Simplified Remote Production in Sri Lanka with Atomos
By Jennifer P
Simplified Remote Production with Tones and Colours
Tones and Colours is a Sri Lankan-based media production company specialising in delivering visually unique projects. Keen to optimise their workflow, the team seized the opportunity to integrate the Ninja Ultra with Atomos Connect into their setup.
With a busy schedule of jobs lined up, their first priority was to put the Ninja Ultra through its paces. A commercial for fashion outlet Hameedia saw the monitor-recorder used alongside the director’s monitor as a primary way of viewing the footage. In addition to the Ninja’s bright, high-definition display, its built-in monitoring tools allowed Shenick Tissera, the team’s creative director, to review and adjust settings during the production simultaneously. He added: “It was a hectic shoot where every single moment mattered. However, with the Ninja, I could accurately monitor exposure levels using the false colour and focus settings. I could also get a feel for the final look by using our own LUTs.”
Charged with creating the Sri Lankan cricket jersey launch video for fashion brand Moose, the team opted for a dependable set up capable of recording in ProRes RAW. Using a RED Komodo camera, operated in tandem with a Sony FX3 camera connected to the Ninja Ultra, they successfully captured two angles in high quality. Keeping to a tight deadline was crucial, as they only had six hours to capture the players and wrap up production. “This project was all about time management, and being able to utilise ProRes RAW allowed us to match the colours between the two cameras quickly,” he added.
The ability to record in ProRes RAW with the Ninja was a big bonus for Shenick and the wider team. Not only did it enhance image quality, but it increased on-set productivity and reduced time spent in post-production. Shadim Sadiq, the team’s cinematographer, also praised the benefits of shooting in ProRes, saying: “It helped us capture as much detail as possible and allowed us to really push the colours during post-production.”
The post-production process can often be a relentless task, which editor Jaden Daniel is all too familiar with. “As a video editor, my number one resource is time,” he says. By combining the Ninja with the Atomos Connect module, the team could send files anywhere on location using Camera to Cloud directly to Frame.io, where Jaden could access them remotely in Colombo. This enabled him to stay ahead of the curve by editing the clips while filming took place. “No matter where my team is in the world, I can get footage transferred to me seamlessly and efficiently.” It’s clear Atomos has redefined their way of working, allowing the team at Tones and Colours to implement their creative vision: “This system has saved me tons of time,” Jaden reaffirms.
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