The season finale of Fox’s “House,” which aired May 17, was the first time a major network has shot a prime-time drama entirely on a digital SLR camera. The camera was a Canon EOS 5D MkII with several different Canon EF lenses (including a 50mm f/1.0).
Recording all footage to compact flash cards, executive producer and season finale director Greg Yaitanes and director of photography Gale Tattersall took full advantage of a completely digital workflow and completed shooting of the entire episode in 10 days.
“This milestone marks a paradigm shift in the way professional cinematographers and filmmakers capture HD video,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager of Canon’s Consumer Imaging Group.
Shot with the Canon 5D MkII with a remote follow focus strapped to a Red Rock Micro Eyespy handheld rig, Tatersall captured lots of dimly lit, short-duration scenes, with a very shallow depth of field (many scenes were shot inside and under a collapsed building), which the Canon EOS 5D Mark II excels at when shooting in HD (1080p/30) video mode.
Its single 21.1-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor delivers images of up to 5616 x 3744 pixels. The EOS 5D MkII also offers an ISO sensitivity that ranges from 100-6400 (expandable to ISO L: 50, H1: 12800 and H2: 25600). Due to improved noise reduction techniques used, images shot even at the highest sensitivity will be smooth, according to Canon.
Universal Media Studios produced the show in association with Heel and Toe Films, Shore Z Productions and Bad Hat Harry Productions.
