Axis Films Turns Back Clock To Review Canon's Golden Year

Shepperton-based Axis Films has provided all the camera equipment to production company Coast for the making of a film to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the global imaging company Canon.
H Stage at Pinewood Shepperton became a museum for Canon whereby many products dating back 50 years were displayed on various stets around the stage. The five minute promotional film was shot in one week, with post-production taking a further three. The hire division of Axis provided all camera equipment to shoot the production, including a HD camera, P&S Technik Pro 35mm and Zeiss film lenses and grip gear. Axis provided key personnel for camera and grip.
Charlie Druce, Producer at Coast, takes up the story: “The brief was to place Canon and the company’s key products in relation to some of the key events of the past 50 years. We wanted to marry up equipment and events in a fresh, entertaining and engaging way. In addition to our own new footage, we used archive material and associated footage of Canon products.”
All of Coast’s footage was shot in high definition calibrated to create an exaggerated and ‘filmic’ look for some of the sequences. The footage was then posted in high-def, combined with archive footage, and delivered in standard definition for a private screening that took place at a Canon fiftieth year corporate event in Monaco from May 8 to 12 this year.
Commenting on his company’s relationship with Axis Films, Druce said: “We have worked with Axis for the past five years and have moved from using different formats, including 16mm film, to Digibeta and high-definition. We know they are always going to be competitive on price and that they will put us in touch with crew that we can trust. The fact that Axis is located at Shepperton Studios, which is where we shot all our footage for this production, was also a key advantage.”
Paul Carter, Managing Director at Axis Films, added: “It’s a great privilege to be asked to be involved with a high-profile project such as the Canon 50th Anniversary film, which offered up huge challenges in terms of combining special effects with archive material and live action footage. The filming schedule was also very tight but we pride ourselves on delivering both our equipment and our people on time and on budget. This film was no exception.”
Based out of Shepperton Studios, www.axisfilms.co.uk Axis Films also offers the very best in technical advice and practical know-how.
Axis Hire offers a full range of HD and SD equipment suitable for all needs. Axis Post offers clients true High Resolution post production with the facility’s Quantel iQ DI system combining grading, DI, editing, effects, colour grading through to versioning and deliverables.
(SP)