Photo Credit: Tali Kimelman
In the depths of South America two independent filmmakers equipped with an AG-AF100 large imager HD cinema camera are examining what it’s like to dramatically change your life at the ripe old age of 80.
Adriana Loeff and Claudia Abend are currently shooting their second documentary in Montevideo, Uruguay which tells the story of a group of eighty-somethings who decide to embark on new life endeavors during their retirement. These seniors’ stories vary from becoming a marathon runner, to getting a divorce, to learning to read and write.. 
“Through their stories, we intend to deal with issues that are more universal, such as success and loneliness, achievement and frustration, and life and death,” Loeff said.
When the duo began planning their project, which is currently without a working title, they realized they needed a camcorder that was functional in uncontrolled settings and was reasonably priced.
“It had to be versatile and at the same time give the footage the look we were going for: detailed, expressive, a shallow depth of field and with as little noise as possible in low-light settings, Loeff said. “And we went for the AG-AF100.”
They have been shooting for a few months now and are quite pleased with the results. They claim the AF100 has performed beautifully in every situation they have shot in, including inside low-lit settings and outside locations in natural light. The lens flexibility has also proved helpful as they have found it easier to switch out the lens for different circumstances. They primarily used various Nikon and Lumix lens.
But overall, the quality of the video has been the greatest asset of the camera.
“We love the texture of the skin and hair, and the expressiveness in the eyes of our octogenarian subjects,” Leoff added. “For the price [the AG-AF100] is spectacular.”
Given the camcorder’s easy shooting ability and portability the team might expand the scope of their project to include seniors in Argentina and Spain. Although there is still shooting to be done, the pair expects to begin editing the piece using Final Cut Pro in the near future.
The duo’s previous documentary, “Hit” premiered in theatres in Uruguay in 2008 and in and Buenos Aires after that. While they are still in the early stages of this current film, they hope to release to a wider international audience in 2013.
Panasonic is currently accepting entries for the “Shoot it, Share it” video contest for AF100 users. For complete contest rules and to learn more about the “Shoot It, Share It” video contest, visit www.ShootItShareIt.com.
