Marcus Kanter, BVK, AAC

For his most recent assignment, Schneller als die Angst, or Faster Than the Fear, director of photography Marcus Kanter, BVK, AAC chose to shoot with the Sony Venice camera combined with Vantage One4 spherical large format lenses. The project, destined for German television audiences on the ARD network, concerns a female detective who has been the victim of a rape.

            Kanter says that the producers were asking for Netflix quality, but on a much more modest budget and schedule. “I knew I needed a strong camera and lens set-up to give it the right aesthetic,” says Kanter. “All cinematographers want to make things a bit more stylish, but it’s difficult when you’re working all locations with very little money. The One4 lenses from Vantage have soul! They bring you a strong aesthetic, in part because of the optical personality and bokeh. I knew this set-up would cost a bit more up-front, but allow for an efficient shoot while delivering an interesting look.”

Vantage One4 lenses are the latest innovation from the makers of Hawk anamorphic lenses. Based on completely new designs, the One4s deliver full optical power to larger formats, avoiding cheap tricks that adapt existing 35mm lenses for larger image areas without actually improving resolution. Like Vantage One T1 lenses, Vantage One4s offer super close-focus and compact design, along with the distinctive optical flavor cameramen expect from Hawk. A set of Vantage One4 primes consists of seven lenses ranging from 22mm to 105mm. They work with Vantage’s XPL52 or LPL mounts.

Kanter chose the Venice in part because the opportunity to push the sensor to 3200 ASA/ISO, adding versatility and efficiency in low light situations. Another plus was the camera’s ability to break down into tethered sensor block mode, in which the lens and the sensor are detached from the camera brain to allow for camera placement in tight spots – like cars and small locations. He plans to shoot some scenes on zoom lenses using a smaller portion of the image area, knowing that the background focus can be matched once those images are blown up for television.

Testing revealed another important factor in favor of the Venice. Kanter wanted to use Cinefade as a way of isolating or accentuating the main character. Cinefade is a remote-control camera accessory that allows cinematographers to gradually transition between deep and shallow depth of field in a single shot, at constant exposure. During a quick test shoot, he found that the combination of Venice, One4s and the Cinefade delivered a unique feeling to the imagery. The camera’s sensitivity would also mitigate the fact that the accessory often requires an additional two stops of light.

“The large-format One4 lenses worked very well with the Cinefade,” says Kanter. “The tests showed that shooting with the One4s the large sensor area made the effect subtle, yet stronger and more interesting, with very nice portraiture. You can shoot more like an anamorphic style, which feels a little grander. The 1.4 stop is perfect for the shallow depth of field effect.

“Throwing the background out of focus during the shot helps intensify a sense of what she’s feeling,” he says. “But the curious thing was that watching the images with music really brought the effect to life. Without the music, it’s much less noticeable. A normal audience might not get it. I like that because that means it’s more of a subconscious effect, concentrating attention on her thoughts. You can manipulate the psychological impact of a shot without making a cut. It was convincingly clear to everyone that this was the right approach and well worth the premium.”

Production was delayed by the pandemic, but currently Kanter is about two months into the shoot. He reports that “The depth of field effect is great, and the director loves it! The Cinefade technique is difficult for our very good focus puller, but it’s working well. He can handle the lenses at a 2 or 2.8 stop perfectly. It’s an exhausting production, but the lenses help me a lot.”

Schneller als die Angst, or Faster Than the Fear, will premier in 2021.

images: Marcus Kanter