Varuna Films, an LA-based production company specializing in high-definition video projects, recently shot “running footage” of the Nissan 350Z sports car in 24P high definition using a HDW-F900 camera and a variety of Fujinon HD lenses. The footage was shot for The Designory, an ad agency in Long Beach, California. It includes shots of the car on a desert racetrack and will be inserted into various commercial projects, including the car’s promotional DVD and Nissan’s Web site.

Varuna Films first 24P project was a feature film called “Up, Michigan!”, which was shot in 24P by HD specialist DP Mike Spodnik, who also shot the Nissan footage.

According to DP Spodnik, the right choice of cameras and lenses is essential in making an HDTV production successful.

The decision to shoot 24P for Nissan was based on the desire for instant playback, the longer shooting times with HD as opposed to film (50 minutes versus 10 minutes for a 1,000-foot film load), ability to adjust the look of the image in-camera, a one-day shooting schedule and budget constraints.

“I challenge whether anyone can see the difference between 35mm and 24P – at least the 24P footage we deliver,” said Jason Morgan, vice president of Varuna Films. “By shooting in video, we could afford to constantly roll tape and capture a ton of usable footage between takes. We were able to truly collaborate with our client. We could afford the time and money to capture everyone’s ideas without getting stressed during a one-day only shoot. Plus, shooting this project digitally meant we could stay within the digital realm for the promotional DVD for Nissan.”

According to Morgan, outtakes from the shoot provided a great deal of useable footage. Spodnik was able to roll the camera without worrying about the cost of the medium, which resulted in more experimentation and the ability to get more shots faster. The racetrack they'd booked to produce the commercial was only available for one day. “With only one day to shoot, we had to move quickly,” said Morgan. “By shooting in HD, we were able to roll the camera all of the time and not take time to change a magazine. And we weren’t stressed for time. The entire shoot had a genuinely collaborative feel.”