Softly, Softly...

...Are More Important Than Those You Do

Alex James tapped into his photographic style and used the virtues of a Sigma Cine 18–35mm T2 High Speed Zoom to produce a dreamy, soft-focus film that explores the virtues of high-quality fabrics.

Sometimes the things you don't see in a film are more important than those that you do, a point reinforced by fashion and commercial specialist Alex James' latest production, a delightfully dreamy and atmosphere-laden exploration of the virtues of high quality fabrics.

"I love working with a shallow depth-of-field," declared Alex. "Whether I'm shooting stills or working on a film. My brief for my latest film was to tap into this look and go for a poetic, floaty feel that suggested more than it showed. We emphasised this by smoking the room and using backlighting."

Choice of lens was key to the production, and Alex went for the newly launched Sigma Cine 18-35mm T2 High Speed Zoom, an optic that offers so much in the way of versatility. At 180°, the rotational angle of the focus ring is more than double that of a still camera lens, enabling the high-precision focusing that was crucial to the success or otherwise of the film. Meanwhile, the fact that it offered a nine-blade rounded diaphragm meant that the bokeh that could be achieved was deliciously soft and smooth.

"Having moved into film production off the back of being a photographer I was already well aware of the quality of the Sigma brand," says Alex, "and with the introduction of the new Cine lens range I was particularly interested in trying out the 18-35mm T2. The commission to produce a film that focused on the beauty of high-end cloth was the perfect opportunity: I needed to pair my Sony FS7 with a lens that was truly versatile and also offered a wide maximum aperture, and this optic, on paper at least, certainly appeared to cover all the bases."

Working with a cine zoom offered several advantages. For a start, Alex knew that he would be shooting in a number of different rooms, but prior to the day of the shoot he didn't have details of the size of these, and so he needed to be prepared for any eventuality.

"Ultimately there was a mixture of situations to manage," he says, "and had I been working with prime lenses then I would have been continually changing them to get exactly the framing I wanted. With the zoom, however, things were simple: within moments I could achieve exactly the framing I was looking for, and it speeded things up no end. Not only did this save me loads of time but it also meant that I had to carry a lot less kit to the shoot."

Coming of Age

The success of the shoot demonstrates the advantage the modern cine zoom can offer the filmmaker. Not so long ago, lenses of this type, if available, were hugely expensive and usually a rent-in option only. For this reason, until recently most dedicated cine optics were primes, and although they delivered excellent quality they still came with limitations in terms of flexibility.

"Hiring isn't something that I like to do very often," explains Alex. "I really appreciate the chance to own kit because otherwise I don't feel that I ever get to know it as well as I might. It also means that if a client asks me to take on a test shoot for them then I'll have the kit in-house and it won't cost me money to rent in the gear.

"Following my shoot with the 18-35mm T2 I'm now planning to buy this lens so I'll always have it to hand. It's such a good all-rounder that I know it's going to be a valuable addition to my kit. I regularly shoot in 4K at 10-bit and so need a really good lens on the front of my camera to do justice to this. The quality of Sigma optics is totally up to this challenge and, despite being available at such a keen price point, there is no hint of a compromise. It's also beautifully engineered and totally in scale with the Sony FS7. Looking ahead the Sigma Cine lens range is very much part of my plans and I'm looking forward to trying out more of the range."

sigma-imaging-uk.com

This article also features in the January edition of Broadcast film & Video.