Creating an Incredible Short Film With the Nikon Z 6 Filmmakers Kit

Go behind the scenes on this short film's set, as videographer and filmmaker, Armando Ferreira, teams up with Nikon for their "Follow Your Passion" competition to win $25,000.

However you feel about mirrorless cameras, they've made a large impact on the industry. Many who have moved to modern mirrorless bodies wax lyrical about them, while others resist the temptation and question the results. Videography has seen just as large an effect as photography, and now videographers and filmmakers are producing some stunning content with these cameras.

Off the back of that trend, Nikon has launched the Follow Your Passion video contest where you can win $25,000 and a Nikon Z 6 with the filmmakers kit; you have until the 31st October 2019 to enter. Although it has to be shot on a Z 6 or Z 7 with NIKKOR lenses. Seems to me, the people who would most like to win a Z 6 would be those who don't already have one, but fair enough.

In this video you see filmmaker Armando Ferreira shoot his short film with the Z 6 and give you a taste of what can be achieved, albeit with the filmmakers kit, other peripheral equipment, and a team and reasonable budget in hand.

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Robert K Baggs is a professional portrait and commercial photographer, educator, and consultant from England. Robert has a First-Class degree in Philosophy and a Master's by Research. In 2015 Robert's work on plagiarism in photography was published as part of several universities' photography degree syllabuses.

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7 Comments

Great contest. Semi-boring video. And I'm a Nikon Z6 owner and fan. Trying to use small cameras to poorly emulate Tom Cruise style action movies instead of shooting powerful and intimate and meaningful stories. For which these lightweight small cameras would be perfect.

They actually did great technically. If they didn't show how it was filmed, you would never guess it was on a mirrorless. If you have tried to film something like that you would know the difficulties and that these guys did quite an effort to create this film. I am not thrilled by the movie itself, not because it's an action movie, but probably because it's a short film with too much action (well filmed). It would probably feel better if it was part of an M:I movie.

You didn't like the movie either. It's a lot of noise and doesn't really take advantage of the new technology – these mirrorless cameras can be used almost gripless to make compelling films. If a filmmaker is going to use a ton of gear, why bother with technically limited very light cameras?

I haven't made that movie, but we all know what's involved in them. Noise doesn't bother me at all. I don't even see it anymore, because I don't pay attention to it.

Keep in mind they used that camera to show you can make a film with it regardless of the accessories around them. I'm also not a fan of bragging that you can make a film with a mirrorless with five-six-figure gear around it, because it's not just the camera that makes it. I just enjoyed the BTS. I don't own a mirrorless and I won't use one for making a commercial video or a film unless I am forced to (which is the case here).

Tihomir, my point is that there are stories worth telling which would really benefit from a handheld full frame 35mm camera (super 35mm with larger camera moves to reduce rolling shutter).

I would definitely shoot something substantial and intimate with my Z6. I would miss RAW but until RAW is internal, there's no point in RAW on one of these lightweight hybrid cameras. The cabling is a lot of trouble, a failure point and defeats the purpose of handheld cinema.

Naturally you'll say why not the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K or 6K…I did own a Blackmagic Cinema Camera. With the poor screen and atrocious audio chips and the lack of an IR filter, it required so much nannying I'd rather shoot almost anything else. MFT is awful sensor format and I was delighted to sell the BMCC. While I admire DaVinci Resolve, I'm not in a hurry to buy another Blackmagic Camera.

What I wanted to say is that these guys did well promoting a small camera to do something that looks cool for most kids today.

It's great Armando showed what they did behind the scenes. There's lots to learn about camera grip and trick shots.