Emilian Dechev: My favorite camera for work is the Red Komodo-X

27.11.2024

Емилиан Дечев: Любимата ми камера за работа е Red Komodo-X

He is a cinematographer. Since 2006, when he "caught" the filmmaking bug, he has identified three important lessons about the equipment he works with. And his favorite camera is the "Red Komodo-X." We introduce Emilian Dechev.

THE FILMMAKING BUG

In 2006, Emilian enrolled to study "Advertising." The reason was his interest in short films, which he says both manipulate the viewer and tell a story in 30 seconds.

“It turned out that this specialty deals with product marketing, media, and to some extent, inventing the plot, but the actual filming was done by other people, who I learned were called 'directors and cinematographers.'"

Therefore, after advertising, he naturally gravitated towards a master's degree in "film."

“I started with video editing – this is the easiest part of video production because one can practice it alone at home, with just a computer. My cinematography attempts happened alongside the short films we shot for the university.”

EQUIPMENT AND LESSONS

His first attempts at video shooting were with so-called "Handycam" cameras because, at that time – 2009 – NBU had them. A little later, he shot with a "Sony HVR-Z1." However, once he saved up money, he bought his first DSLR – a "Canon 60D," which he claims already had points of contact with cinema – a large sensor and fast lenses.

And here are the three most important lessons about equipment he has learned over the years:

“1. In the beginning, when I started shooting, I thought: 'equipment DOES matter.'
2. When I got a little better, I realized that: 'equipment DOES NOT matter.'
3. When I became a professional, I returned to my old thought: 'equipment DOES matter.'
This progression of exactly these 3 steps must be walked through experience to be fully understood.”

Today, Emilian Dechev's favorite camera for work is the Red Komodo-X.

“This is because I like to be mobile and carry lighter setups. The quality of this camera is good enough for 90% of my projects. When I need a camera with even higher quality, I work with a Red V-Raptor.”

And when asked why only RED, he replies with another learned lesson – that he has mastered exposing the sensors of this camera and working with colors in post-production very well.

“RED has great 'color science,' and working with their raw format 'Redraw' is super easy and offers many possibilities.”

BEHIND THE SCENES

Emilian Dechev's work is not without interesting, unconventional, and at times even strange stories. However, he shares one of the latest.

“I shot a pirate film on a ship in Varna. Actually, we had 2 ships – one for the actors, the other for the crew. The camera bounced along with the tripod. After 15 minutes, half the people got seasick… If you're interested in what this film is called, it's 'The Children of Bendida,' and it's due to be released in the spring of 2025. I shot it with 2 'Red Komodo' cameras and 'Meike Mini Primes' lenses.”

PLANS

In 2024, Emilian Dechev is shooting three films. Two of them are already in cinemas – "Cybercrime" and "Mermaids." And "The Children of Bendida" is in post-production.

“Next year, I hope to shoot at least one more feature film. Looking at what's happening with budgets, things are getting more and more complicated. If any producer is reading this – let them write to me, and I'll make them an offer they can't refuse :)”