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So Apocalypto is going to open soon - super violent, Mel Gibson's next, controversial, yadda yadda whatever.

The IMPORTANT thing, ya see, from my own teeny tiny, obsessive compulsive disorder point of view, is that he shot it digitally, on the Panavision Genesis.

And I've seen a bit of it (oooh, wouldn't you like to know where) and it looks GOOD. I'd comfortably say it is the best looking Genesis shot film so far, and I'll need to see the whole thing before I could say the best looking digital feature so far, but that is yet TBD and pretty subjective anyway. But it looks rilly rilly good, m'kay?

SO: let's talk geek.

For starters, here's an LA Times piece about the movie:

Waiting for the end to come on 'Apocalypto' - Los Angeles Times

Talking about digital:

Semler and Gibson had discussed the idea of digitally shooting "Apocalypto" two years ago,
.....
Both men knew, given the subject matter, that shooting "Apocalypto" digitally was a no-brainer. Semler had a good track record with new digital tools,

(no brainer? really? Hmm... -mike)
....
So Semler took Gibson to Panavision's screening room to eyeball early comparative test footage shot on both film and the new Genesis digital camera projected out to film. Neither the director nor the director of photography could tell what was shot on film versus tape, the cinematographer recalls.

(and I have to say I've seen some similar demos at Panavision - differences were MINOR on the footage I saw, and you had to know where to look - at windows to outside, etc. in the footage I saw -mike again)

Article goes on to discuss how they protected the cameras from the fierce heat of the jungle, some crazy slo-mo acting they had to do to accomodate the limited frame rate of the Genesis (as compared to film cameras), and some more good details of how they got it done.

Variety.com - Reviews - Apocalypto: "More remarkable still is that pic was shot on the new high definition Genesis camera system. Without a doubt, 'Apocalypto' is the best-looking big-budget film yet shot digitally; one can't tell it wasn't shot on film."

Scott Kirsner, ever on the ball on this how tech affects Hollywood, reports about digital cinematography:

Digital cinematography: "In fact, DPs continue to rely on film cameras for shots that require variable shutter speed or especially high frame rates. 'We carried an (Arriflex) 435 because the cameras we had initially wouldn't go beyond 30 frames a second,' Semler says. 'But about a month into 'Apocalypto,' we were given three new (Genesis) camera bodies that could do 50 frames per second.'"

And here's how you start an article: TIME.com: Apocalypto Now -- Mar. 27, 2006 -- Page 1: "'I need to see the blood!' shouts Mel Gibson. 'Your character is going to die soon!' He picks up a bullhorn: 'Attention! We are all dying here! We are all dying!'"

Camera maker sharpens its focus - Los Angeles Times: "Four years ago the picture was bleak for Panavision Inc.Massive debt, bad management decisions and rapidly changing technologies threatened its stature as Hollywood's gold standard for cameras and lenses used in shooting television shows, movies and commercials.

Now Panavision, whose logo on film credits has been familiar to moviegoers for decades, is regaining its focus."

-mike