Harley Street records with HDW-F900R

ITV dipped its toe back into the medical drama genre in the summer with a glossy six part series about a GP practice set in the famously upmarket Harley Street area of central London.

The series from Carnival Films, producers of Hotel Babylon, centres around the lives of three doctors played by Paul Nicholls, Suranne Jones and Shaun Parkes who cater for their patients medical needs, from cosmetic surgery to unusual and often life-threatening medical illnesses.

The concept, which ITV says breaks new ground in medical drama because it is much more about the relationships between doctors and patients than the more traditional hospital-based formats, is the first series from actor turned writer Marston Bloom.

Executive producer Chris Aird says the series used two HDW-F900R HDCAM camcorders, hired from Panavision London in combination with Cooke S4 35mm Prime lenses to create its own aesthetic.

“HD photography has reached as stage where it is capable of creating not a filmic look but a brand new look where you get sharpness and quality with shallow depth of field,” says Aird. “Getting those lenses on the front of the camera really makes a huge difference – several shows are now doing this, including Carnival’s BBC One drama, Hotel Babylon.”

Creating a fluid look

Director of photography Peter Greenhalgh has already used the HDW-F900R/Prime Lense combination on BBC One’s successful Christmas drama, Ballet Shoes, as well as BBC One’s upcoming series, Apparitions, starring Martin Shaw, set for screening later this year and an episode of Poirot for ITV One.

Greenhalgh and camera operator Steve Murray used a wireless lens control system and Steadycam for the Harley Street shoot. “We wanted that fluid look. The challenge with shooting HD with 35mm lenses on Steadycam is focus pulling – focus puller Adam Coles had a difficult job,” recalls Greenhalgh.

Shot on location at Langley Park House near Pinewood, the series was offlined on site using Avid before being finished at Pepper Post in London with audio at HackenBacker.

13 October 2008