REC with Cinema Line | FX3 | The Fade filmed by Thomas Elliott
Isolation has made human connection a scarce resource. Filmmaker Thomas Elliott wanted to capture the feeling of home, and community with his short documentary, The Fade, shot on the FX3.
A short and sweet documentary that centres around a barber shop and its community. It explores how the barbers get their customers to open up and build a ‘found family’ among them. Continue reading to see his favourite things about the FX3 and his thoughts and inspirations behind the film.
Shot entirely on the FX3, Thomas Elliott says he was drawn to the Cinema Line cameras due to Sony’s reputation of being ahead of the curve and used it as a tool to be inspired for new creative ideas. He cites the camera as being perfect for documentary filmmaking, being lightweight and unobtrusive with no compromise on image quality.
For a documentary like this, it’s important that the camera was as unimposing as possible for the subjects in the film to feel more comfortable and open more during filming.
Thomas Elliott likes to keep his shooting set-up lightweight as well. For this film, he opted to use the FX3 due to its light weight without compromising on image quality.
But his most favourite thing about the FX3 would have to be the multiple mounting points around the body of the camera. Having this kind of flexibility where you’re able to mount the camera anywhere opened up a lot of possibilities for creativity in filming.
The FX3’s autofocus and in-body stabilisation were also noteworthy for Thomas Elliott. He says that these two features were extremely helpful in documentary filmmaking, with the limited time frame available to capture moments on camera. Reliable autofocus allowed them to shoot wide open with confidence, which helped elevate the style of the film.
Here’s a quick Q&A with Thomas Elliott himself:
What inspired you to film “The Fade”?
Emerging from an extended lockdown in Melbourne, I felt the need to create a project centred around human connection, vulnerability and the importance of community. While the film doesn’t address COVID directly, “The Fade” was motivated by my own need to reconnect.
Do you have any advice for filmmakers interested in using Sony’s Cinema Line cameras?
The Sony Cinema Line has a camera suited for any project, across all budget levels. I’m excited to see what other cinematographers can do with these cameras.
Breathe Life into Your Stories
Film without a soul is just a series of moving images. The Cinema Line range of cameras will help you with the many technical settings required when filming, so you can focus on putting the story and meaning behind your film together hassle-free.
