography, professionals will findthat there are advantages to recordingraw data when it comes to digitallymanipulating images subsequent tocapturing them. Handling raw data in post

has similarities to the film workflow.Recorded raw data needs to be processedbefore it can be viewed as a productionquality image. However, the S.two DFR

recorder also offers a live processed HDpreview of the recorded material, suitablefor viewing on set and for offline

editing. Subsequent production quality dataprocessing (which may be undertakenusing the ARRI software package) offers theability to output images in different sizes,characteristics and colour profiles whichcan then be handled using the familiar toolsin a DI workflow. In general, Data Modewill offer the highest quality images forfeature film or commercial shooting, though

it requires careful data management, whilstHD Mode will be suited to most TVproduction requirements.

6CAN D-21 IMAGES BE SUCCESSFULLY INTER-CUT WITH 35MMOR S16 FILM?

Many productions have successfullycombined D-21 material with 35mm filmfootage in situations where very high framerates or exceptionally compact cameras arerequired. The D-21s 35mm format-baseddesign features mean its images will cut far

more readily with 35mm than Super 16 filmmaterial. For optimal integration, the D-21should be set to 4:4:4 RGB HD or DataMode recording and the 35mm filmscanned at 2K resolution on an ARRISCAN.

7IS PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY OR THE NUMBER OF SETUPSPER DAY AFFECTED?

Shooting with the D-21 is not inherently

slower than shooting on 35mm film, thoughdifferent cinematographers and directorsprefer to work with HD in different ways;some like to spend significant time studyinga large HD monitor in controlled conditionson set, while others use the D-21 more likea film camera and naturally shoot faster.A good crew will adapt to the D-21quickly and have no difficulties in working

at a demanding pace.

An operator with the D-21 on a studio set

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21 QUESTIONS ABOUT THE D-21

9HOW DOES THE D-21 SENSOR INFLUENCE THE IMAGECOLOURIMETRY AND DEPTH OF FIELD?

The D-21 depth of field is almost indistinguishable from that of 35mm film. This givescinematographers and directors the same opportunities to use depth of field as a creativetool and represents a huge advantage over the all-in-focus look of 2/3 HD cameras. In

combination with ARRI Imaging Technology the D-21 produces a very pleasing look, withbeautiful skin tones and the most film-like image of any digital camera.

8ARE THERE ANY SPECIAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS HEAT, DUST, RAIN, ETC. TO WORRY ABOUT?

The D-21 (and its predecessor the D-20) have been used in a variety of extreme climaticconditions, from the heat of an African desert (on Afrika Mon Amour, 2007) to thehumidity of jungles (on The Company, 2007and Crusoe, 2008). In humid conditions a

special drying bottle can be used overnight to avoid condensation problems. In terms ofweather protection the D-21 should be treated with sensible care, in much the same wayas a modern 35mm film camera.

D-21 depth of field (left)as compared to that of a 2/3 HD camera (right)with matching lensangles and f-stop

The D-21 enduring humid conditions in South Africa on NBCs miniseries Crusoe

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11WHAT FRAME RATE OPTIONS DO I HAVE?

The D-21 can run at frame rates between 1 and 60 fps in full resolution, allowing a degreeof slow motion shooting, though the range of usable speeds depends on the recordingdevice. With the Sony SRW-1 recorder speeds can be selected between 1 and 60 fps in

4:2:2 mode, and between 1 and 30 fps in 4:4:4 mode. The Flashmag can record in either4:2:2 or 4:4:4 at up to 30 fps, which is also the maximum frame rate when recording inData Mode. Speed ramps are possible with both the SRW-1 (using the fibre connectionoption) and the S.two DFR.

An experienced film crew will have no problems getting to grips with the camera systemas it is straightforward to set up and operate, and has been designed with filmmakers inmind. The D-21 shares many features and accessories with ARRI film cameras, and has amore simple and logical menu structure than most HD cameras. As with all equipment, it

is advisable for the crew to perform thorough preparations before shooting and ARRIMedia technicians are readily available to guide and support them through the process. Itis not usually necessary to supplement the camera crew with a specialist digital technician,although a crew member with relevant HD experience will often facilitate shooting.

WHAT ARE THE SENSITIVITY OPTIONS AND EXPOSURE LATITUDE?

The D-21 delivers striking images with rich colour, refined highlight handling and veryfine textures. It can be set to the equivalent of 100, 200, 250, 320, 400, 500, 640 or800 ISO equivalent for linear HD recording and can be digitally balanced for daylightor tungsten lighting; as with film, the granularity or noise in the image increases with the

ISO rating. The D-21 comfortably provides 10 stops of exposure latitude in HD Mode,capturing detail in both highlight and shadow areas, with slightly greater latitude inData Mode.

HOW DO CREW ROLES COMPARE TO SHOOTING ON FILM?

The D-21 uses standard ARRI accessories and can be operated much like a 35mm camera

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21 QUESTIONS ABOUT THE D-21

WHY IS THE OPTICAL VIEWFINDER SO IMPORTANT?

While all other HD cameras use electronicviewfinders, the D-21 is equipped with thesame type of optical viewfinder as ARRI filmcameras, with a range of ground glassdesigns available. The full-colour viewfinderimage is bright and crystal clear, makingprecise focussing easier, and shows an arealarger than that being recorded, without

any time delay or electronic imageprocessing; it is possible to see the imageprior to powering the camera. For cameraoperators, this means greater comfortand the same accurate, responsivecamerawork that is possible on film. Forproducers, it means a better-equipped,happier crew and fewer wasted takes.

The D-21 viewfinder shows an image area larger than that being recorded

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14ARE THERE ANY SOUND-RELATED ISSUES?

The camera is completely silent inoperation, and has no fan to producedistracting noise on the set. The Flashmag

recording unit is also reasonably quiet,and while tape and disk recorders do havefans, they can either be turned off in

situations demanding absolute quiet or therecorder placed at a distance from the set.All recording systems offer the option to

record guide-track (or full quality) audioalong with the images, in sync and readyfor editing.

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The D-21s 4:3 sensor is perfect forcapturing an anamorphically squeezedimage (above)which can be scaled tocover a 2.40:1 widescreen area (below)

15WHICH LENSES CAN BE USED AND HOW ABOUT ANAMORPHIC?

Any 35mm format PL mount lens can befitted directly onto the D-21, with no backfocus issues; if necessary, lenses can beshared between the D-21 and ARRI filmcameras. The unique size and shape ofthe D-21 sensor means conventional 2:1squeeze anamorphic lenses can be usedwithout any loss of quality, either in DataMode for recording to a disk system or inMscope for recording to HDCAM SR.Anamorphic lenses utilise more of the areaof the sensor than spherical lenses, so trueanamorphic shooting offers increased

resolution, just as with 35mm film.

16DOES THE D-21 WORK WELL FOR GREEN/BLUESCREEN SHOOTING?

The D-21 produces grain-free, rock-steadyimages with sharp and natural edges,without requiring electronic enhancement

vital factors when pulling mattes forcompositing. With the options of shooting

in Data Mode or full RGB HD 4:4:4 toeither tape or disk, the D-21 is an extremelyuseful tool for effects shots, even on mainly

film-originated productions.

The D-21 is well suited to productions involving a lot of visual effects

StuttgartMediaUniversity(HdM)

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21 QUESTIONS ABOUT THE D-21

Video assist recordings can be set up in much the same way as on a film shoot. A standarddefinition signal can be fed directly from the camera (4:3 PAL or NTSC), or adown-converted signal from the recorder can be used to feed any conventional SD tape ordisk-based playback system. For more demanding productions, parallel HD recording ispossible and provides HD video assist viewing. Another option is to fit an ARRI IVS videoassist system to the D-21 for applications (such as remote head crane work) where thisfacility would be of value. When using the S.two DFR system, or the Flashmag, playbackis typically provided in full HD direct from the recorder, since there is no risk of

over-recording master material.

WHAT KIND OF VIDEO ASSIST SYSTEM CAN I USE?

17CAN I SHOOT HANDHELD OR ON A STEADICAM RIG?

Whilst not lightweight, the D-21 can be shoulder-operated with an ARRI shoulder set.Being the size and weight of a typical 35mm film camera it can be handled in a similarmanner, with power supplied by a standard 24V battery belt. The optional on-boardFlashmag is the ideal recording unit for handheld or Steadicam shooting and thestandard definition output from the camera is available to feed the Steadicam monitor.

D-21 productions typically use the same video assist setup as film shoots

The D-21 in use, mounted on a Steadicam

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19 Due to its optical viewfinder, the D-21can be operated much like a filmcamera (with or without video assist),or as an HD camera with whatever HDmonitoring is required. The usual camerapackage includes a sophisticated 6-inchAstro HD LCD picture and waveformmonitor, which is useful for verifyingpicture quality and signal levels duringthe shoot. Additional monitors aretypically high quality HD LCD displays,which are lighter and less costly thanlarge CRT monitors (though CRT types

are also available in a range of sizes).When shooting in log HD Mode it isoften convenient to have a correctedimage for viewing on set, which may beachieved through a suitable lookup table(LUT) applied in the recorder or in amonitor such as a Cine-tal unit.

DO I NEED BIG AND HEAVY HD MONITORS ON THE SET?

HD LCD displays on a D-21 set

20SHOULD I WORRY ABOUT MAKE-UP, COSTUME AND SET DESIGN?

Commonly voiced concerns about theclarity of HD revealing the artifice ofmake-up and costume are unfounded whenit comes to the D-21. No more or less careand attention to detail should be appliedon a D-21 shoot than is required on a

35mm film set. The natural and forgivinglook of the sensor, combined with filmlenses and film-like depth of field, makethe camera an excellent choice forperiod or costume-heavy productions.

The natural look of D-21 images is ideal for make-up and costume heavy productions,such as Sky1s Colour of Magic

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United Kingdom

ARRI MediaAndrew Prioraprior@arrimedia.comTel: +44 1895 457100www.arrimedia.com

Germany

ARRI Rental MunichAndreas Berklaberkl@arri.deTel: +49 89 3809 1303www.arri.com

USA

ARRI CSCAndreas Weeberaweeber@cameraservice.comTel: +1 212 757 0906www.cameraservice.com

Whether you are producing for TV (which is fast becoming HDTV) or cinema, for thedomestic or international audience, the D-21 will give you outstanding screen value.It delivers a highly-desired distinctive look of the highest quality at a reasonable price level.

ARRI is a global provider of innovative products and services for cinema, advertising andtelevision productions. For more information about the company and its product range visitwww.arri.com.

The ARRI Rental network includes ARRI companies in the UK, Germany, and the USA,with partners in France, Japan, South Africa, South Korea and other locations.

For current information on the D-21 visit:www.arri.com/d-21 and/orwww.arrid21.com

21ARE THERE ANY SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS AFFECTING OFFLINE,GRADING OR POST-PRODUCTION?

D-21 rushes can be fed into a conventional SD offline system via a down-converted outputfrom the SRW-1 or disk recorder. In some instances, productions combine digital cloning ofrushes with down-conversion immediately after shooting. Increasingly, offline editing is

taking place using HD systems, which allow finer judgement of image quality duringediting. Post-production in 4:2:2 can be carried out in any HD-capable edit/grading suite,whereas for more demanding full RGB treatment at the 4:4:4 level, the post environmentwill need to accept a dual HD-SDI signal. In the case of feature films it is advisable to putD-21 material through a 2K DI pipeline, just as with film-originated material.