VariCam shines a light on ASH: A dramatic thriller with a dark twist.

"I did a lot of research and watched a lot of footage and really loved the colours too. I really wanted to explore and craft a new look with the Dual Native ISO. There was no other cinema camera that could do that at the time, no camera that could go that high and be that sensitive to light. It gave me a unique look.”

"It was very hot, almost tropical but the camera performed without any problems."

The Dual Native ISO enabled Joewi to get the shots he wanted for the film, playing with different light levels. “The VariCam gave me the option to create some images that I felt I would not be able to create with any other camera", he says. “For example, we had one scene which was shot in a cemetry at night, where we used only deep red light. I think with a normal camera in 800 we would need tonnes of light to get exposure. It was a very pure type of red light and we were lighting quite a big area, but in the 5000 ISO we managed to get good exposure on a relatively modest lighting set up.

Also, when we were shooting night interior in 5000, outside the windows you could really feel the ambient lights of the city come alive. Usually the sky would be pitch black but with this camera you get an extra level of detail and I really tried to push that in this film.

It’s a very steady, sturdy camera, and I believe the VariCam has its own unique look to it. When I look at other footage that is shot on a VariCam you can see its characteristics, I really like it, sometimes it can look really filmic. In fact after the screening at 'Camerimage' there were even people who came up to me to ask me if I shot it on film, to me that was a compliment because it looks really organic. “

The rigorous shooting schedule put the VariCam under significant pressure. “We shot for 60 consecutive days in the summer, in the south of China,” explains Joewi.  “It was very hot, almost tropical but the camera performed without any problems.

"I think the VariCam is a very reliable camera. I also liked for example with the LT that you have the detachable screen that comes with the camera that you can take off the body and use as your own monitor. That worked really well for movi shots when we were using our gimbal. It's easy to use and change settings directly on the camera which was a real time saver.”

"It's a very steady, sturdy camera, and I believe the VariCam has its own unique look to it."

The VariCam LT and 35's flexibility allowed Joewi to take a less conventional approach. “With both the 35 and the LT I felt I had maximum flexibility,” explains Joewi. “I put the LT on the gimble and on rigs, because of its smaller body it was perfect for all movement shots, but the 35 was our main camera.

"The internal ND on the VariCam meant there was no flipped vision in front of the lens.I always get a little bit paranoid about adding more filtration in front of the lens, but with the internal ND I felt that wasn't an issue. It really helped in what we were trying to do. We were going quite extreme at some points and I feel like the camera handled it well.”

For more information on Joewi''s latest projects visit:https://www.joewiverhoeven.com/