ARRI Signature Zoom BTS "Be my sisters"

The short film “Be My Sisters” was shot in just two days by Chinese cinematographer/director Da Mi. Working with prototypes of the 45-135/T2.8 and 65-300/T2.8 ARRI Signature Zooms, he used moments in the lives of modern, independent Chinese women to demonstrate the unrivalled performance of this new cine zoom system.

Shooting started at 5 a.m. on the first day, at a heritage site in Beijing called Guozijian. Here, the ancient buildings give a sense of classical Chinese architecture, while shots of the actress walking towards the direct dawn sunlight show off the flaring characteristics of Signature Zooms, as well as the smooth, flattering skin tones and stunningly beautiful bokeh.

Scenes of a motorcycle in a tunnel and a car driving though Beijing’s central business district at night demonstrate the suitability of Signature Zooms for dynamic camerawork, low light situations, and strong highlights. Shots set in a photographer’s dark room showcase the impressive close focus abilities, while the dusk roof scenes again show pleasing out-of-focus backgrounds.


The final location was the kitchen of a restaurant near Zhongguancun. Here, the high resolution, gentle focus fall-off, great color rendition, and lack of ramping of the Signature Zooms are clearly demonstrated.