After years of working in accounting, Kobina de Graft-Johnson went through a series of fortuitous events that involved shooting a wedding as a videographer for the first time, and from there he found himself immersed in and enamored by the world of film. “After the wedding, I knew I wanted to make film,” he said. “The emotions captured on camera were something I couldn't explain but could feel more deeply than anything else.”
He’d always had a passion for photography, and went on to found Anibok Studios where he has worked on music videos, documentaries, short films, and the TV series “Barely Made,” which made a festival run and recently won Best TV & Web Series at the London Pan African Film Festival. The series was filmed using a combination of the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 4.6K and the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K digital film cameras, and was color graded using DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, grading, visual effects (VFX) and audio post production software.
Filming with Purpose
Located in the Bronx, Anibok Studios is a production company that develops content for film, television, and streaming. Kobina is a native of Ghana, and as CEO and DP at Anibok Studios, he is actively creating and building a catalogue of films that shape the storytelling narrative of Ghanaians in American culture. Of particular interest to Kobina are women’s empowerment, group economics, and support for the deaf and blind community.
Inspired by Kobina’s two young nieces, Olivia and Bella, “Barely Made” tells the story of Adwoa, a first generation Ghanaian who gets fired from her job. She attempts to become an entrepreneur, soon experiencing all of the challenges that come along with that journey, and as she struggles to make ends meet, she faces the dilemma of choosing between chasing her dream and returning to the corporate world. Along with these challenges, Adwoa also must deal with complexities within her Ghanaian family.
“I realized my nieces didn't have anything on television that represented who they were culturally,” Kobina said. “Some parts of the story are from my own experiences in the professional world, but it was a natural fit for the story to be told from a woman’s point of view. I decided to use those elements of the 9 to 5 world and mix them up with the entrepreneurial journey, along with the typical sense of humor Ghanaians maintain even when times are hard.”
Kobina discovered Blackmagic Design cameras when looking for high end cameras that were better suited for his needs as an independent filmmaker. “I had heard great things about the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K. After working with it on a gig I knew I had found a camera that would give me quality images at a very good price point,” he said. “The same can be said for the URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2. It’s hard to choose anything else.”
Going Above and Beyond
Kobina owns both cameras and has been using them for several years. “The cameras over delivered, and the whole ‘Barely Made’ team has been happy with the final output,” said Kobina. “We filmed a lot of natural tones, and the skin tones of our talent were beautifully captured.”
He noted the URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2’s built in optical ND filters and dual card slots were two of the camera’s standout features that maximized efficiency for his workflow. “The built in ND filter was very helpful as it allowed us to play around with some cool creative effects,” he said. “It made shooting very quick with no extra setup, and the workflow much easier since you don't always have to put a new ND filter on each lens. Also, the dual card slot is really handy so you always have one card in the chamber, which makes shooting more efficient.”
The Pocket Cinema Camera 4K made a great B camera for Kobina’s workflow on “Barely Made” because it is a portable and durable full featured 4K camera. Kobina noted, “The Pocket Cinema Camera 4K in particular is a very rugged camera. The build quality is very good and the price point is amazing.”
The sound was recorded directly into the cameras and Kobina also used a Blackmagic Video Assist monitor to record in ProRes for backup purposes.
A Cohesive Ecosystem
For post production, “Barely Made” relied on DaVinci Resolve Studio for color correction and editing, as well as a Blackmagic Fairlight Audio Interface for noise removal, dynamic sound effects, mixing and automation, and spatial audio design.
“The noise reduction feature is really good,” said Kobina. “It's very straightforward for someone like me who wouldn't consider themselves an audio mixer. It helps to be able to get almost perfect audio using this feature. The built in sound library also makes it very efficient to have access to your library right in Resolve. It allows for seamless switching between video editing and audio post production, and the integration helps maintain a fluid workflow, making it easier for me to switch between visual edits with audio adjustments.”
He continued, “Fairlight's mixing consoles and automation features allow for precise control over audio levels and effects throughout the film. This ensures consistency in audio quality and dynamics, maintaining the focus on the narrative without any other distractions. The spatial audio design is also exciting, as I am currently experimenting with how we can make our films immersive with sound. Gone are the days where I would have to send a film to a sound design professional, allowing us to save a bit of money as well.”
New York based Colorist Emily Bailey completed the color grade for the series, and Kobina noted that their focus on perfecting the skin tones from the footage continued into the color grade with DaVinci Resolve Studio helping to keep all skin tones very smooth and natural. Kobina completed the edit himself and praised DaVinci Resolve Studio for its editing capabilities and overall seamless workflow. “The whole ecosystem of the Blackmagic Design products makes the editing process very smooth. It's easy to organize your files, and you can see all the metadata information as well. It gives you a wide range of options to choose from,” he said.
Up next for Anibok Studios is a project called “KING OF T3MA,” which was filmed in Tema, Ghana and had a limited premiered there in December. Kobina concluded, “There are many beautiful, untold stories in Ghana and we are excited to bring these stories to life using Blackmagic Design products.”
Comments
There are no comments on this blog post.