News Details

Japanese skincare brand’s new web commercial shot in open gate.

Blackmagic Design today announced that Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K digital film camera was used for a new web commercial for Kao’s skincare brand Curél. Post production was completed using DaVinci Resolve Studio editing, color grading, visual effects (VFX) and audio post production software.

Curél is a long standing skincare brand from Kao Corporation, active for more than 20 years. The brand has developed a variety of products focused on skincare, from moisturizing lotions and creams to laundry detergents designed with skin sensitivity in mind. This latest web commercial features Tomoa Narasaki, a member of Japan’s Olympic sports climbing team for the Paris Games.

Directed by Shuma Jan, who also directed a Curél web commercial last year featuring the brass band students of Tachibana High School in Kyoto. That commercial was shot on Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K digital film camera and this time, the production team used the Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K, with editing and color grading handled in DaVinci Resolve Studio.

“I’ve been using Blackmagic’s cameras since the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and thought the image quality was great, but with the Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K’s full frame sensor, the quality has become even more impressive, despite no change in the color sensor,” said Jan. “Whether in Blackmagic RAW footage or post grade, the tonal gradation feels more refined. The low pass filter also reduces false colors, giving a more natural and high quality look. The DP I collaborated with, who’s very familiar with Blackmagic’s cameras, was also really excited about the Cinema Camera 6K’s image quality. I think people who’ve been longtime users of Blackmagic’s cameras will really appreciate it.”

The project was shot in open gate. Jan shared his thoughts on the 3:2 aspect ratio of open gate: “The 3:2 aspect ratio is great. Shooting in the usual 16:9 format way can sometimes leave too much or too little space, but once I got used to it, I found it easier to frame the shots. It’s a very balanced aspect ratio, especially when capturing close up expressions.”

He continued, “The larger sensor on the Cinema Camera 6K allows for a wider shot in tight spaces that smaller sensors couldn’t handle. Smaller sensors often require very wide angle lenses, which can distort edges, but with a full frame sensor, this isn’t an issue, and there’s more flexibility in lens choice.”

After filming, Jan edited the footage with DaVinci Resolve Studio and then his colorist graded the project with the software. “I didn’t have any problems in editing, but matching colors was tricky because the Cinema Camera 6K’s clarity outshone the drone and the action camera we used alongside it. The way primary colors like red look especially different, due to the high saturation, required us to reduce the saturation of that footage to achieve a more subdued tone while boosting the saturation of Blackmagic RAW to balance the entire footage. The colorist mentioned that the Cinema Camera 6K’s skin tones look incredible, and color grading was much easier to adjust,” Jan concluded.