"American Chopper" Shot With Panasonic

Pilgrim Films & Television Inc. purchased five HDX900 cameras to support production of the new season of American Chopper, which will become the cornerstone of a new block of programming, Turbo On TLC. American Chopper follows the various business and social activities of a colorful, sometimes volatile father-son team who build some of the world's most creative custom motorcycles in their own shop. The hour-long program stars Orange County Chopper's Paul Teutul Sr. and Paul Teutul Jr. and the series airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on TLC and in HD on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery HD Theater.

"We used VariCams exclusively on the previous three seasons of American Chopper (which aired on the Discovery Channel), and also shot a caving pilot (What Lies Below) in Iceland where the cameras captured the magnificent imagery beautifully," said Craig Piligian, executive producer of American Chopper and owner of Pilgrim Films. "But because we shoot American Chopper (and Hazard Pay, Dirty Jobs and Really Big Things for the Discovery Channel) in 30p, the VariCam, while a great camera, is more than we need, as we're not shooting with variable frame rates. When Panasonic came out with the HDX900, we found it to be the perfect combination of a great picture in 30p at an affordable price."

"The HDX900, like the VariCam, allows us to capture the full range of contrast we experience on location," Piligian continued. "The reds and blacks pop off the screen. The motorcycles crafted on American Chopper are works of art, and these cameras allow the viewers to see the details of the bike and the color with accuracy. Until these cameras came along, the color was never quite right. Now, watching it on TV is just like being in the shop."

"One of the great features of the HDX900 is the ability to set scenes within the cameras," the producer noted. "Since we shoot all of our shows multi-camera (American Chopper, Dirty Jobs, Hazard Pay and Really Big Things are all shot in DVCPRO HD), the scene selection makes it possible for all cameras to set a location with matching settings and return quickly to that setting when they leave, enabling us to maintain matching cameras and lessen the need for color correction."

"Logistically, American Chopper as well as our other shows can be challenging," Piligian said. "From inside industrial factories to hot desert settings to big Hollywood events, we shoot in a variety of environments. The HDX900 has been an overall workhorse camera. We are running these cameras at full force for eight to 10 hours a day in every type of environment, and they respond with great HD images every step of the way."

Piligian explained that in post, the tapes are downconverted to mini-DV using the Panasonic AJ-HD1400 and the AJ-HD1200A DVCPRO HD decks for play back. The SD tapes are digitized into an Avid Unity, and shows are edited on Avid Media Composer Meridiens.

"When we have a locked picture, we online our HD shows on an Avid Symphony Nitris," the producer said. "When we deliver the finished product to the network, we output to HDCAMSR and it is in the 1080i format."

"Pilgrim Films has put Panasonic HD cameras to the test for three years now," Piligian said. "We researched different cameras, did multiple camera tests and looked at the entire post path and how shooting at 30p on DVCPRO HD tapes was better for our post team. The VariCam served us well, and now we are finding the HDX900 to be an excellent camera as well. Quality is very important to us and the HDX900 cameras deliver quality cost-effectively -- an important combination for all producers."

An indispensable, cost-effective tool for global content creators, the AJ-HDX900 DVCPRO HD supports 1080 59.94i/50i/29.97p/25p/23.98p/23.98pA and 720 59.94p/50p/29.97p/25p/23.98p recording. The AJ-HDX900 features a native 16:9, 2/3" HD, 1-million pixel 3-CCD system that assures stunning images and produces a high sensitivity of F10 (at 2000 lux) and outstanding low-light shooting down to 0.032 lux (at+62 dB gain). It is equipped with 14-bit A/D DSP circuits that provide optimum picture quality, color reproduction and luminance gradation. The AJ-HDX900 offers superior 4:2:2 color sampling and independent frame compression.

The well-balanced camcorder offers impressive built-in, image-enhancing features including three Cine-like gamma modes to replicate the look and feel of film, and is compatible with a wide range 2/3" quality lenses and accessories. With 1080i, 720p, 24p and 25p capabilities, the AJ-HDX900 is perfect for long-form HD programming and a valuable tool for digital cinematography, cable and television production in any format, sports and events, for globetrotting documentarians and feature crews, and for the rental companies that serve them - Panasonic.