It is no secret that Keanu Reeves used the ARRI ALEXA studio camera to shoot his directorial debut, Man of Tai Chi. On the camera itself, Mr. Reeves had the following to say:
“The camera was just out of beta and I wanted to test its limits,” says Reeves, qualifying his comment about “breaking” the Studio. “We’ve been shooting in water, high temperatures, dust, using strobe effects, really pushing the camera – it’s been getting a good workout! ALEXA is easy to work with and very well-made.”
The ALEXA was used with V-Lite, V-Plus and V-Series Hawk anamorphic lenses. With respect to the lenses, he said:
“It’s a lovely combination, a filmic combination,” he says. “It’s sharp, but with a softness too, and it’s nice on the eye.”
All in all an excellent read. Mr. Reeves also talks about the advantages of seeing the dailies immediately. We also hear input from the cinematogapher Elliot Davis and Lemore Syvan.
The article can be found here. Several photos from the MOTC shoot are also included.