{"id":64790,"date":"2022-05-31T23:01:35","date_gmt":"2022-05-31T14:01:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fujifilmnxtc.wpenginepowered.com\/?post_type=xstories&#038;p=4202730"},"modified":"2024-05-02T04:22:55","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T19:22:55","slug":"short-film-aion-trailer-by-giulio-meliani","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/ro-ro\/stories\/short-film-aion-trailer-by-giulio-meliani\/","title":{"rendered":"Short film &#8220;AION&#8221; Trailer by Giulio Meliani"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div class=\"embed-responsive\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QCgqwIZRj0I\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2>The Future of Storytelling<\/h2>\n<h5>As hybrid photographer and filmmaker, Giulio Meliani planned his stunning short-film debut, Aion. FUJIFILM X-H2S arrived to give it lift-off<\/h5>\n<p>\u201cThe thing about storytelling, is as long as it\u2019s your passion, you can do it in any medium,\u201d begins Giulio Meliani. Defining himself as a hybrid storyteller, spanning filmmaking and photography, Giulio is well placed to know. \u201cI studied at art school,\u201d he continues. \u201cAnd whether it\u2019s in drawing and painting, stills or movies, that gives you the tools you need to communicate. But they\u2019re just tools. They can\u2019t tell you what to say.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In fact, Giulio\u2019s approach is inspired more by his family than his teachers. \u201cMy grandmother in particular was a great storyteller,\u201d he recalls. \u201cShe would read, or just talk about her experiences when putting us to bed. It was captivating \u2013 and must have awakened something within me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_02.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_02.jpg\" alt=\"Image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>That familial influence, and the emotion for his loved ones, will be clear to anyone who sees Giulio\u2019s latest project, the short film Aion. It was created this February in his hometown LA, using FUJIFILM X-H2S and FUJINON Cabrio Cinema Zoom Lenses. Wrapped up in the power of human interactions, Aion tells how the strongest memories are more than souvenirs or echoes of the past. They can be like time travel, bringing you together with loved ones long gone, or separated by thousands of miles.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_03.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_03.jpg\" alt=\"Image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>\u201cMaking something that was pure fiction was quite a departure for me,\u201d he continues. \u201cThe majority of my filmmaking has been in documentaries, and of course story is vital in those too \u2013 along with the voice of the author, it\u2019s what connects to the audience. But unlike documentaries where you have facts to follow, fiction is a blank slate. A story has the potential to go anywhere, which can be both enticing and overwhelming. So, when I took on the project, I knew I had to do certain things to rein it in, focus it, then define what I wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_04.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_04.jpg\" alt=\"Image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>That process of restriction began in the writing stages. \u201cWe had about three weeks to get through first, second, third, and final drafts, creating behaviors and limits to the characters. How they acted and spoke; what they would or wouldn\u2019t do. It was a really cool learning experience. And as a creative, I know those restrictions are actually stimulating. I always work better with directives and limits, than with a blank page.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Where restrictions change, says Giulio, is in the tools creatives use to tell these stories. \u201cAs a hybrid photographer and filmmaker, I need a camera that can follow me down either path without fault,\u201d he explains. \u201cFrom project to project, I might require completely different attributes, depending on whether I\u2019m expressing the story through photography or filmmaking. In short, a camera needs to be capable of a lot to keep up with what I need.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_05.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_05.jpg\" alt=\"Image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>Fortunately, X-H2S did exactly that. \u201cFilming Aion, we had access to two pre-production X-H2S bodies,\u201d says Giulio. \u201cBut we only ended up using one, because it performed so flawlessly. I think this is gonna be my favorite camera ever! What\u2019s amazing is the versatility. The body is so compact, yet powerful, so it\u2019s a dream for hybrid creators like me. I can use it for my photography if I want, but it&#8217;s in filmmaking that it really shines.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven though it&#8217;s not the maximum quality X-H2S is capable of, for Aion we used the ProRes HQ F-Log 2 and recorded in-camera. I\u2019m glad that\u2019s the route we took, as the editing was so much smoother and quicker than RAW video. With F-Log 2, the dynamic range was insane and so useful in grading. The ability to add the level of contrast is a wonderful tool, because there are times, long after filming, when you realize you want something to be darker or moodier, or more vibrant. Without good dynamic range in the footage, you can\u2019t do any of that in post.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_06.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_06.jpg\" alt=\"Image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>The effortless control that X-H2S footage provided over color grading was most obvious in several of the film\u2019s pivotal scenes. \u201cThere are these moments in Aion, with past and future memories overlapping the present,\u201d Giulio explains. \u201cSo, we wanted to be able to grade them in a way that would help define them and tell the story.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnother great thing about the camera\u2019s dynamic range in F-Log 2 is that normally these profiles work at a high ISO. That\u2019s what helps the camera balance the diverse highlights and shadows in a single frame. But the ISO is really low for F-Log 2, and that was great in a lot of situations \u2013 like working on location in the middle of the day, without needing to use too many filters or stop down the lens. The F-Log 2 format is so much more flexible than what\u2019s come before.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_07.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_07.jpg\" alt=\"Image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>In marking out professional-level cameras for moviemaking, another important factor is rolling shutter. Therein, footage shows straight lines looking bent, as the camera is panned around or aimed at fast-moving subjects, like spinning wheels or propellers. Giulio was on the lookout for any sign of this, but found none. \u201cWe had some action scenes \u2013 and times when we were moving the camera \u2013 and I barely noticed anything at all. On previous cameras, it\u2019s quite obvious, but the readout speed of X-H2S\u2019s stacked X-Trans 5 BSI sensor is so high that it\u2019s defeated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe filmed most of the movie in 4K 60p,\u201d Giulio continues. \u201cBut switched to 24p for the dialogue, of course. All the memory scenes were in 60p, so we could slow them to around half speed and get that silky, hyper-real smoothness to the movement. Like the grading, this marked out those scenes from the real world. I know X-H2S also offers 4K 120p, and though we didn\u2019t need to go that slow, it\u2019s something I\u2019m looking forward to on other projects. The B-roll and action sequences are going to be spectacular!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_08.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_08.jpg\" alt=\"Image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>Also watchful for overheating, which is commonplace in competitor models at high-resolution and fast frame rates, Giulio was reassured. \u201cWe worked for three days, often in the sun, and I was expecting some heat, because it\u2019s natural. But we didn&#8217;t experience overheating even once. Yes, it was February, but it was a hot winter in LA. We used the FUJIFILM FAN-001 accessory, which is basically a vent, added to the rear of the camera when the LCD display is open. It automatically reads when X-H2S needs air and is virtually silent \u2013 really clever stuff. On top of that, a full-size HDMI connection makes it so much easier to connect accessory screens or drives. They\u2019re all features which say, \u2018this is a pro body\u2019 and well equipped for any situation.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_09.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_09.jpg\" alt=\"Image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>To sum up making his first short fiction film with X-H2S, Giulio\u2019s praise for this new hybrid workhorse is clear. \u201cTime travel is one of Aion\u2019s strongest themes, and in many ways I wish I could take this camera back to when I started filmmaking! I always felt I was butting up against technology limitations. Not restrictions I placed on myself for creative reasons, but genuine problems that stopped me in my tracks.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_10.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fujifilm-x.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/x-h2s_giulio-meliani_10.jpg\" alt=\"Image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><p>\u201cBut with X-H2S,\u201d he concludes, \u201cI have everything I need to make a professional-looking film, in a body that\u2019s affordable and light enough to carry around in a small bag! There were no moments on set where I found it wanting, the quality of the footage is spectacular, and there\u2019s nothing to stop the flow of the production or halt your ideas. If you\u2019re looking for a complete tool kit for content creation, this is it. It\u2019s going to help people tell some great stories.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>BTS footage<\/h2>\n<div class=\"embed-responsive\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/z6fEi6VlueE\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Future of Storytelling As hybrid photographer and filmmaker, Giulio Meliani planned his stunning short-film debut, Aion. FUJIFILM X-H2S arrived to give it lift-off \u201cThe thing about storytelling, is as long as it\u2019s your passion, you can do it in any medium,\u201d begins Giulio Meliani. Defining himself as a hybrid storyteller, spanning filmmaking and photography, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":64791,"template":"","category":[1006,1202,3211,320,2378,1986,565,7082],"post_tag":[],"b2b-solutions":[],"class_list":["post-64790","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cameras","category-category","category-x-series-mirrorless","category-products","category-shot-on-x","category-x-series","category-stories","category-x-h2s"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-01 19:28:27","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/ro-ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/64790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/ro-ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/ro-ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/ro-ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/ro-ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/ro-ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/ro-ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=64790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/ro-ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_tag?post=64790"},{"taxonomy":"b2b-solutions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fujifilm-x.com\/ro-ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b2b-solutions?post=64790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}