Playboy’s Shera Bechard, photographed by Philip Maglieri at Working Proof Studios, for ET Canada.

Click here for the ET video!

When Playboy’s Miss November, the beautiful Shera Bechard, contacted me to photograph a swimwear shoot and asked if ET Canada could come along, naturally I said yes. Working with Shera is so easy, she’s so expressive and a joy to be around. You can help Shera win Playmate of the Year by going to http//pmoy.playboy.com or text 11 to 75269.

-Working Proof Studios Director Philip Maglieri

WPS What was it like shooting with Playboy?

SB Posing for playboy was a lot of fun. I’ve done some nude modelling before, so I had no issues about that. but it was a real thrill to have worked with Stephen Wayda who has shot all the big playboy playmates like Pam Anderson, Shannon Tweed, Anna Nicole Smith and so many others.

WPS Why did ET Canada interview you?

SB Being the only Canadian playmate I guess I’m fortunate that I’m actually newsworthy up here… I mean, being a just playmate in the states doesn’t get you on Entertainment Tonight there. so I’m grateful that ET Canada was willing to do a story to help support me as I try to become playmate of the year.

WPS Why did you choose to shoot with Philip Maglieri at Working Proof Studios?(say nice things)

SB I chose to shoot with Philip Maglieri because in addition to being a great photographer, he’s also just a great guy to work with. no ego, no pretension, no b.s. Sure you want to work with talented people, but if they have lousy personalities forget about it! But philip has it all: talent, personality to match, and a great, comfortable studio to work in.

WPS Wow, that’s very nice, thank you!

SB You’re welcome and thanks for your help!

Nigel Akam tests Sony’s F3

Renowned cinematographer, Nigel Akam, was in Working Proof Studios recently field testing Sony’s much anticipated F3 video camera, the first of its kind in Canada. We asked Nigel what he thought about using the F3 and, of course, what he thought about our studio.

Click here to watch the video.

You can see more of Nigel’s work at www.njacam.com.

WPS You’ve used lots of cameras, what’s so special about this one?

NA Video looks more like film than ever before but there are limits to the cameras out there now. The Canon 5D for instance is a great camera but it’s primarily a DSLR and lacks features a video camera needs. The Sony F3 is the hybrid we’ve been waiting for. It has super 35 DOF with the functions of a video camera. The exposure latitude is huge. You can shoot to Sony’s SXS, using the XDCAM codec, or you can use the 10bit 4:2:2 output to record to a Nano type device. And the RGB is 4:4:4. And it’s going to be prices around 13.5K which will give Red a run for it’s money.

WPS That’s a lot of tech Nigel, what does this mean in layman’s terms.?

NA It means the camera can be used on small projects, like indie films or for full blown features. It’s really easy to set up and use.

WPS Why did you choose to test it at Working Proof Studios?

NA I chose Working Proof because I’ve shot a lot with Philip, the studio manager, and I knew he had a nice new studio space. I really wanted something interesting to shoot and Sony only let me have the camera for a few days. So when Philip suggested I shoot behind the scenes of a fashion shoot he had coming up, it just made sense. Rhett Morita, the photographer, is also a video guy and I think he was interested to see the F3 in action. He was nice enough to let me film around his shoot.

WPS How was shooting at Working Proof? Be honest.

NA It was great! You’ve obviously put a lot of thought and planning into the space. I was able to move around two models, photographer and crew without ever being in the way. And the lighting options are very cool. I might not use the natural light for video but being able to pull down lights from the ceiling and place them perfectly is a very smart idea.

WPS Thank you for saying that.

NA No problem.