Fremont, CA – March 25, 2021 – Blackmagic Design today announced that filmmaker, comedian, singer and actress Shannon Devido used a Pocket Cinema Camera 6K to shoot her portions of the recent ViacomCBS SHOWCASE. The Pocket Cinema Camera 6K was used to shoot two sketches for the annual comedy showcase, which this year had to be produced remotely by each performer.
DeVido is known for her work on the TV shows such as “Difficult People,” “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and “Insatiable,” as well as her stage Broadway and her own short films and online series. DeVido was chosen from thousands of entrants as one of only 15 people to create and star in the SHOWCASE.
The SHOWCASE is an annual collection of hybrid comedy acts and is recognized as a leading actor showcase designed to highlight diverse talent. The show is attended by senior-level executives, showrunners and casting directors from across the entertainment industry, and then is available to watch by the public online.
Usually performed live, due to Covid restrictions, performers for the 2021 SHOWCASE were required to shoot their own parts of the sketches as well as coordinate with the other 14 actors remotely. For DeVido, this included the production of two skits she wrote and acted in, as well as co-starring in several other parts of the SHOWCASE.
To shoot and record her portions, DeVido was given a set of resources to help record and produce their scenes, which included mics, tripods and lighting. Each performer was able to choose their own cameras, and DeVido chose the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K.
“It was amazing to work with and get to know these incredibly talented comedians. Their work in SHOWCASE is truly next level and it’s an honor to have two sketches I wrote alongside them. I’m excited for everyone to see all the hard work and heart put into making this show,” DeVido said.
The two sketches she wrote and starred in were shot mostly against green screens. The first was a look at a stand-up comedian performing before the battle of Gettysburg, while the second was a meeting between a young woman and the devil in a Walmart that does not go well for the devil.
“Shooting with the Pocket camera was incredible. Both ViacomCBS and I wanted a truly cinematic, high-quality look and I only used the Pocket 6K for this,” she continued. “The camera is simple to use and made it easy to capture brilliant footage.”
Though the majority of the shots were done in front of green screens, several needed to be done by her in various outside locations and in her own home. The entire production took three days, and DeVido’s crew only included only herself and her DP, while directors worked with performers via Zoom for certain scenes. All footage was then sent to Viacom for post-production.
“Most of the time me and my DP were the crew, actor and writer combined. We had shots in every location from a green screen studio to a park. It was so nice to know that regardless of the location, we were going to get high-quality stuff with the Pocket camera. It was also really easy to save settings. So if we were going to a green screen one day then outside then back, we didn’t need to readjust every time,” she continued.
The ViacomCBS SHOWCASE aired online in late February and can be seen online at https://www.viacomcbs.com/showcase-2021.
About Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real-time film scanners for the feature film, post-production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post-production, while the company’s Emmy™ award-winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues groundbreaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world-leading post-production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com.
