USA – Blackmagic Design today announced that Harvard Law School’s Celebration of Black Alumni event was captured with Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 cameras and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 digital film cameras. A multi day event honoring the legacy of black Harvard lawyers and recognizing their ongoing contributions across law, government, business, global affairs and more, the cameras’ flexibility helped capture both intimate and large scale moments with cinematic image quality.
The celebration welcomed Harvard Law School alumni back to campus for a series of keynote presentations, panel discussions, networking opportunities and social events. To document the event, which was attended by more than 800 and spanned across nearly 10 locations throughout campus, freelance producer Andrew Petrilak collaborated with Harvard University’s Information Technology Services team. Given the scope of the event, the production team needed equipment that could move quickly between locations while maintaining high image quality.
“We knew there would be multiple activities occurring simultaneously, so we were attracted to Blackmagic’s light, flexible camera designs that would allow us to move around campus efficiently,” said Petrilak. “One of the core philosophies of the event was creating connections between generations, so it was exciting to use cutting edge technology to help capture that celebration.”
For handheld coverage, including interviews, atmospheric footage and event documentation, the team relied on three Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2s as lightweight mobile rigs.
“We used the cameras to create a nimble handheld setup that allowed us to shoot on the fly,” Petrilak explained. “There is an almost painterly quality to the footage. Even our most straightforward event coverage felt cinematic and artistic.”
The production team also appreciated the camera’s ease of use, which helped crew members quickly adapt.
“The cameras are incredibly easy to work with,” said Petrilak. “Even people who had never used them before were able to get up and running in just a few minutes. The menu design is intuitive, it’s easy to switch between resolutions, and there are built in tools that help identify the optimal dynamic range for different shooting environments.”
To cover the larger presentations and gatherings, the team deployed four URSA Broadcast G2s, taking advantage of the camera’s broadcast capabilities while still maintaining cinematic image quality.
“The URSA Broadcast G2 became our go to camera for recording larger events,” said Petrilak. “While they are larger than the Pockets, they remain highly manageable and provide studio quality images without feeling cumbersome.”
Flexibility was another key advantage throughout production. The team used a variety of lenses and accessories to meet the needs of different shooting environments.
“We loved how simple adapters allowed us to use a wide range of lenses, giving us the flexibility to create different looks depending on what we were shooting,” continued Petrilak. “We were able to use third party accessories seamlessly, which helped us take advantage of equipment Harvard owns in house and that we were already familiar with.”
Following production, the footage was brought into DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, color grading, visual effects (VFX) and audio post production software.
“As a longtime DaVinci Resolve user, I really appreciate how well the cameras integrate with the software,” said Petrilak. “Having previously used Resolve primarily for color grading and visual effects, we explored more of its capabilities for this project, including editorial workflows, and found them to not only be highly effective but also very helpful in streamlining our entire post production process.”
For Petrilak, the project also reflected the broader appeal of Blackmagic Design’s approach to technology. “We were excited to work with Blackmagic cameras for the event because of the strides the company has made in camera technology,” he concluded. “The cameras deliver high fidelity images in a value priced package, and using such high quality yet accessible technology made us feel like we were participating in an inventive future. We were extremely happy with the results and look forward to using Blackmagic Design again on future projects.”
