Swedish children’s television series Trex has used Blackmagic’s Pocket Cinema Camera 4K to film its third season.
The show, which is broadcast on SVT, has been filmed by cinematographer Bo Pärletun, working alongside director Magnus Samuelsson.
Because the story is told from the point of view of a young boy, the pair wanted it to exaggerate the size of the characters – which is where the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K proved invaluable, as it could fit anywhere.
For optics, the production relied on the Arri LWZ-1 15.5-45mm T2.6 with a Speed Booster Ultra 0.71x adapter, together with Black pro mist 1/4 and 1/2 filters. “The filters help give a more vintage and softer style,” said Pärletun. “We wanted a smooth and glossy look, lots of colour, almost like a cartoon. Having some black paper in the shape of a cat’s eye on the back of the lens, also gave a bit more of the retro effect I was looking for.”
One of Pärletun’s favourite scenes involved filming from inside the dinosaur’s mouth when the vet is on his way to check his teeth. He said: “The wide angle focal length worked particularly well here, making Trex’s teeth appear extra large, telling us that the examination is very likely to fail. It’s a really effective shot, and would have been difficult to get without a small camera.”
