Melville, NY—Canon USA congratulated ESPN Films for its five-part documentary, O.J.: Made in America. Directed by Ezra Edelman and shot by Nick Higgins, the film won the 2017 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The film blends archival video with new footage captured primarily with the Canon Cinema EOS C300 digital camera.
Cinematographer Nick Higgins chose the EOS C300 for O.J.: Made in America because of its small form factor and ability to capture long takes without stopping. “The EOS C300 was the best camera to shoot this documentary,” said Higgins. “I really appreciate the small form factor and was able to roll for hours and hours with just two 64GB cards and AC power.”
The ability to shoot for long periods of time with limited interruption was crucial. “Interviews for this film lasted at least three hours and were typically around five or six hours long; our longest was eight hours long,” Higgins explained. “The topic of conversation was always intense. And the flow would have been completely thrown off if I had to interrupt for the camera. That’s why the EOS C300 was so important to this project.”
Lens Choice
In terms of lenses, Higgins relied on the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens. “I shot the vast majority on the 50mm at an f/2,” he added. “I could make the background abstract without fearing that the subject would go in and out of focus as they breathed.”
“When our skilled engineers develop cameras and lenses, it is our greatest hope that they end up in the hands of filmmakers like Nick Higgins and the team behind O.J.: Made in America,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon USA, Inc. “We extend our congratulations on the Oscar win, from everyone at Canon.” cinemaeos.usa.canon.com
