REAGAN Shot and Posted Using Blackmagic Design

Christian Sebaldt, ASC, shoots new biopic using URSA Mini Pro 12K and Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro.

Blackmagic Design today announced that the feature film “REAGAN” was shot with Blackmagic Design cameras, as well as conformed and color graded using DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, grading, visual effects (VFX) and audio post production software.

Directed by Sean McNamara, with cinematography by Christian Sebaldt, ASC, “REAGAN” follows the title character, played by Dennis Quaid, from the glitter of Hollywood to the world stage, where Ronald Reagan overcomes the odds to become the 40th president of the United States. The complex film, which covered 400 scenes and an 80 year storyline, was a welcome challenge for Sebaldt.

“It was a very ambitious and challenging project,” said Sebaldt. “I shot a lot of footage in prep, testing different lenses, different styles. My colorist, Picture Shop’s Paul Westerbeck, and I developed about seven different looks (CDLs) with two different lens packages, different nets behind the lenses and different ISO settings.”

Sebaldt used a variety of camera packages, but leaned heavily on several Blackmagic Design cameras, including the URSA Mini Pro 12K and the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro. “The 12K worked a lot, particularly as an ‘instant crane’ camera,” added Sebaldt. “Since the movie took us to so many places, we could not afford to have a ‘Techno’ type crane available at all times. So our Key Grip Brandon Jones supplied a jib arm which we could put on tracks at any time, and our B Camera Operator Andrew P.C. Smith had a Ronin 2 gimbal. We mounted the URSA 12K on the Ronin and it lived there. When a crane would beef up the production value of a scene we would hang the 12K on the crane and we were ready to go.”

Relying on the small size yet high quality images from the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, Sebaldt found numerous uses for the camera. “With the appropriate lens I could add a cool angle in just minutes at any time with those small and lightweight cameras. Often they were mounted on the ceiling, like in the Oval Office, looking straight down with an ultra wide prime. We also found we could capture additional angles of extended dialog scenes where we needed solid coverage for editorial.”

Sebaldt is accustomed to the reliable nature of Blackmagic RAW, and used it throughout the “REAGAN” shoot. “Blackmagic RAW is a codec of amazing quality. I always shoot constant quality Q0, and know that later, because we have so much latitude, we can easily manipulate the images in the color suite. Blackmagic Design color science has such natural skin tones and fantastic reproduction of challenging contrast and detail in any scene.”

The final color grade, done by Westerbeck, was a continuation of a long relationship between the two creatives, and Westerbeck enjoyed the challenge of grading “REAGAN” in DaVinci Resolve Studio. 

“‘REAGAN’ covers an extensive historical timeline, which presented the unique challenge of matching footage shot on all cameras as well as with hundreds of archival clips from Reagan’s era,” he said. “Achieving a cohesive look across such diverse sources was crucial for the film’s visual narrative.”

Specific tools within DaVinci Resolve made the process of matching original footage to archival clips easier for Westerbeck. “I found the new Film Look Creator in DaVinci Resolve Studio 19 to be invaluable for matching the various periods to the contemporary material. The new AI noise reduction was not only fast but also highly effective, and the face refinement tool significantly enhanced the final look.”

The post production team, including Conform Editor David Schneider, Westerbeck and Assistant Colorist Larry Yunger, used the collaborative features in DaVinci Resolve Studio to streamline their workflow. 

“I had my first experience with collaboration mode while working on the movie ‘REAGAN,’ and it has significantly improved our workflow,” said Westerbeck. “While I was focused on color grading, David was able to add new shots, make changes to the cut and add subtitles and credits in the background. My color assistant worked on a third system, staying ahead of me by updating color on new shots based on the previous shots in the timeline.”

“In the past, the editor worked on updates on an isolated system, and when he or she finished, we had to pause our work while the assistant integrated new shots into the project. We also had to manage media across two separate storage systems for editing and color grading. Collaboration mode in DaVinci Resolve has effectively eliminated these disruptions and simplified media management, allowing us to work more efficiently.”

To watch the official trailer for “REAGAN,” click here. Visit Reagan.Movie for ticket information.