Post production was handled by Tony Shek, lead technician and colorist at post production company Fancy Film.

I knew once we finished color grading on DaVinci the footage from the Pocket would cut seamlessly with the other cameras. The base log of this camera plays so well with other recording platforms that were used on the series. In her own words: “I set the camera at 4K DCI recording Blackmagic RAW at 5:1.

Jessica Young shot the documentary in Blackmagic RAW format with 5:1 compression. Young shot with a variety of micro four-thirds lenses, including 12-35mm, 35-100mm and 100-300mm models, as well as a 14mm fixed focal length version, following Biles around different countries and recording moments with her family. Young began filming in September 2019, but given the delay in the Olympics caused by the COVID pandemic, the series was not completed until August 2021, when the event had already begun and deadlines for each episode were extremely tight. For this, cinematographer Jessica Young chose the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K model because of its compact design, ease of set-up and transport, image quality and high dynamic range. In the case of Simone vs Herself, it was necessary to follow the athlete around the world and record different moments as they happened, without interfering with them. The format is part of Versus, a set of Facebook documentaries that explores the personal motivations that drive some of the world’s most accomplished athletes. Produced by Religion of Sports under the direction of Gotham Chopra and broadcast exclusively on Facebook Watch, the series is about the life of gymnast Simone Biles and aims to give viewers a “unique insight” into her preparation for the Tokyo Olympics.

‘Simone vs Herself’, shot with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K has been used to shoot several scenes for Simone vs Herself, a seven-part documentary series available on Facebook Watch.

Blackmagic design cinema camera