Sony’s PMW-F55 cameras used to shoot Gabriel’s sell-out ‘Back To Front’ tour in four times the resolution of HD, marking the next watershed moment for 4K adoption

London, 23rd  October 2013: Sony  has announced today it is working with Real World and  co-producers Done & Dusted Productions and ERP Productions, as well as CTV Outside  Broadcasts, to produce singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel’s Back To Front: So LIVE tour  in stunning 4K. This week’s two concerts at the O2 used  a total of ten Sony PMW-F55 cameras to capture the live spectacular in 4K, making  the viewer feel like they‘re front of stage. The recording marks another milestone  in the expansion of 4K production beyond the digital cinema industry, driven by  Sony.

Currently  celebrating the 25th anniversary of his landmark multi-platinum album So, Peter Gabriel brought his ‘Back To Front: So LIVE’ tour back to the  UK, with two dates at The O2 on the 21st and 22nd of October  2013. In keeping with Sony’s vision to provide products that help capture the  emotional intent of the artist and immerse viewers in the action, the company  worked with two production companies - Done & Dusted Productions and ERP  Productions - and facilities company CTV to plan and support the ten-camera Sony  PMW-F55 shoot. The full workflow includes the supply of R5 and SR-R1000 recorders, as well as technical consultancy and support to record the two day  shoot.           

Eight of Sony’s highly popular PMW-F55 35mm 4K cameras were used to capture the first  night of the tour, and an extended ten camera production took place on the  second night. The shoot took advantage of the F55’s exceptional high sensitivity and colour  reproduction to produce captivating RAW 4K footage, in what  represents the first large-scale 4K multi-camera concert recordings to be  captured in RAW to date.

“With live events becoming as much about  the overall spectacle as the music itself, production teams and artists are continually  striving to push new audio and visual boundaries in  creative performance,” explains David Bush, Marketing Director, Sony Europe. “Shooting his latest concert  in 4K and utilising the most innovative technologies, Peter Gabriel is once  more raising the bar for what is possible. Using our  ground-breaking PMW-F55 cameras and R5 Recorders, his concert at the O2 will be  captured in incredible richness; capturing this unique concert experience in 4k  will ensure that fans and viewers will be able to re-live - whether in the  cinema or living-room - a stunningly life-like visual recreation.

“We’ve always enjoyed working at the cutting edge of video technology, whether HD in 2002/3, 3D in 2010 and now 4K,” comments Mike Large,  COO of Real World Holdings.  “Peter has  always looked for the best technology to immerse his audience in the show and  the music and 4K is the next step on that journey.  We’re very grateful to Sony for all the help  and expertise they’ve given for this production.”

Real World is continuing its collaboration with Eagle  Rock Entertainment in making distribution plans for the film in 2014.