Iconix Video, a leading developer of advanced high-definition camera systems and maker of the world‘s smallest professional quality HD video camera, announced today the use of the Iconix HD-RH1 camera on the upcoming Lionsgate Television mini-series, The Kill Point, premiering on Spike TV July 22.
The eight-hour mini-series, directed by Steve Shill (Rome, Law & Order) and shot by Cinematographer Bert Dunk, ASC, CSC (Storm in Summer, Street Time), stars Donnie Wahlberg (Band of Brothers, Annapolis) and John Leguizamo (Moulin Rouge!, Love in the Time of Cholera). The story follows a group of American Iraq war veterans who stage a bank heist in downtown Pittsburgh, where the series was filmed. The robbery turns into a hostage negotiation between Leguizamo as the heist leader and Wahlberg as the hostage negotiator. The Iconix HD-RH1 was used throughout filming of the mini-series, allowing the production to acquire a range of shots that would not have been possible with a standard-size HD camera, including an entire scene shot from inside the bank‘s air ducts.
According to Bert Dunk, ASC, CSC, Director of Photography for The Kill Point, it wasn‘t only his many years of expertise as a cinematographer that got him the job with the production. “When I first read the script for The Kill Point, I immediately thought this would be the perfect application for the Iconix. During the interview, one of the things I brought up was this camera and what a great asset it would be for the production. The director really wanted to add a different look and do some things that were out of the ordinary, so he readily agreed.”
Featuring a camera head about the size of a golf ball, and weighing a mere two ounces, the remote head system of the Iconix HD-RH1 can keep pace with larger HD video cameras, yet is versatile enough to offer 35 different format and frame rate combinations. “We‘re able to feed the Iconix footage into an SRW1 recording deck, essentially feeding it a 4:2:2 signal with much less compression than, say, an HDCam deck,” Dunk explains. “That‘s really what prompted me to get it on the show.”
Bill Hill, Co-Producer of The Kill Point for Lionsgate Television, credits Panavision‘s Plus 8 Digital with tracking down the Iconix for the production‘s use. “Not only did they get hold of a unit we could run tests on virtually overnight, they ended up buying the camera so we could rent it. Now they‘re asking for it back so they can rent it out to other productions,” relates Hill. “We‘ve tried to get everybody on set involved in coming up with various ways to use the camera, and it‘s great to see how many different ideas everyone has. We‘re very excited about future applications for the Iconix.”
Michael Endler, first assistant cameraman for The Kill Point, notes that the Iconix footage had complete intercutability with the two Sony HDC 950 and Arri SR 16 mm cameras used to film the series. “Whenever we ran into a situation where a standard camera would be too large to allow us to get a shot, we used the Iconix,” says Endler. “We‘ve placed it behind railroad ties for actors to run and jump over during chase scenes; we‘ve rigged it to a boom pole and manipulated it inside of air ducts and, during one scene showing a spy cam coming up from the bank floor, we were able to place the Iconix behind where the camera was to appear, and shoot it as it came up out of the floor. The Iconix was the larger of the two, but only slightly.”
A first for a camera this size, the HD-RH1 system can capture and output video in both NTSC and PAL formats in all HD resolutions, including 720p, 1080i, 1080sF and 1080p while supporting frame rates of 24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 frames-per-second (fps). Outputs include HD-SDI (SMPTE 292M) as two single-link 4:2:2, or dual-link 4:4:4 RGB/YCbCr; DVI-I; and analog outputs, with genlocking capability to tri-level sync. Remote control protocols are available over RS-232 or 9-pin DSUB connectors. Power requirements are 30W at 12VDC.
The HD-RH1 incorporates an expansive array of features found only on top-of-the-line HD ENG and EFP camera systems while utilizing an innovative signal processing architecture. This POV camera system, which includes a very robust separate camera head and processing controller unit, is the smallest high performance HD camera in the industry. The lightweight HD-RH1 remote camera system is comprised of a 1.32” x 1.50” x 1.92” POV camera head weighing 2.5 oz.; a 3.5 lb. universal HDTV controller unit measuring 8.4” x 1.8” x 12”; power supply, and 3, 6 and 10 meter cables.
About Iconix Video, Inc.
Iconix Video, Inc. develops high performance, high functionality and small form factor POV (point-of-view) HD cameras for use in broadcast, film, military, security and scientific markets. The company‘s first product, the HD-RH1 remote head camera system, is the only 3 CCD camera of its size, weight, versatility, and performance that rivals ENG, EFP and HD studio level cameras at a fraction of the cost. Iconix Video was founded in 2003, and is based in Santa Barbara, Calif. For more information, visit www.iconixvideo.com.