“I feel like I'm in the flow state when there are no distractions around me. My brain is fully channeling and working towards a goal, an idea, a thought. I feel like my brain calms down and becomes more quiet and I'm able to be my most creative self.”
Genna Print, Director of Rise
The new LUMIX S5IIX is the camera that empowers you to capture your flow state and bring your true creative vision to life.
Experienced by visionary artists, top athletes and other individuals at the top of their fields, the flow state is a period of intense focus and concentration during which you are fully immersed in your process and able to perform at your best. When you’re in the flow state, you’re able to let go of all distractions, tap into your full potential as an artist and produce your best work.
Panasonic has brought this concept to life through their unique Flow State series, a collection of short films created by talented filmmakers worldwide to showcase the creative possibilities of the S5IIX. The hope is that, without the creative limitations imposed by other cameras, artists will be able to realize their true artistic visions through this project.
The LUMIX S5IIX offers a range of features that can unlock an artist's creative potential:
- All-black design with 24.2MP full-frame sensor for stunning image quality and excellent color science
- Fast and reliable autofocus performance featuring Phase Hybrid AF
- Powerful image stabilization with Active I.S. technology
- C4K 60p/50p 4:2:2 10-bit unlimited recording and 6K 30p/25p 4:2:0 10-bit recording for professional quality video, as well as FHD 120fps HFR
- 6K Open Gate to enable flexible framing for any social media platform
- Raw video recording in ProRes RAW or Blackmagic RAW to an external recorder over HDMI
- 14+ stop V-Log/V-Gamut for high dynamic range and Dual Native ISO
- Low compression video capabilities with formats such as ProRes 422 HQ or All-Intra with USB-SSD support
- Wired/wireless IP streaming
Rise is the third release in the Flow State project and was filmed in Zanzibar, Tanzania. This short dance film explores body movement, while looking at friendship and community as ways to help people through hard times. The story follows a man who loses his mother in a car crash and is brought out of his grief by friends who come together to dance with him and show their support.
Keep reading below to hear from the creators of this imaginative film about what inspired the story and how the LUMIX S5IIX contributed to realizing the artist’s vision.
Interview with Creators of Rise
The following is an interview with Genna Print, the film’s director, and Frank Papushka, the film’s cinematographer.
Glory Rutazaha (Interviewer): What was your inspiration for this film?
Genna: My inspiration behind this film is to look at movement, dance and friendships as ways to help people out of challenging times. I think most people in the world have experienced some kind of challenging emotions, and I want people to be able to connect with the main character, feel his pain, but also realize that there are ways of moving and showing support to one another so that you can feel better even though it's still hard.
Glory: What were the artistic challenges that you wanted to take on through this film?
Genna: Artistically, I think what was really interesting about this film is that we shot in all kinds of locations. We shot in the water, we shot in the desert, we shot moving with fire. So I think what was really interesting, which we wanted to challenge, was to figure out how we can shoot in all these various locations and just make the film come to life.
Glory: So how did the LUMIX S5IIX help you tell your story visually?
Genna: The LUMIX S5IIX was a small powerful, really dynamic camera. It was really easy to just do loads of handheld shots, especially because this is a dance film. We were able to get all these wonderful movements. The internal stabilization was amazing. The quality of the film was amazing. And yeah, I think just through the small, light, compatible design, it really helped to tell this story in a beautiful way.
Glory: What did you like most about the LUMIX S5IIX while you were filming?
Genna: I would say the best thing about the LUMIX S5IIX is definitely the internal stabilization. Not needing a gimbal, not needing all these big complicated accessories to help tell a story. As you can see, we pretty much just used the camera as it was, and we were able to get these amazing shots. So yeah, I would definitely say the internal stabilization was a plus amongst all the other wonderful aspects of this small, powerful camera.
Glory: What was your impression of the LUMIX S5IIX’s image quality?
Genna: So we shot this film on V-Log using 4K 10 bit 4:2:2, which is the highest level of 4K recording that you can do, and the image quality was amazing. I mean, we were up at sunrise, we were out during sunsets, we were out during midday and consistently this camera was able to perform getting these beautiful shots and allowing us to tell this amazing story.
Glory: The name of this project is Flow State. Artists usually experience this state of mind when they're highly focused and feel most creative and authentic to their inner selves. Do you often experience this state?
Genna: Yeah. As a creative person, I think it's really important to get into that flow state, and I think that's what allows us to be so creative and come up with some of our best ideas. I feel like I'm in the flow state when there are no distractions around me. My brain is fully channeling and working towards a goal, an idea, a thought. I feel like my brain calms down and becomes more quiet and I'm able to be my most creative self.
Glory: Frank, What do you think is the thing that the LUMIX S5IIX can do that the larger format cameras can't?
Frank: I think the most beautiful feature about this camera that other cinema cameras won't have, I would say, is the built-in stabilization. This camera, it's awesome. I mean it's competing with bigger, giant cinema cameras when it comes to built-in stabilization. That feature is very powerful in a way because you don't have to spend much time investing in big rigs or gimbals. Another really powerful feature is that this camera is able to film 10 bit, Apple ProRes 422, which is in 5.9K as well.
Glory: What is the benefit of the full frame sensor in your opinion?
Frank: The benefit of the full frame sensor is, well, being able to film in a full frame. In a way your image doesn't have to be cropped. With this camera, I think we were able to film everything in full frame. So I was able to compose my shot without copying anything. I was able to really establish the location in its full scale.
Glory: What do you think about the L Mount lenses?
Frank: This camera’s lenses are very sharp and they're able to push to maybe f/1.8. So in a way they allow so much light coming in at the camera. They're the most beautiful lenses. They're very soft, not so artificial. They're soft in a cinematic way. So it gives the image that cinema feel, it makes the image not look so artificial or fake like photography, it's more like a cinema look.
Glory: How did you discuss the look of the film with the director?
Frank: We came up with a solid decision to go with the flat profile, which is V-Log, so that we were able to play around with colors when it comes to post-production. The look of this film was supposed to be as artistic and cinematic as possible, so we tried to film when the sun is best early in the morning, maybe late evening. We got all the dramatic lighting like sunset and twilight hours, and the mood is kind of moody and cinematic. So that's the kind of look we wanted to achieve in this film.
Glory: Finally, if you could reach millions of filmmakers, what would you want to say to them to inspire them?
Frank: I would say to be a purposed filmmaker or storyteller, it's knowing, being able to tell a story in an authentic way. And this camera allows us as filmmakers to be flexible. We don't need a big crew to operate this camera. You could just be, handheld camera then you can jump into a situation and create a powerful story using this gear. And the result of the video will be powerful and awesome. So I would say they should be able to utilize this new technology that comes with these new cameras like LUMIX, to really explore and really try to utilize the technology as much as possible to be able to tell stories easily in a more flexible way.
Glory: Genna, now that you’ve finished your dance film, what do you think will be your next challenge?
Genna: After completing my dance film, I'm eager to explore new opportunities with the LUMIX S5IIX camera. I'm particularly excited about using it to capture the unique stories of East Africa through a series of short documentaries. Two ideas that I'm currently exploring are the story of a Kenyan surfer in Kilifi, and the mystery of why old baobab trees are dying and its potential links to climate change. These stories speak to my interest in showcasing the diverse talents and natural beauty of the region, while also addressing important social and environmental issues. Overall, I'm passionate about using video as a medium to tell engaging and impactful stories. With the LUMIX S5IIX, I'm confident that I can achieve my vision as a filmmaker and create content that resonates with audiences around the world.
Glory: Why do you choose to tell your story with video? Do you believe that the LUMIX S5IIX can help you achieve your goals as a filmmaker?
Genna: I believe video is a very powerful medium for storytelling as it allows for a unique combination of visuals and sound. Video not only tells stories, but shows them as well, enabling viewers to experience parts of the world they may have never seen before and consider perspectives they may have never thought about.
Glory: Do you believe that the LUMIX S5IIX can help you achieve your goals as a filmmaker?
Genna: I believe the LUMIX S5IIX is an excellent tool for achieving my goal as a filmmaker of telling engaging stories from East Africa. Its high-quality capabilities and lightweight design make it perfect for capturing stories in even the most remote locations, without the burden of heavy equipment. The camera's full-frame sensor allows me to capture stunning, high-resolution images with excellent detail and color reproduction, while its advanced autofocus system ensures that my shots are always sharp and in focus. Additionally, the LUMIX S5IIX features an amazing internal stabilization system that allows me to shoot handheld shots with ease, providing me with the flexibility and creative freedom to capture the moments as they happen. This feature is particularly important to me, as it enables me to capture natural and authentic footage, which is essential for telling compelling stories. With the LUMIX S5IIX, I am confident that I can visually capture the essence of the stories I want to tell.
Ready to Enter Your Flow State?
The LUMIX S5IIX is a new camera that aims to empower filmmakers by helping them overcome the limitations of other cameras, allowing them to enter their flow state and bring their creative ideas to fruition. With this in mind, Panasonic has introduced the Flow State project, a collection of short films created using the LUMIX S5IIX, in order to demonstrate the camera’s amazing potential as well as showcase the abilities of talented filmmakers across the world.
If you’d like to see the full short film Rise and learn more about the Flow State project, please follow this link.
To find out more about the LUMIX S5IIX, visit LUMIX UK and LUMIX US.
