LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., March, 25, 2005 – The awesome
sight of the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels, six tightly-packed
F/A-18 Hornets executing precision moves at an altitude
of 8,000 feet, will zoom into living rooms in HDTV thanks
to a new four-part documentary on the Military Channel.
Producing this dynamic High Definition video demanded
the very best of people and equipment, which is why Henninger
Productions and Director of Photography Rich Confalone
chose Canon HDTV lenses.
"We could not have done this series without Canon lenses,"
Confalone stated. “Canon is doing a great job making lenses
for filmmakers and the HD images coming out of their glass
look fabulous. These lenses were designed by people who
truly understand how filmmakers work.”
The challenges in capturing never-before-seen views of
the Blue Angles’ pilots in and out of the cockpit were
immense, ranging from getting a steady shot in a moving
aircraft to shooting in an extremely confined environment.
Two portable EFP lenses, the HD HJ40x10B IASD-V and the
HJ11ex4.7B wide-angle lens from Canon empowered Confalone
to surmount these difficulties as he shot the challenging
series.
Confalone’s HJ40x10B, which is equipped with Canon’s unique
Optical Image Stabilization system for shake-free shooting,
was integral to getting previously unattainable long shots
of the Blue Angels in flight.
"These planes can cover a mile in seven seconds and you’re
following them at extreme angles," Confalone explained.
“You can’t tell from the ground, but they often fly only
18 inches apart! The goal was to shoot these maneuvers
as closely as possible. With Shift-IS Image Stabilization
built into the lens, you can keep a much steadier shot
at the really long focal lengths, which gave us many more
opportunities to see the true proximity of these aircraft.”
Confalone and producer Brian Kelly, from Henninger Productions,
worked with a Panasonic HD Varicam-based production package
created by Able Cinetech.
"There were some special considerations with the Blue
Angels' application that Canon lenses were uniquely suited
to address," noted Rich Abel, Vice President and Director
of Operations for Abel Cinetech. "The Canon HJ11ex4.7B
has particularly low geometric distortion on the wide
end, making it easy to use with confidence and exploit
its extraordinary wide angle of view to really tell the
Blue Angels' story." The long focal length of the Canon
HJ40x10B also made a big impression on Confalone. “The
lens is unusually versatile and long for a piece of HD
glass,” he says. “It’s 10mm-400mm, and then it has a 2X
extender that takes it out to a maximum of 800mm. It’s
also a very friendly lens for camera operators who want
to use it in more practical applications that seek the
special shot, as often sought in episodic television.
For example, if you’re shooting scenes of people walking
and talking while following them at 400mm down Fifth Avenue,
this lens is a great choice.”
Blue Angels: A Year In The Life premiered on Thursday,
March 17 (Part One airs at 8 pm; Part Two at 9 pm) and
Friday, March 18 (Part Three starts at 8 pm; Part Four
at 9 pm) and went well beyond the Blue Angels' jaw-dropping
“Delta” and “Diamond” formations. Capturing a year in
the life of a pilot—both private and public—can uncover
some intense images. Canon HD lenses helped Confalone
capture those intimate and spontaneous storytelling moments.
"Just because it’s in HD doesn’t mean it has to be complex,
and there’s a real need for mobility and portability in
this show because the camera’s always around," Confalone
noted. "The goal of this production is for me to ‘be there
without being there,’ and my non-intrusive perspectives
are from the Canon HJ11ex4.7B. It gives you much more
of a present feel and allows you to capture those moments
where everyone’s comfortable and things just happen."
A veteran cinematographer who got his start filming documentaries
for National Geographic, Confalone expected true durability
when he specified that Canon lenses were to be combined
with his Panasonic Varicam camera for the series.
"There’s a definite comfort level in choosing Canon lenses,"
Confalone said. “They afford me a high level of reliability.
I knew they would be dependable for me in very extreme
situations. I find myself in jungles, volcanoes, and sometimes
hanging out of an airplane at 25,000 feet. In all the
years I’ve had Canon equipment, I’ve never had a lens
fail—and that level of reliability carried me through
an extraordinary range of shooting on this series.”
Canon’s HD HJ40x10B IASD-V and HJ 11ex4.7B utilize the
Power Optical System featuring the X-Element optical technology
for highest quality performance in a compact and lightweight
housing that contribute to the lens’ outstanding overall
optical performance.
"Canon has produced a family of HD lenses that match up
perfectly with a wide variety of HD production packages,"
Confalone concluded. "They’re a really nice fit with all
available HD cameras. That’s why I went the Canon route."
About Rich Confalone: With a background deeply
rooted in motion picture film, Rich Confalone is a freelance
cinematographer who has established himself at the forefront
of HDTV production. Confalone has more than 15 years of
documentary film experience in all formats, from Super
16 film to HD cinematography. Over the years, he has partnered
with documentary film's most talented producers and technicians.
Since 1997, he has worked regularly with the Discovery
Channel and National Geographic Television. Confalone's
work is not limited to documentaries; he has also worked
on commercials for companies such as FedEx, music videos
for Sony and RCA, and high-end industrial campaigns for
Microsoft. For more information visit www.richconfalone.com.
About Military Channel: Launched in January 2005,
the Military Channel is the only network providing viewers
with the compelling stories of military life. Featuring
real-world stories of heroism, military strategy, technological
breakthroughs, and historical turning points, the network’s
slate of series and specials are designed to take viewers
“behind the lines.” Through the personal stories of servicemen
and women, the Military Channel offers in-depth explorations
of military technology, battlefield strategy, aviation,
and history, allowing viewers to experience and understand
a world full of human drama, courage, innovation, and
long-held traditions.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business,
and industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed
as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America
and is rated #35 on the BusinessWeek list of "Top
100 Brands.” Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ)
is a top patent holder of technology, ranking third overall
in the U.S. in 2004, with global revenues of $33.3 billion.
For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.
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