Press Release from Sony
In keeping with their policy of using the very latest professional equipment, and as part of the strategic expansion of their digital acquisition workflow, Bond University recently purchased two of Sony’s flagship F65 CineAlta Premium 4K cameras as the key digital acquisition component for its Bachelor of Film and Television degree course.
Bond University’s decision to choose Sony’s F65 solution began at a recent Sony customer event organised by Wayne Newton, Account Manager Video Production Sales for Sony premium dealer Videopro in Queensland. Newton said, “We put on an event to showcase all the latest Sony gear over the course of a day that included go karting, presentations and relationship building. The day was a great success and one of the things that came out of it was how interested Bond University were in a high-end digital acquisition camera and workflow.”
Sony’s F65 was created as a TV and filmmaker’s camera in direct response to a wish list given to Sony’s R&D Engineers by content creators worldwide. Thus came a camera with a higher resolution than any previous digital motion picture camera and even greater exposure latitude, dynamic range and wider colour gamut than Sony's previous digital cameras. In addition the F65 boasts file-based SR codec recording for fast, efficient episodic TV production workflow and 16-bit linear RAW to support the most demanding feature films.
Newton added, “Bond University wanted the best possible digital camera solution and chose the Sony F65 as it truly represents where the industry is heading and will provide the best learning opportunities for their graduates.”
With Bond University already boasting 16mm and 35mm cameras and an established film workflow the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences had been considering their next move into high-end digital cinema acquisition for some time. According to the Director of Film and Television, Associate Professor Dr. Michael Sergi the assessment process was fairly advanced when the discussions with Videopro and Sony began. Having extensively researched all the digital camera options on the market Dr. Sergi and Technology and TV Studio Manager Daniel Murphy asked for full testing of Sony's F65 camera at the University’s state of the art Film and Television facilities. In addition to Wayne Newton from Videopro, Sony’s two Sydney-based Senior Product Marketing Managers for Content Creation, Nick Buchner and Anthony Kable, also travelled to Bond to provide the demonstration.
Daniel Murphy explained, “We really put the F65 through its paces. The features and functionality were excellent, its simplicity was surprising, but we wanted particular clarity on how we would handle all the data and how this would work in a student environment. Sony’s digital workflow has been very well thought through and the F65 combined astonishing visual clarity with the kind of advanced features you expect to find on a true high-end digital motion picture camera.”
Dr. Sergi added, "Sony were able to provide us with the opportunity to test the camera in various scenarios and situations that our students may find themselves in. We were pleased with the robustness of the build, and the features are very impressive. The size, style and ease of use are particularly good but the superior image quality, and amazing exposure latitude, is a unique and defining feature of this camera.”
Bond University’s package includes two F65 cameras, SR 4 recorders, control panels, viewfinders, an external deck, a system of rails, matte boxes, filters, Zeiss Compact Prime Lenses and custom-made alloy cases.
From an educational point of view Dr. Sergi stated that, “Teaching Fellow Mic Collis teaches the Bachelor of Film and Television course alongside a number of ACS DoPs, so the standard of cinematography at Bond is extremely high. We also wanted the cameras delivered as quickly as possible so we could showcase them at our annual Bond University Film and Television Awards (BUFTA), the short film competition for aspiring filmmakers from Years 11 and 12 across Australia. The standard at BUFTA is always extremely high and we have even had previous winners go on to success at major film festivals such as Tropfest. It’s critical for these talented filmmakers to know that we are serious about providing them with the very best professional equipment, to compliment the high standard of education and insight into filmmaking – hence our decision to purchase Sony’s F65.”
Having taken delivery of their Sony F65s and demonstrated them to all the attendees at the BUFTA awards the cameras are being prepared for what promises to be a successful year for the students enrolled in the 2013 Bachelor of Film and Television degree at Bond University.
Daniel Murphy concluded, “For a 4K digital camera the Sony F65 is unrivalled in terms of picture quality. We also appreciated its longevity. The camera can be upgraded by a simple software connection; this means the camera will not become obsolete anytime in the near future – something that’s very important for universities."
Dr. Sergi added, "Our two Sony F65s keep Bond University at the leading edge of professional equipment and spearhead our move into high-end digital cinematography. Bond’s dedication to educating students and providing them with the latest technology has translated into outstanding graduate outcomes. Many students have continued their careers by showing films at Tropfest, Cannes and Sundance. One graduate, Tommy Wirkola, recently directed “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters”, which is slated for worldwide release in early 2013. The acquisition of these cameras allows Bond to build upon its established pedigree of outstanding graduates by preparing future film makers for immediate employment into an industry utilising cutting edge technology.”