USA – Blackmagic Design today announced that Blackmagic PYXIS 6K digital film camera was used to shoot the NHK drama series Rosanjin no Kamado, which was also graded using DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, grading, visual effects (VFX) and audio post production software.
Rosanjin no Kamado, meaning Rosanjin’s Stove, is a four episode drama series directed by Yuji Nakae that depicts the later years of Kitaoji Rosanjin, a legendary figure who pursued both culinary and artistic excellence. Renowned for his achievements across multiple artistic disciplines, Rosanjin helped lay the foundation of Japanese culinary culture, creating not only the dishes themselves but also the ceramic vessels in which they were served. The series follows the various notable figures who visit Rosanjin, portrayed by Tatsuya Fuji, and explores his character and dedication to food and art. Guest appearances include Akira Emoto, Simon Pegg and other prominent figures portraying well known personalities from various fields.
The series was shot by cinematographer Hirotaka Matsune, marking his fourth collaboration with director Nakae, following The Zen Diary. The production was filmed using Blackmagic PYXIS 6K, while DaVinci Resolve Studio was used for grading.
“On my previous project with Director Nakae, we shot with the URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2,” said Matsune. “I wanted to continue working with a Blackmagic Design camera on this production as well, which is why we chose the PYXIS 6K.”
“Since the story takes place in the late 1940s, I felt that overly sharp images would not suit the atmosphere. I therefore used a set of Zeiss Super Speed lenses that were popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The combination of the PYXIS 6K and the Super Speed lenses worked extremely well.”
“I kept the camera setup as compact as possible to maximize mobility. I used the URSA Cine EVF for shooting and also attached a Blackmagic PYXIS Monitor so that other crew members could monitor the image. I personally prefer to work through a viewfinder, and I found the URSA Cine EVF exceptionally clear and easy to use.”
The color red plays an important role throughout the series, from the azalea flowers Rosanjin saw at the age of three to the vivid crimson tones found in Beni-Shino, a distinctive style of Shino ware that he continued creating from the early stages of his ceramic work through his later years. To emphasize these reds, a custom LUT was created for the production.
“For the overall look, Director Nakae wanted the colors to appear vivid and expressive, so we created a Technicolor inspired LUT in DaVinci Resolve, similar to the look often seen in classic Hollywood films. We used it as our View LUT during production, and it also served as the foundation for the final grade.”
The residence and studio depicted in the series, where Rosanjin spent his later years, is known as Shunpu Banri-so. Originally located in Kita-Kamakura, where Rosanjin actually lived, the building has since been relocated to Kasama City in Ibaraki Prefecture, an area famous for its ceramic heritage. The drama was filmed on location at Shunpu Banri-so and is divided into four episodes representing spring, summer, autumn and winter.
“Due to scheduling constraints, some scenes were filmed during a different season from the one depicted in the story,” explained Matsune. “For those scenes, we adjusted the colors of the vegetation in DaVinci Resolve to better match the intended season.”
“There are several static shots of Rosanjin’s residence filmed from nighttime through dawn. I recorded for about 30 minutes as the sky gradually brightened and the entire house emerged from the darkness. After considering the settings carefully, I shot at approximately f/5.6 and ISO 3200. Thanks in part to the PYXIS’s wide dynamic range, the shadows remained nicely controlled while the highlights stayed balanced, making grading straightforward. I was also impressed by how deep and clean the blacks were, and by the remarkably low noise levels,” Matsune concluded.
