ARRI CSC Florida opened their doors to unveil the new ARRI Alexa this past weekend. This great event showcased the stunning engineering and versatility of ARRI’s latest addition to the film and video market. Garnering the attention of South Florida’s seasoned film industry professionals, many experienced camera assistants and directors of photography came out to catch a glimpse of the Alexa at work. Veteran first assistants Andy Fischer and Steve Ciffone, along with luminaries like Bart Tau (DP), were among the crowd.
Veteran First AC Steve Ciffone with the ARRI Alexa.
The Alexa promises to be the next big thing in digital cinema. When you see the image quality produced by this compact yet robust camera, there’s little doubt that this promise will be fulfilled. Weighing just 18 pounds, the Alexa is extremely ergonomic and is easily integrated into a comfortable hand held configuration.
The LCD display features menus that are simple to remember yet still allow for quick modification. The Alexa exemplifies technical prowess without intimidating complexities – seasoned pros won’t experience a steep learning curve (it feels like an old analog friend). Even the menu font size can be seen by older eyes, German engineering at its best!
The Alexa workflow is revolutionary, a feature that is the basis of much buzz surrounding this release. Employing the convenience of Sony SxS cards, the ARRI Alexa offers a seamless workflow from shooting to editing.
Television commercials and music videos will undoubtedly reap the time saving benefits of recording native Final Cut Pro codecs direct to SxS cards. This is a workflow the entire world has been waiting for. With this new setup, you can record ProRes 422 and ProRes 4444 direct to camera, eliminating the painstaking and time consuming process of encoding files prior to editing. DITs will love the array of video outs that allow for custom video output selections. With three video outs and numerous time code options, this camera will be a dream on multi-camera “former film sets.”
Rent the ARRI Alexa from Moving Picture beginning in August, 2010!
Moving Picture will have the ARRI Alexa available in August, 2010. We are very excited about the rental potential of this camera – there have been murmurs that the Alexa could be a “RED Killer.” Heavy hitters in the industry have already started integrating the Alexa into their productions. Martin Scorsese’s latest effort “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” is using the Alexa in a 3D workflow while Michael Bay’s “Transformers 3” began shooting on the Sony F35 with plans to shift to the ARRI Alexa upon its release. It’s certainly too early to tell whether the RED camera’s popularity will wane but it’s undeniable that the ARRI Alexa will soon become a new contender in the world of digital cinema.
Visit arridigital.com for more information.
About The Author
David Wells - Moving Picture President
David Wells is the President of Moving Picture Rental, where he has the privilege of wearing many hats -- Producer, Director, Cameraman, and Technologist. An entrepreneur at heart, Wells injects creativity and innovation into every role and helps guide producers and filmmakers with their projects. Call David Wells and his team, and they’ll show you how to make your production an outstanding one.
