With 32 years of DP and camera experience, cinematographer Jay Kriss is stepping up the quality of his cinematic product with the Fujinon HAe10x10 E-Series digital cinema zoom lens. Along with producer Sydney Duvall, Kriss is part of the production team at Inspirit Creative, which regularly shoots features, documentaries and stock footage.
Kriss is using the HAe10x10 primarily with the Panasonic AJ-HPX3700 P2 HD VariCam. "With the Fujinon HAe10x10, we're changing the way we produce our work for features and television," Kriss said. "The glass is where it all begins, and this Fujinon lens raises the production value our work by a factor of 100."
One of the projects for which the HAe10x10 was purchased is "Harvesting the High Plains," a feature-length documentary currently in production for public television. A period piece focusing on the development of the wheat industry in western Kansas, it tells the tale of how the great American desert was transformed into the bread basket of the world. "For a project like this, depth of field is very important along with the speed of the lens," Kriss said. "The HAe10x10 is an extremely fast lens, and it opens opportunities for us that are amazing."
Inspirit Creative recently purchased the HAe10x10, along with the Fujinon HA18x7.6BERM Premier Series lens and the Panasonic AJ-HPX3700 P2 HD VariCam camera package through Digital Video Group in Mechanicsville, VA.
In addition to documentaries and features, Inspirit Creative shoots a large amount of stock footage for cinematic purposes. For the next two years, Kriss will be shooting all over the country for stock clients, including Framepool and Global ImageWorks. "The Fujinon HAe10x10 allows us to shoot images that can easily be integrated with 35mm film, 16mm film or any of the HD formats that are out there in standard compression," he said. "The nice thing about having this package is that is makes us independent. We don't have to go down to the rental house for a lens. We're set and ready to roll."
