Tilt-shift lenses get sushi moving in short film

It took a 16-strong crew to make the film, and a lot of time went into planning the shoot and rehearsing the shots. One of the biggest challenges was ensuring that the timing of the moving subjects and shooting angle were perfectly aligned, which was no easy task given that they were operating the tilt and shift functions manually. The team used three high-end macro lenses – a Canon TS-E 50mm f/2.8L MACRO, Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8L MACRO, and Canon TS-E 135mm f/4L MACRO – with a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera, which was carefully positioned at various points around the restaurant. “It was necessary to change the camera position many times. For example, we set up at the edge of the rotating conveyor belt or positioned it so the shooting angle gave a bird's-eye view,” explains the director, adding that using a jib allowed them to shoot efficiently.

Other challenges included coping with, and adapting to, space restrictions. “We had limited space inside the restaurant to shoot in,” says the director. “If we’d been in a studio we would have had more freedom to arrange the camera and lighting equipment. Instead, we had to shoot from a narrow aisle or a seat, [which meant cramming in] all of the equipment and crew. Due to the limited space, we decided the focal length after we’d agreed the shooting position.” But despite the lack of room, the team managed to employ the lenses’ tilt and shift functions to great effect, altering the angle of view when needed to make the finished video come alive.

Captivating the audience

It was crucial that the film be as lively as possible and retain viewers’ attention throughout, stress the creatives, who say they thought long and hard about how to construct the video in a way that would clearly convey the high performance of Canon TS-E lenses, but also be fun to watch.

They mention one standout scene featuring a stack of plates through which they demonstrate the shift effect of the lenses in an innovative, compelling way. “We went to the restaurant several times and arranged plates in their conference room, repeatedly testing [our idea for the shot]. In the end, we fixed the perspective of the shift effect of our chosen lenses.”

The team also used speed ramping to vary the pace and make the film look slick and stylish. “Since a rotating sushi conveyor belt is constantly moving, it could get monotonous so, to keep viewers engaged, we used a high frame rate filming technique to add rhythm, taking advantage of the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV’s HD 60fps capability,” says the director.” In one particularly memorable sequence at the end of the film, Canon’s tilt-shift lenses take a starring role when they appear on plates as though they are sushi, whizzing along the conveyor belt before being seen in slow motion.

“The main thing we wanted to do was to create a movie in which the tilt-shift effect appears gradually, making it easy for the viewer to see,” concludes the director. “As well as utilising shallow depth of field and showing the lenses’ tilt effect, we have created a beautiful film.”