Independent filmmaker Justin Weinstein is shooting his latest documentary “An Honest Liar,” with the Panasonic AG-HPX250 P2 HD handheld with 10-bit, 4:2:2 independent-frame, full 1920 x 1080 resolution AVC-Intra recording.
Along with fellow filmmaker Tyler Measom, Weinstein is tackling the story of James “The Amazing” Randi. “An Honest Liar” chronicles the life of James Randi, a famous magician, escape artist, mentalist, writer and skeptic. In recent years, Randi has become a legendary “debunker” of paranormal claims and pseudoscience.
Because the shooting for the project consists of following Randi all over the globe and at times interviewing him in unique locations, Weinstein knew he needed a camera with the automatic settings and flexibility to capture shots quickly and at times spontaneously, with imagery that still reflected the sophisticated cinematic look of a high-end professional HD camera.
“I had used the AG-HVX200 P2 HD handheld to shoot both broadcast and feature documentaries, so I knew the P2 workflow and its capabilities,” said Weinstein. The release of Panasonic’s AG-HPX250 coincided well with Weinstein’s project.
“The fabulous 22x zoom lens on the HPX250 has given me great freedom shooting. I don’t have to carry and swap three different lenses with different focal lengths,” said Weinstein. “But we also needed a camera with really gorgeous image capabilities that would hold up on a big screen for a theatrically released documentary. Once we learned about the HPX250 and its master-quality recording and exceptionally fast P2 workflow, we knew it would fit the bill.”
Weinstein has traveled all over Europe, chronicling Randi’s everyday life and carrying with him the handheld HPX250. Thanks to the camera’s compact size, Weinstein can capture candid footage at a moment’s notice.
“An Honest Liar” is expected to be wrapped in time to submit to the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.