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Watch Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s short film, made entirely in 4K with Samsung’s NX1


Updated on December 11, 2014: In a City, a short film directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and shot entirely in 4K Ultra HD with Samsung’s new NX1 camera, has just hit the Web (watch above). The film shows the perspectives of seven cities, focusing on the diversity. The community-based film was produced with the help of cinematographers, musicians, and lyricists, with crowd-sourced talent.

“Samsung’s NX1 is an awesome camera and it allowed us to create something really special with “In a City,” Gordon-Levitt said in a release. “The project was one of the most popular collaborations we’ve ever had on the site, with the whole hitRECord community excited to get behind it. We set out to make a film that speaks to a common experience, shared by millions of people, but set in some of the world’s most diverse cities. It was important to capture the unique texture and energy of each city. The NX1 allowed us to do that , and make something that we’re all very proud of.”

Check out the behind-the-scenes video below.. The following images from the film are high-resolution stills taken directly from the original 4K video. 

Original article: Samsung created some buzz during the Photokina show with the upcoming NX1, its new flagship pro/enthusiast mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. It’s chock-full of high-end guts designed to deliver great photo quality, but it’s also touted as a filmmaking camera. The NX1 not only shoots Full HD (1080p), but it can capture both Cinema 4K and 4K Ultra HD (UHD) – the latter being the 4K standard for home TVs. To pitch this feature, Samsung is launching a marketing campaign with actor/filmmaker Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his collaborative production company, HitRECord.

SAMSUNG-NX1_Joseph-Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt

As part of the campaign, Gordon-Levitt, who starred in Third Rock from the Sun and Inception, will direct a short film, In a City, which is “inspired by cities across the globe shot entirely on the NX1 for 4K UHD viewing,” Samsung says. The film will see Gordon-Levitt “take to the streets of cities across the world to explore the rhythm of daily life for the people who live there, capturing the experiences and interactions that give each city its unique character.” It doesn’t sound like an Oscar contender, but it should demonstrate the video quality of the camera.

Related: Samsung’s NX1 is a 4K-shooting beast that puts the mirrorless competition to shame

As a community-based production company, HitRECord will also tap crowd-sourced content from cinematographers, musicians, and lyricists for the campaign. Those interested can click here to find out more details.

“Cinematography is one of the most powerful aspects of filmmaking,” Gordon-Levitt says in a statement. “To visually express the mood of a scene or moment is as essential to storytelling as a script, a score, or an actor’s performance. When you’re creating art, it’s important to know that your tools will match your ambition, and that you can rely on the technology to enable, not limit your artistic vision.

“I’m looking forward to filming with Samsung NX1 and eager to work with the HitRECord community to create something truly special,” he adds.

The film will be released on December 11, 2014. Samsung will announce news about the project on its Facebook page, where the film will be shown.

Related: Samsung goes to Hollywood, puts on sequel to DSLR-ditching campaign

(This article was originally published on October 24, 2014.)

Les Shu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
I am formerly a senior editor at Digital Trends. I bring with me more than a decade of tech and lifestyle journalism…
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