Blackmagic Design has unveiled two new projects—“Iceland” and “The Ranch”—shot entirely with its flagship Blackmagic URSA Cine 17K 65 digital film camera. Both projects, behind-the-scenes content, and Blackmagic RAW clips are now available for download from the company’s Gallery page.

To support these new releases, Blackmagic Design has also rolled out DaVinci Resolve 19.1.4, DaVinci Resolve Studio 19.1.4, Fusion Studio 19.1.4, and the Blackmagic Camera 9.3 Update, which includes expanded support for the URSA Cine 12K LF. These updates ensure seamless post-production workflows for the 17K and 8K RAW files.

“Iceland”

French filmmaker Florent Piovesan, founder of Of Two Lands, pushed the URSA Cine 17K 65 to its limits while filming the sweeping landscapes of Iceland, which were made famous by blockbusters like Prometheus, Interstellar, and Game of Thrones.

“I’ve shot on Blackmagic’s cameras before, so I found it pretty easy to understand the URSA Cine 17K 65,” Piovesan shared. “I have tried to capture the breadth and depth of Iceland on S.35 cameras before, but it didn’t do the landscape justice. The landscape is just too big for most sensors to handle. Whereas the 2.2:1 open gate 65mm sensor could capture everything including the three-dimensional depth to this landscape.” Piovesan selected Tokina Vista Cine prime lenses to preserve the authenticity of the landscape. “For the first time, my cinematography could capture what I was seeing and feeling. Everything just looked epic, straight out of a Hollywood movie.”

The enormous resolution of 17K also gave Piovesan creative flexibility in post-production. “I also find shooting 17K gives you more options in post, just because you can punch in and pull three or more scenes from the same shot in 4K. So 65mm cinematography gives you more separation, a wider perceived field of view, and extra-dimensional space than a full frame. That makes shooting 65mm cinematography on a Blackmagic Camera the perfect choice for documentaries, and I think it could also be great for TVCs too.”

“The Ranch”

Cinematographer Dylan Rucker took the URSA Cine 17K 65 to the dry, sandy landscapes of the American West to capture “The Ranch.” The project followed real-life cowboys and cowgirls riding horses and driving trucks across expansive desert backdrops.

“I love working with cameras that bring out colors and textures true to what I see,” Rucker said. “65mm cinematography is as close as you get to seeing in real life. Even when shooting on a 24mm lens, the field of view is like a 14mm, but without the distortion you’d get with full frame.” Rucker was particularly impressed by the camera’s portability and features. “Having a 65mm sensor in a camera the size of the URSA Cine means you can easily throw it on a drone, car rig, Steadicam, or techno crane. The 16 stops of latitude and the dual operator/assistant monitors really speed things up.”

The camera’s high-speed capabilities proved ideal for action scenes. “This camera has off speeds that were great for some of the horse scenes, and surprisingly, it will also shoot in 8K and 4K as well.”

Both “Iceland” and “The Ranch” demonstrate the power of the URSA Cine 17K 65 to deliver immersive, true-to-life cinematic experiences. Download the project files and RAW clips now on Blackmagic Design’s Gallery page. Check out the bts videos below. 

What’s new in Blackmagic Camera 9.3

Blackmagic URSA Cine 17K 65

• Adds support for Blackmagic URSA Cine 17K 65.

Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF

• Adds user pixel recalibration.
• Adds the ability to be remotely controlled via the Blackmagic Camera App.
• Improved proxy clip playback behavior for off-speed recordings.
• Fixed exposure traffic lights in 8K and 4K modes.
• Updated 8K and 4K Constant Quality record settings.

• Updated information menu page.
• General performance and stability improvements.