Adam Biddle, ASC, Goes with Sony & Zeiss for Crank

Cinematographer Adam Biddle, ASC, needed to choose cameras and lenses that could keep up with the fast action required for Crank. He went with Pace Technologies Advantage camera adaptation of the Sony F950, and the full range of ZEISS DigiPrime and DigiZoom 6-24mm lenses plus new Fiber Adaptors for the SRW-1 decks. Biddle revved up everything from expansive car chases to fight scenes onboard a flying helicopter.

One secret weapon was a Rollercam that involved using the Sony HDW-F950 in T-Cam mode. The uniquely designed body pack held the F950 block, deck and power source, allowing the operator to rollerblade through shots at up to thirty miles per hour, untethered.

Biddle mainly chose the 7mm, but occasionally used the 5mm or 10mm DigiPrime for these sequences. He explains, “Focus was always via wireless remote and these lenses are beautifully scaled, making focus pulling much easier.

“Some lens makers tend to make the barrel markings too close together, requiring a more exact turn of the focus knob. This is fine for conventional work but when your AC has to run along side you at full speed, a little longer lens travel is not a bad thing.

“This also goes for Iris pulls,” he adds. “In some sequences I was doing five stop pulls. Again, the Zeiss lenses are scaled in a way that I have more ‘travel’ on the Iris controller. This way, the exposure change is very smooth and essentially unnoticeable.”

At first, Biddle wanted to shoot with DigiPrime lenses only. However, as the production progressed, he started to use the ZEISS DigiZoom 6-24mm. “I was amazed at how good this looked,” he says. “It really was a true match to the DigiPrimes and, being only nominally larger and heavier than the Primes, we could still use it for handheld work.

“My personal favorite lens, though, is the 70mm DigiPrime. Its sharpness and lack of depth (wide open) is unmatched and it truly is a thrill to see some of the results. “Crank is a high-energy picture that required specialized camera equipment. When we put the Advantage, with the incredibly efficient Sony F950 and the Zeiss DigiPrimes and DigiZoom together, I knew we could keep up with the story, and get what our directors wanted.”