After watching a few episodes featuring all the remote and exotic locations along with different lighting conditions and how fast it moved, I wanted to know how they achieved such incredible video imagery. So I looked up the production company in the credits which is Zero Point Zero and that led to the discovery of the show’s DP / Cinematographer Zach Zamboni. After looking at his website, I found some links to some behind the scenes feature videos and a detailed lecture video that he gave about how the show is shot with such a minimal crew and grueling schedule along with using innovative lighting techniques and fixtures when there’s no time to set up the proper gear. They also do not have a dedicated sound mixer because the host just doesn’t like the use of a boom mic because it’s distracting. It still wouldn’t hurt to have someone else at least monitoring the audio levels while the DP concentrates on framing, exposing, lighting, blocking, storage and overall coverage! While they’re at it, in addition to all the other critical responsibilities of the DP, why doesn’t production make him handle all the appearance releases and scheduling too?
He also mentions that unlike alot of "reality" shows, this show has no retakes. If you miss it, you missed it and they move on. I really like that aspect of keeping it real. If you haven’t seen the show, they get access to some very interesting and sometimes dangerous set locations while the host eats some wild and crazy sh!t from around the world. With that in mind, Zamboni states that to produce a show like this, you need a worldwide network of contacts like CNN has to get that access and it just could not be done so efficiently without that kind of support.
Among other technical info in the lecture video such as the camera’s custom shoulder rig, a cool waist-mounted camera platform, the volume of media cards used and the shooting ratio, Zamboni also talks about the Sony F55’s great dynamic range for shooting hot backgrounds and shaded subjects simultaneously with even exposure and no fill. He then discusses the helpfulness of an onboard waveform displaying low IRE levels when shooting in extreme low light along with overcranking for slow motion and ramping shots in post and how they are careful to not overuse that effect.
The lecture video’s shotlist index is below if you want to skip to certain parts. It was produced at a production rental facility called Rule Boston Camera (Rule.com) – But the first thing you’re going to notice is that this video was probably shot by a few high school or junior high students. The lighting is terrible and although Zamboni is wearing a lav, the audio is illegible at times when he turns his head away from it. You will also not be able to hear the questions from audience members unless you use headphones which will make a big difference overall. It never ceases to amaze me how such important opportunities are squandered by unbelievable cheapness, and at a production facility too!
3:00 Introduction
6:25 No One Camera is Right or Wrong
21:00 Use of the F55
27:00 Composing shots with an inset waveform and low IRE levels
38:00 Custom camera support rigs
48:00 How the shots are decided, etc
52:40 Overcranking the camera
DP Zach Zamboni Bio
www.zachzamboni.com