Fremont, CA, USA - Blackmagic Design today announced that the NHK Special program “Tsukurareta Shinjitsu DEEP FAKE no Jidai (Fabricated ‘Truth’: The Age of Deepfakes),” broadcast on NHK’s documentary program slot “NHK Special,” was shot using the Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF and Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K digital film cameras and color graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio and DaVinci Resolve Advanced Panel. The program received the Galaxy Award, which honors outstanding Japanese broadcasting content in television, radio, journalism, and commercials.

“NHK Special” is NHK’s flagship documentary series, known for its in depth reporting and high production value. “Fabricated ‘Truth’: The Age of Deepfakes,” which aired in the same slot, is a unique blend of documentary and drama that explores real world issues surrounding AI generated deepfakes and dramatizes possible scenarios that could occur in Japan.

The drama portion of the program was shot with the URSA Cine 12K LF and Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K by Cinematographer Hiroaki Nishimura, and grading was handled by Ryota Kobayashi of Omnibus Japan, Inc.

According to Nishimura, “I used the URSA Cine 12K as our main camera, paired with SIGMA prime lenses. While most scenes were captured in 4K, we shot some in 12K. For instance, in the scene where the characters walk under a bridge, I didn’t have a telephoto lens, so I shot in 12K and zoomed in during post. That kind of flexibility is one of the great features of this camera.”

“I also used the URSA Cine EVF, which was really easy to work with. I come from a film background, so framing through a viewfinder feels natural to me. A good viewfinder makes a big difference when shooting,” Nishimura added.

Some scenes required smartphone footage for storytelling purposes, and those were shot using the Blackmagic Camera app.

Nishimura noted, “There are a few scenes shot on iPhone. In one, where the main character’s daughter films their family, we actually had the young actress shoot the footage herself. That added realism, and being part of the smartphone native generation, she did a great job with it.”

Regarding the grading process, Kobayashi said: “While the story is fictional, I wanted to maintain a level of realism that reflects how AI is becoming more integrated into our lives. Since we used Blackmagic Design cameras, I also wanted to make sure skin tones looked beautiful. Based on Nishimura’s preference for a slightly harder visual style, I focused on building strong shadow tones while keeping colors clean and free from muddiness. Even though AI is the theme, we didn’t want the look to be too digital, so I incorporated a film like aesthetic as well. Since we used only Blackmagic Design cameras for this project, the color space was consistent, which made it easier to control.”

“This was my first time grading URSA Cine 12K footage, and from the test shots, I could already feel that it stood apart from other camera materials. Even when I examined the footage by isolating each RGB channel, there was no noticeable noise or roughness in the color. From a colorist’s perspective, the URSA Cine delivers exceptionally clean and beautiful images,” Kobayashi concluded.