SALT LAKE CITY—In 2008, I founded EnivroNews, a multiplatform, original content, web and video news agency that reports on issues concerning the environment, energy, health, nature and wildlife. A camera is one of my most essential tools, and as an avid outdoorsman and lover of nature, a necessary accessory and sidekick in my personal life.
Before I started EnviroNews, I’d worked on many independent film projects and documentaries in a variety of roles. As a side project, I had also shot and compiled over 10,000 high-definition time-lapse and wildlife video clips from around the world. I am a camera aficionado in every sense of the term, and take pride in what I shoot. I always strive to capture the most stunning clips possible while maintaining the flexibility to “run-and-gun” in any situation, and that’s where Sony’s NEX-FS700 full-frame, 4K-ready camcorder comes in.
The 700 has been the perfect tool for capturing 4K footage, as it provides a crisp and detailed look, ensuring our content will be optimized for changes in resolution standards and viewing, now and in the future on television and the web.
4K NEWS NETWORK
Emerson Urry We now have a physical presence and bureaus in 12 states, and with the help of the FS700, EnviroNews is now being referred to as the world’s first fully 4K news network. To date, most of our 4K content has been captured on the highly versatile FS700.
Deciding on that “perfect tool” was no easy or quick task. I had my eyes on Sony’s FS700 for a couple of years before purchasing it. I was always personally very interested in the camera due to its slow motion capabilities, full-frame sensor and 4K output—all of which were big selling points to me. It’s amazing to get 4K at 120 frames at that price point.
“Run-and-gun” news, wildlife and nature videos comprise a majority of the footage we capture, and the FS700 has been a trusty companion on nearly all of our recent outings. Due to the volatile and unpredictable nature of some of our subjects (such as wild animals), the zooming capabilities inherent with 4K resolution are really a boon to our team. We can record from a safe distance without interrupting the animals or their habitat, and still capture precise details with or without zooming in during post-production.
MOVING INTO THE UHD WORLD
I truly love the FS700. It’s an incredible camera and we run ours in 4K nearly all of the time. While working with 4K takes a bit longer and requires larger file sizes, it’s well worth it in the long run, as varied mediums including television broadcast and movies, medical, sports and security fields, move towards adopting UHD resolution.
When everyone is done making the switch to 4K—which we’re doing right now—we’ll have large archives of 4K newsreels and B-roll content, giving us the advantage of being able to create documentaries from the studio with much less shooting time in the field. And these are documentaries that we hope to share across all viewing platforms.
Emerson Urry is founder, executive news producer and editor-in-chief of EnivroNews. He may be contacted at Info@EnviroNews.TV.
For additional information, contact Sony at 201-930-1000 or visitwww.sony.com.
