A documentary titled Gletscherflieger – Faszination in Weiss, produced for European cultural broadcaster arte, has been filmed using Blackmagic Design's Pocket Cinema Camera 6K and 4K. The film, which focuses on active glacier pilots and the Swiss Air Rescue Service (REGA), was shot in the Swiss Alps during early 2021.
Camera Choice
The production team, led by Frank Mirbach from Mineworks Film GmbH, chose the Pocket Cinema Cameras due to their compact size and high image quality. This decision was driven not only by the constraints of filming in helicopters and on glaciers but also by the need to adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols.
For the documentary, a Pocket Cinema Camera 6K equipped with a full cage served as A-cam, while a Pocket Cinema Camera 4K was mounted on a Sachtler Flowtech for multicam and B-cam shots. Both cameras were paired with Canon EF lenses, including a 16-35mm, 24-70mm, and 70-200mm L series.
Performance in Challenging Conditions
The Pocket Cinema Cameras handled the extreme cold and bright conditions of the Swiss Alps well. Frank Mirbach noted that the cameras performed exceptionally, matching the look of other cinematic camera packages particularly with skin tones.
The documentary was shot in both 4K and 6K Blackmagic RAW, allowing for detailed editing without quality loss. This format provided flexibility during post-production, enabling the team to generate multiple angles from a single set of footage.
Post-Production
The 52-minute documentary was edited and graded using DaVinci Resolve Studio. The team also created a premix for the composer, facilitating remote collaboration and approval processes during the pandemic.
Mirbach emphasized that the ease of creating preview copies directly from the timeline streamlined remote workflows, ensuring timely content approvals without delays.