Blackmagic Design recently announced that the ABC TV and TV Asahi network drama series “It's a Wonderful Teacher!” was shot on Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro digital film cameras. Additionally, DaVinci Resolve Studio was used for grading the series.

“It's a Wonderful Teacher!” is a television drama produced by ABC TV starring Erika Ikuta. The series depicts the struggles of a young high school teacher, Rio Sasaoka, from Generation Z. In the show, Rio experiences so much stress in her second year of teaching that she considers quitting. However, by addressing challenges in modern education and building relationships with her students, she gradually grows as an educator.

According to cinematographer Akiyoshi Konno, who was in charge of shooting the series, "Since the story is set in a high school, there are more than 30 cast members in the classroom scenes. Because of this, we used a multi camera setup. The main camera was the URSA Mini Pro 12K, while the B and C cameras were Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pros. We divided the classroom in half, first shooting one side of the students and then moving to the other."

Konno continued, "It's rare to be able to shoot a TV drama in RAW in Japan, but since the goal was to achieve a cinematic look, I decided to shoot in 24P Blackmagic RAW. I personally own Blackmagic Design cameras, so I was already familiar with their ease-of-use and excellent color quality. Additionally, for a multi camera shoot, the Pocket Cinema Camera was an affordable option, which was also a key factor in choosing it."

The series was filmed using SIGMA 18-35mm and 50-100mm cinema lenses. Practical lighting techniques, where light sources are visible within the frame, were also incorporated into the production.

DaVinci Resolve Studio was used for grading. After completing the first episode, Konno attended the grading sessions to discuss skin tone adjustments and color emphasis. “Additionally, I created a LUT combining ARRI and Kodak LUTs in DaVinci Resolve and used it during the shoot," said Konno.

Konno said that one of his favorite features of Blackmagic Design cameras is their easy-to-use false color function. “Given the time constrains of a TV drama production, it was incredibly useful for fine tuning colors and monitoring lighting levels,” he concluded. 

For information: 

Blackmagic Design: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/ 

DaVinci Resolve: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve 

“It’s a Wonderful Teacher: https://japan-programcatalog.com/en/program/itsawonderfulteacher