The “Cyclops Cam”: How Spider-Man: Brand New Day Put a Sony VENICE 2 Inside Peter Parker’s Mask
Spider-Man: Brand New Day used a Sony VENICE 2 on a helmet rig, a custom Panavision 24mm macro and an FX3 mirror trick for its POV and close-up shots. Here’s how the “Cyclops Cam” worked.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day was shot mostly on large-format ARRI cameras, but some of its most inventive shots came from much smaller rigs built to put the audience inside Spider-Man’s mask. A new behind-the-scenes video from Sony shows how the production used a Sony VENICE 2, a custom Panavision macro lens and a helmet rig nicknamed the “Cyclops Cam.”
It also shows a Sony FX3 and a simple mirror trick doing some of the movie’s most demanding work.
The Main Camera Package
Cinematographer Brett Pawlak shot the film for director Destin Daniel Cretton primarily on the ARRI ALEXA 265, a 65mm-format camera, according to American Cinematographer. The production framed for 2.39:1 while protecting a 1.90:1 frame for IMAX.
For lenses, Pawlak used Panavision Panaspeed primes, modified by Panavision’s Special Optics team to deliver a classic Panavision look on the larger sensor. Panavision says those modifications helped shape its new Primo 65 lens series.
The production also used a Sony VENICE 2 with the RIALTO extension, an ARRI ALEXA Mini LF, a RED V-RAPTOR 8K VV and a Phantom Flex 4K for specialty work.
The Cyclops Cam
For the shots from Spider-Man’s perspective, the team needed a camera Tom Holland could wear. The answer was a VENICE 2 with the RIALTO extension system, which separates the camera’s sensor block from the body, so only a small head had to ride on Holland.
Key grip Steve Ellingworth built a custom modular helmet rig to carry it, which the crew called the Cyclops Cam. That let Holland move freely through stunt sequences while the camera captured the action up close.
A Custom Panavision Macro
A standard macro lens was too heavy and bulky for an actor to wear during stunts. Panavision’s Special Optics team, led by Dan Sasaki, built a custom 24mm T4 macro lens for the rig, which American Cinematographer describes as palm-sized.
According to American Cinematographer, the helmet rig and macro were also used for extreme close-ups capturing reflections in Holland’s eyes. “It is Tom’s eyes in all of those shots,” Pawlak said.
The FX3 Mirror Trick
When the production needed something even smaller, it turned to the Sony FX3. The camera was mounted facing down above a matte box holding a semi-reflective mirror set at a 45-degree angle.
The mirror reflected the scene up into the downward-facing camera, while its semi-reflective coating let Holland see straight through the glass. That gave him full visibility to perform hand-to-hand fight choreography himself, rather than handing those moments to a stunt double.
Competitive Context
Big studio films increasingly mix camera systems, using large-format cameras for the main photography and smaller bodies for specialty shots. The FX3 has shown up on major productions for exactly this kind of work, where size and weight matter more than spec sheets.
Sony’s newer full-frame Cinema Line camera, the FX5, finally ships this month, covered in When Will the Sony FX5 Ship? Sony Finally Sets a Date. For more on the box office side of the film, see Spider-Man: Brand New Day and the Box Office Signal.
The Signal in the Noise
The lesson for filmmakers is that the most memorable shots in a $200 million-class movie often come from custom solutions, not the main camera. A separable sensor block, a lens built to be light and a mirror in a matte box solved problems that more expensive gear couldn’t.
The FX3 mirror trick in particular is something independent filmmakers can borrow. Beam-splitter and mirror rigs aren’t new, but seeing one used to let an actor perform his own fights shows how much a simple optical solution can open up.
Which shot in Spider-Man: Brand New Day made you wonder how they did it? Share it in the comments.
The Details
- Film: Spider-Man: Brand New Day
- Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
- Cinematographer: Brett Pawlak
- Primary camera: ARRI ALEXA 265
- Primary lenses: Panavision Panaspeed primes, modified by Panavision Special Optics
- POV and macro rig: Sony VENICE 2 with RIALTO extension, custom Panavision 24mm T4 macro, “Cyclops Cam” helmet rig built by key grip Steve Ellingworth
- Small-rig solution: Sony FX3 with a 45-degree semi-reflective mirror in a matte box
- Other cameras: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF, RED V-RAPTOR 8K VV, Phantom Flex 4K
- Aspect ratios: 2.39:1, with 1.90:1 protected for IMAX
