Having directed many live music performances, cinematographer Nik Minns is well versed in complex, multi-camera productions. But the music video for Ed Sheeran’s Sapphire could not have been more different. With just an FX3 on a body mount, and director Liam Pethick for company, Minns followed Sheeran across India, capturing a whirlwind of colour and delight.

“It made sense to create an authentic tapestry of India, from food to people to landscapes,” says Minns, nodding to the obvious influence of Indian music on Sapphire.

Inspired by a Tove Lo music video, Minns and Pethick chose to keep Sheeran in the centre of that tapestry, with a body-mounted camera rigged to face him the whole time. This creative direction made their camera requirements crystal clear:

“We needed something that was going to be simple, lightweight, durable, and that was going to give a reliable image”.

As someone who has shot on Sony for almost his entire career, Minns knew that the FX3 would deliver all of this.

Stealing beautiful moments in beautiful colours

Filming took place between performances and rehearsals on the six-stop India leg of Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour. A local production company worked ‘one city ahead’ of Minns and Pethick, scouting locations from bustling backstreets to cricket grounds. But plenty of room was left for serendipity too.

Footage of Sheeran on the back of Arijit Singh’s moped was completely unplanned, and magical: two of the top three most-followed artists on Spotify riding around Singh’s hometown together as they sing together.

With such responsive, agile filming, kit had to be minimal and set-up fast. Minns was always able to grab focus at speed, thanks to the FX3’s Fast Hybrid AF system. And, because the distance between Sheeran and the camera stayed the same, he locked the focus for every shot. All the while, the FX3’s heat dissipation system kept the production cool for fast-paced 4K shooting.

Given that need for minimal kit (and weight), the FX3’s internal capabilities came to the fore. Recording in 4K, with 4:2:2 colour and 10-bit colour depth, every one of the shots captured rich detail and stunning colours, with more than enough data for real flexibility in post-production.

“I’ve used Sony pretty much my whole career. I trust the image that I’m getting from them,” says Minns. “You can do so much in post with these cameras.”

Sony’s S-Cinetone colour science was an essential part of this, keeping skin tones looking natural while preserving data for fine-tuning in the grade. Minns and Pethick furiously captured as many vibrant images of Sheeran exploring India as they could, knowing they would have a bounty of choices when it came to post.

Throughout the shooting schedule, Minns favoured natural light, relying on it for around 80% of shots. For the remaining 20%, a solitary RGB tube was used as a gentle key light on Sheeran, making sensitivity and low-light performance critical. With an exceptional full-frame sensor and 15+ stops of dynamic range, the FX3 performed perfectly, capturing every moment of colour and excitement, whether in evening shade or dazzling sunlight.

Overall, the FX3 provided the perfect package of cinematic 4K images and exquisite colour capture in an incredibly compact, lightweight body.