Fridthjof Film chooses Panasonic’s HD Varicam camera system

One of the leading postproduction companies in Denmark, Fridthjof Film A/S, has ordered Panasonic’s HD Varicam camera system.
This is the first Varicam supplied to the Danish market and according to CEO and founder, Ronnie Fridthjof, who started the business in 2000, it highlights “the growing demand for HD production in Denmark from the film, commercials and television production marketplace.”
A key factor in Fridthjof’s decision is the integration between content from Panasonic’s Varicam camera system and Apple’s Final Cut Pro HD editing software. “Although we have been working in HD for a number of years,” Fridthjof said: “This combination allows us to significantly reduce the cost of HD production while working at the highest quality. It also allows us to work very flexibly on projects, so for example with the feature film, 'Girlfriends', which we are shooting with Varicam in April, we will be taking Final Cut Pro editing equipment on location.
“The Danish market is not large, but very sophisticated, so we have had to develop production and postproduction techniques which are very cost effective. Varicam and Final Cut Pro is an ideal solution for the requirements of the Danish market, across all areas of programme production.
Our purchase of Varicam and associated equipment also highlights the company’s expansion in providing HD production facilities to international programme makers working in the region.”
As well as Varicam, Fridthjof Film A/S has purchased a Panasonic DVCPROHD VTR (AJ-HD1200A). 720p material shot with Panasonic's Varicam camera and DVCPROHD 1080i material can be transferred via the VTR’s IEEE 1394 interface directly to the hard disk drive of an Apple Power Mac G5 or PowerBook G4 equipped with Final Cut Pro HD.
Editing of Varicam footage is at the camera original quality, because the IEEE 1394 interface transfers the native digital HD files originally recorded by Varicam without any additional video compression steps.
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