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The Genesis is Panavision's high-end digital movie camera, which uses a proprietary, full frame 35mm-width, 1.78:1 (16:9) aspect ratio, 12.4-megapixel RGB non-Bayer filtered CCD. It was first used by a feature crew to shoot Bryan Singer's Superman Returns and was shortly followed up thereafter by the World War I film Flyboys. However, the CGI-heavy nature of these two movies meant that ultimately the comedy Scary Movie 4 was the first theatrically released feature sourced primarily from the Genesis camera. Genesis has since been used by cinematographer Dean Semler for shooting Click and Apocalypto.

Unlike the 2/3" 3-CCD RGB imaging system used in the CineAlta HD-900F (used in Attack of the Clones), the Genesis uses a single 12.4 megapixel CCD chip with the exact same dimensions as a Super 35mm film frame. The "Panavized" CineAltas presented a number of unwelcome compromises, as the holy grail had always been to produce an electronic camera that could utilize Panavision's existing range of film-type lenses for 35mm that their customers were already familiar with, producing similar on-screen images with an equivalent depth-of-field characteristic.

Robert Primes, ASC, has built an impressive resume shooting film over the years, and says he remains no stranger to the photo-chemical world. Still, Primes insists he just enjoys shooting HD more than film right now. Some of that has to do with the fact that he’s currently serving as co-DP (with Rick Maguire) on the first episodic network TV program to utilize Panavision’s film-style Genesis digital imaging camera—ABC’s Night Stalker. But Primes’ experiences with HD go back to the 1990s, and he says he became a convert to the advantages of HD image creation, at least for television work, even before he got his hands on the Genesis system.

“I’m 65 years old, and the huge preponderance of my work was all done on film,” Primes says. “So I’m not a guy who does not understand or appreciate film. But I think HD represents the future for our industry, and I enjoy working with it.

The result of many years of close collaboration with its technology partner Sony,
Genesis®™ combines high performance electronic imaging with world-renowned Primo® cine optics for unprecedented imaging versatility. 



Finally, for the cinematographer, “shooting digital” means no compromise on depth of field control, portability, sensitivity, dynamic range or color. Because
Genesis®™ was designed from the beginning to be an integral part of the Panavision system, cinematographers have at their fingertips the vast array of Panavision’s Academy Award® winning 35mm lenses and proprietary Panaflex® accessories that they have come to expect from Panavision. 



Genesis®™ was designed with an “electronic intermediate” in mind, utilizing a unique gamma and colorimetry that enables seamless intercutting with most 35mm film emulsions. The nominal ISO T400 sensitivity can readily be extended to ISO 1600 for low light situations. Shutter angles from 0.8 to 360° and frame rates from 1 to 50fps will enable further compatibility with Panavision’s family of film cameras. 



Genesis®™ docks directly (top or rear) to the latest Sony HDCAM-SR™ digital field recorder, ensuring a totally portable package without cables to external recording or power. 



By cutting the cable, Genesis®™ allows you the freedom to shoot 35mm digital cinematography anywhere your imagination takes
you—Steadicam™, Technocrane™, hand held, underwater housings, car mounts, etc.

George Lucas began his career as an editor and a cinematographer (he was one of several cameramen on the Rolling Stones concert film Gimme Shelter), but his frustration with the tools of his trade, coupled with his desire to tell stories that were galactic in scope, drove him to seek new ways to make films. Today it can be said that few have impacted the craft of filmmaking more than he has. The ultimate noodler who enjoys seeing his films come together in editing, Lucas has transformed the medium into a postproduction fantasia.

Cinema was the art form that helped define the 20th century, and Lucas is passionate in his conviction that its expression in the 21st century will be digital. The latest installment in the Star Wars saga, Episode II-Attack of the Clones, was the first major Hollywood feature to be captured digitally, on 24p high-definition video cameras. But in his determination to push the medium of cinema with new technologies and techniques, Lucas has encountered both support and skepticism. Episode II's extremely high profile situated him at the center of a raging debate over the merits and drawbacks of digital technology, which is seen by some as a viable alternative to traditional film-based methods, and by others as a concept that still requires a great deal of refinement.

The Genesis is Panavision's high-end digital movie camera, which uses a proprietary, full frame 35mm-width, 1.78:1 (16:9) aspect ratio, 12.4-megapixel RGB non-Bayer filtered CCD. It was first used by a feature crew to shoot Bryan Singer's Superman Returns and was shortly followed up thereafter by the World War I film Flyboys. However, the CGI-heavy nature of these two movies meant that ultimately the comedy Scary Movie 4 was the first theatrically released feature sourced primarily from the Genesis camera. Genesis has since been used by cinematographer Dean Semler for shooting Click and Apocalypto.

Unlike the 2/3" 3-CCD RGB imaging system used in the CineAlta HD-900F (used in Attack of the Clones), the Genesis uses a single 12.4 megapixel CCD chip with the exact same dimensions as a Super 35mm film frame. The "Panavized" CineAltas presented a number of unwelcome compromises, as the holy grail had always been to produce an electronic camera that could utilize Panavision's existing range of film-type lenses for 35mm that their customers were already familiar with, producing similar on-screen images with an equivalent depth-of-field characteristic.

The Sony CineAlta series of cameras are high definition video cameras geared toward motion picture production. They can shoot at the same 24 frames per second (24p) as film and have a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels (1080p).

CineAlta cameras (most notably the Sony HDW-F900) record onto HDCAM tapes. However, the CineAlta can only record 1440 × 1080 pixel compressed component video in this mode. Episode II of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy was shot with the CineAlta. Episode III was shot with more advanced HDW950 cameras which can record the full 1920 × 1080-pixel frame. When shooting in the 2.35:1 widescreen format, only 817 of the 1080 vertical pixels are actually used; but there is an anamorphic adaptor lens from Canon, which allows to shoot 2.35:1 without losing any pixels. Manuel Huerga's Salvador is the first movie shot with this adaptor.

Other major motion pictures that were shot with CineAlta cameras include Sin City^[1] and U2 3D.^[2]

Digital backlot




This is one of the first films (along with Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Casshern, and Immortel (Ad Vitam)) to be shot primarily on a digital backlot. The film employed the use of the Sony HDC-950 high-definition digital camera, having the actors work in front of a green screen, that allowed for the artificial backgrounds (as well as some major foreground elements, such as cars) to be added later during the post-production stage. However, it should be noted that three of the sets on the film were practical (i.e. constructed by hand). They were:





1. Kadie's Bar, where all of the major characters make an appearance at least once.
2. Shellie's apartment. The front door and kitchen are real, while bathroom and corridors are artificial.
3. The hospital corridor in the epilogue. Although the first shot of walking feet was done on greenscreen, the corridor in the next shot is real. The background becomes artificial again when the interior of the elevator is shown.












Top frame, the finished film. Bottom frame, the scene being filmed. Both the actress (Alexis Bledel) and the car are stationary; the actress is walking in place on a treadmill.







While the use of a green screen has become quite standard for special effects filming, the use of high-definition digital cameras is quite noteworthy in the production of this film. The combination of these two techniques makes Sin City (along with Sky Captain, which was produced the same way) one of the few fully digital, live action motion pictures. This technique also means that the whole film was initially shot in full color, and was converted back to high-quality black-and-white. Colorization is used on certain subjects in a scene, such as eyes, lips, or clothing. The film was color corrected digitally and, as in film noir tradition, treated for heightened contrast so as to more clearly separate blacks and whites. This was done not only to give the film a more film noir look, but also to make it appear more like the original comic. This technique was used again on another Frank Miller-adaptation, 300, which was shot on film.