Fremont, CA – June 05, 2015 – Blackmagic Design today announced that Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras, DaVinci Resolve and an ATEM 1 M/E Production Studio switcher were used in the production of “Yokokuhan,” a new Japanese drama television series and film which will be aired on TV and shown in theaters this June.

“Yokokuhan,” which means someone who issues a warning before he or she commits a crime, is a popular comic by Tetsuya Tsutsui. A mysterious man calling himself “Shinbunshi” (Mr. Newspaper), wearing a mask made of newspaper, warns criminals who got away that they will eventually face justice. The film “Yokokuhan” is based on Tsutsui’s comic and stars Toma Ikuta.

Along with the film, the new TV drama series from WOWOW, starring Noriyuki Higashimaya, will start a day after the film’s premiere. The TV show, “Yokokuhan – THE PAIN,” picks up where the film left off. In the WOWOW drama, a new “Shinbunshi” appears on the Internet and just like the former “Shinbunshi,” he warns people before executing them for what they have done.

To shoot from various angles, seven Pocket Cinema Cameras were used on set. While filming the television drama, Shinbunshi used Pocket Cinema Cameras on screen and that footage was used in the series. The cameras were also used as part of the film, with the hero using them to record and stream his actions.

“Many cameras used in movies or TV dramas are old, because of budget reasons. However, this story is set in modern times, so we wanted a camera that can depict modernness by its presence. The character is not poor so we wanted something good, yet affordable even for amateurs,” said Daisuke Soma, the DoP. “Also, the Pocket Cinema Camera has a big screen, so it was easier to capture what ‘Shinbunshi’ was actually shooting on the set.”

In the film, the filmmakers used the Pocket Cinema Camera mounted on a MOVI to capture various action scenes. “We took the Pocket Cinema Camera where we could not bring other cameras and got some shots from interesting angles which we wouldn’t have been able to capture otherwise. For example, we put one in on a frame backpack and ran on a narrow street in Shibuya to shoot the actor running. ”

Also, the Pocket Cinema Camera was attached to a motorcycle, allowing them to take advantage of its small form factor. Mikiya Sato, the line producer for the drama series, explained: “This camera made shooting on cars or motorcycles so much easier. Because the camera is so compact, it can be very flexible and can be placed in tight spaces. We could capture more dynamic shots by using the Pocket Cinema Camera. We would have compromised our vision by choosing wide angle shots if we did not have this camera.”

”Using such a compact camera, we could capture shots that didn’t have the feeling that there was a camera crew behind the camera,” said Soma.

Also in the TV drama series, a Blackmagic ATEM 1 M/E Production Studio production switcher was used to send pictures to two monitors being used as props on set. Footage captured from the Pocket Cinema Camera was sent to the ATEM switcher and text was added, then sent to the monitor. Graphics that the lead character used during the live streaming were sent another monitor from the ATEM switcher as well.

Color grading for both the film and the TV drama series were done by Tokyo based post production house IMAGICA, using DaVinci Resolve. ”We tried to change the look of the footage from the Pocket Cinema Cameras from the other cameras so the audience could easily tell which footage Shimbunshi took,” said Soma.

“For the drama series, there are scenes revealing the main character’s traumatic past. We made some scenes less saturated, and the others rather vivid looking even though those scenes all depict his past. With DaVinci Resolve, we could interpret his pain, which is the subtitle of this drama,” Soma concluded.