Pushing the envelope with 16K video
In 2018, I had a sudden urge to try something unique, something that had never been achieved before. Somehow, I landed on the idea of producing a short film on the highest resolution format technology would allow at the time. That format would be 16K utilizing a wide 2.76:1 aspect ratio at 15,985 x 5792 pixels. I wanted to see if it could be done and knew it would be a challenge since no 16K video camera actually existed.
The 16K project would be titled, "Prairie Wind" and would feature dramatic storms over the Great Plains of America.
I purchased two Canon 5Ds 50-megapixel DSLRS and two Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lenses that were manufactured in sequence for the best match possible. I then designed and built a custom-made mount to keep the two cameras perfectly aligned. The goal was to capture two side by side images and stitch them together so that I would end up with a 16K image.
Shooting with this rig required a lot of precision and speed. The settings on both cameras had to match, including exposure which changed from scene to scene. And, a 15-pound shot bag had to be attached to the rig to keep it steady in the wind. All of this while staring down the barrel of a tornado-warned supercell at times. It was fun.
In total, I shot about 50 sequences. The first step was to test each one for stitching. I ended up with 35 scenes that would stitch properly. During post-production, 12,000 images were combined to create one 15,985 x 5792 pixel image using a 2013 8-core Apple Mac Pro workstation. Each shot required a minimum of 5 days to prepare with the computer working around the clock. To keep the processors from overheating, the Mac was cooled by two large external fans. Really, it was post-production that required the most time and patience during this project. This is where 16K video and history was made. Both Apple and Intel called me after I published “Prairie Wind” wanting to know how I did it. They said they wanted to test a new processor using 16K video. I can only guess this was related to the new Apple M1, an innovative ARM-based systems-on-a-chip (SoCs) processor.
The primary thing that I learned during this project was that almost anything can be achieved when creativity and patience are combined in large quantities. I also discovered that 16K video offers an astonishing amount of resolution depth. In one scene, I was shooting a storm over a road near Van Tassell, Wyoming while a pick-up truck approached. When it was still a half mile away, I was able to zoom in during post-production and identify the make and model of the vehicle. This is an image shot with a wide 35mm lens, so it was amazing to see.
It's important to me to break new ground both creatively and technically so that I can learn from it and to see what’s possible. I sometimes feel like I’m playing the role of Dr. Emmett Brown from “Back to the Future” which is a lot of fun.
Martin Lisius is an award-winning producer, director and cinematographer at Prairie Pictures in Arlington, Texas. He is the founder of StormStock, a stock footage collection featuring high-end weather and climate footage. His 16K shot footage is available for licensing exclusively through StormStock.