The 1998 Pixar film. The life of a bug, brought little CGI ants to the world's biggest screens. The new National Geographic documentary series, The life of a real insect reverses that, turning insects into giants in our homes. However, the only digital thing about the bugs that appear in the Disney+ series is the technology that films them. But like its animated counterpart, the show explores the world they live in and their adventures in a way we've never seen before.
Focusing on insects, The life of a real insect it is not limited to specific remote habitats. Throughout the series, you'll visit arid desert planes, tropical jungles, concrete jungles, a rural UK farm, and even the humble backyard. But thanks to a series of innovations, we see these worlds from completely new perspectives. “I think the look of this show, and it's not just me saying this, I don't think there's anything else that looks like this or has ever looked like this” Nathan Small, a producer/Director said that worked on the program at Engadget.
The series begins in New York City, where we follow the misadventures of an adorable and daring jumping spider. As our eight-legged hero begins his journey on a city rooftop, it's not long before we're at street level and joined by a cast of intrepid ants, worker flies, and a menacing praying mantis. Some of the shots instantly stand out without you completely knowing why. But Small does.
He explained that macro professionals have long preferred 60 or 100mm lenses, which provide incredible detail but have a very shallow depth of field (DOF). “Which means there is no context ever, “There’s no geography and you’re always in a very confusing, blurry kind of world,” he said. “In recent years, many so-called 'probe' lenses have been launched on the market. The main one, which changed the rules of the game a bit, is manufactured by a company called Laowa and is 24 millimeters,” he added.
A sonar lens looks exactly like you're imagining, more like a vacuum cleaner attachment, but the shots it produces have two key advantages, Small explained. The first is practical: the 16-inch barrel means you don't need to be as physically close to the insect you're shooting. The second, and the real reason those shots stand out, is that with a 24mm lens you have a much deeper DOF, which leaves much more focus. “You get that geography and that setting that gives it a really cartoony and cool look… a little funky.” All I'll say after watching that episode is that a New York beef will never look the same again. You'll also see a fly eating a hamburger in unbearable, stomach-churning details.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about the Laowa lens is that it is relatively affordable. For 1,600 dollars it is not cheap, but it has the same price as a normal one (although very good) that serious hobbyists might consider.
Small also explained that sometimes technology doesn't change the shot, but rather can improve what's happening within it. “Not long ago, all the lights he used were classic movie lights, Arri Blondes and all that kind of stuff. They are very hot,” she said. “The LED lights are super bright, but they are cold, so it means we are getting all the light we need without cooking the animal, which obviously no one wants, while letting it act naturally,” she added. . Capturing critters trying to escape the heat is much less interesting than watching them do what comes naturally to them.
But what allowed for many of the most cinematic shots of The life of a real insect It is not available to buy, at least not available on the market. “I never touch the camera anymore,” Small said. “I'm doing all on custom-made motion control platforms. “I have a robot that I have been working on for the last five years, changing things gradually.” Small's “robot” is a piece of machine-designed equipment, carved with the same precision as medical tools, something he says is vital as any shake or wobble on the scale he is working on is greatly magnified.
The robot allows you to work remotely and monitor via a large screen to get a better idea of how things will look on a TV. Two rails with sliders provide dual axes of motion, while a swivel stage and tilt control provide a full range of motion that together open up shots you could only dream of with a tripod and slider alone. The “brain” of the robot uses a and he directs it all with a PlayStation 2 DualShock. After years of updating and perfecting, the robot can finally deliver the dynamic macro footage we enjoyed on the show. Head to the episode set on the British farm if you want to see Small's robotic cinematic shots for yourself.
However, some things still require a human. If you've ever wondered how they capture seemingly impossible moments, like a spider weaving a web, the answer is… patience. In the show we see an elephant hawk moth emerging from its chrysalis. “I just didn't sleep for about five days, that's not enough,” she said. “You collect a lot of them so you have options. I had my camera on a big rail and as soon as I saw one start to move and move, I slid the camera and hit, you're on that one.” The final shot of the program lasts just 10 seconds, but without it the narrative falls apart, such is the life of a wildlife photographer.
If you want to try filming an emerging elephant hawkmoth or a bold jumping spider but don't have Disney-level budgets, don't worry. Small says today's consumer products are already more capable than many professional equipment not so long ago. Specifically when it comes to working in low light. “Before, you were stuck at ISO 200, which is a nightmare for macro, because everything is too dark or noisy,” he said. “(Now) you can shoot at 3200 and still get really sharp images.” As he mentioned above, these higher apertures like f11 or higher avoid those “soft” backgrounds. He also says that much of his equipment is made with parts (unrelated).
In the case of the camera itself, that will largely depend on what you want to capture. For close-up macro photography (rather than video), Small says the Olympus system is preferred within the industry, thanks primarily to its internal focus stacking/bracketing. In the same way that HDR photos combine multiple exposures for more even, natural lighting, focus stacking does the same thing but, well, with focus, so you can have your subject and background very sharp.
More fond of birds? So Canon seems to be the industry favorite according to Small. Particularly the larger sensor models and RF mount lenses. Canon's stellar autofocus locks onto animals very quickly and can keep it locked even when the subject is moving (as birds often do). RF lenses also have a great reputation thanks to their combination of speed and excellent built-in stabilization, making them a good choice for general wildlife photography as well. When he's not photographing for work, Small uses a Canon EOS 5DS. “I think it's a good all-around camera that does everything I need it to do. Photography is like my hobby now, which is pretty sad, isn't it? Because it is very close to my work.”
The life of a real insectnarrated by Awkwafina, premieres on Disney+ on January 24.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/disneys-a-real-bugs-life-docu-series-review-143009674.html?src=rss
