Suntory’s “GREEN DA・KA・RA” Commercial Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 6K

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PYXIS 6K’s customizability helped shoot dynamic dance performances with a crane and dolly.

Fremont, CA, USA - Blackmagic Design today announced that the TV commercial for Suntory’s sports drink GREEN DA・KA・RA was shot using the Blackmagic PYXIS 6K digital film camera. The commercial was graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio using the DaVinci Resolve Advanced Panel.

GREEN DA・KA・RA is a long standing brand, beloved for more than 10 years and known for its concept of being “good for your body,” using no artificial sweeteners and safe even for children. The commercial, which aired in May 2025, is a unique collaboration with THE DANCE DAY, one of the largest dance competitions in Japan, now in its fourth year. The high energy spot features performances from five dance groups, including the popular Powerpuff Boys, and showcases vibrant, dynamic choreography.

The commercial was shot by Kota Watanabe of ROM Inc., a creative team specializing in music videos and commercials. As the company’s director, Watanabe is also involved in many roles, such as directing, color grading and cinematography, depending on the project.

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“This project had a production style very similar to that of a music video, so its director Ryosuke Sone, whom I’ve worked with several times before, personally requested me for the shoot,” Watanabe explained.

Two PYXIS 6K cameras were used during shooting. “I’ve been using Blackmagic Design cameras since the Pocket Cinema Camera series and am very comfortable with them. I had already tried the PYXIS 6K for a previous concert project, where I shot visuals for LCD screens at the venue, so I had a clear idea of how it would look in grading,” said Watanabe.

To capture dynamic dance movements, the PYXIS 6K was mounted on a crane and Panther dollies.

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“We used semicircular tracks to circle around the dancers and remotely adjusted the crane arm’s angles and rotations to create movement. For lenses, I wanted to showcase the spatial width, so we used Zeiss CP.2s and LAOWA wide angle lenses. Since these are manual focus lenses, we modified the camera by adding rods underneath to mount a wireless follow focus system. For low angle shots, we attached a tripod plate to the top of the URSA Cine Handle and mounted the camera on the underside of the dolly,” Watanabe explained.

He continued, “With PYXIS 6K’s full frame sensor, lighting on set became much easier. Also, some shots were digitally zoomed in during editing, but thanks to the 6K resolution, we could get very close to the subject without sacrificing image quality.”

Color grading was carried out at post production house Digital Garden using DaVinci Resolve Studio and the DaVinci Resolve Advanced Panel. “I worked with colorist Yusuke Adachi at Digital Garden. Since we used black fabric for the background, I wanted to keep the blacks solid and rich, while making the lighting on the ceiling and stage, along with the skin tones, appear soft and smooth. PYXIS 6K made it easy to achieve the exact tone I was aiming for,” Watanabe concluded.

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