High-speed camera by Hadland Imaging/IDT with rotating 24-facet mirror polygon, achieving up to 120,000 fps at HD resolution or 2.1 million fps at 512x384 pixels.
The Blue Streak operates with a rotating 24-sided mirror polygon, which spins at up to 87,500 revolutions per minute. At maximum speed, the exposure time is 1/2,100,000 seconds, with the resolution limited to 512x384 pixels. At standard HD resolution (1920x1080), the system achieves a maximum of 120,000 fps. The internal memory holds 32 GB, allowing recording times of 2.8 seconds at the highest frame rate. The housing weighs 28 kg and requires a power supply of 220V at 15 amperes.
The system was developed in 1994 by the British company Hadland Imaging, originally for ballistic testing and material analysis. Its first film application was in 2001 for the slow-motion sequences in "The Matrix Reloaded." In 2008, IDT (Integrated Design Tools) acquired the technology and further developed it for broadcast applications. Since 2015, the current generation, Blue Streak Pro, also offers 4K recording at up to 25,000 fps.
"Blade Runner 2049" utilized Blue Streak for the iconic water droplet sequences at 480,000 fps. In "Mad Max: Fury Road," the explosion details were captured at 340,000 fps, making sparks and debris individually visible. The typical workflow requires light levels of at least 50,000 lux, which is why 18kW HMI lights or LED arrays are usually employed. Post-production is done in ProRes 4444 or OpenEXR, with one terabyte of raw data corresponding to approximately 12 seconds of footage at maximum resolution.
Compared to the Phantom TMX series, Blue Streak achieves higher frame rates but with lower resolution and more complex operation. The Vision Research Phantom v2640 offers comparable 26,436 fps at Full HD but is more mobile in its application. For standard productions below 10,000 fps, DoPs usually opt for the RED Raptor or Sony FX9, which are easier to handle. Blue Streak remains reserved for scientific recordings or exceptional special effects where extreme time dilation carries narrative significance.
Ich plane Blue Streak nur für absolute Extremsituationen ein, weil das Lichtsetup brutal aufwendig wird – 18kW HMIs sind Minimum, sonst sehe ich bei 500.000 fps nur Matsch. Die Schärfeebene wird bei diesen Belichtungszeiten hauchdünn, weshalb ich oft auf f/2.8 gehen muss und präzises Follow-Focus unmöglich wird.
Ich nutze Blue Streak gezielt für emotionale Höhepunkte, wo Zeit stillstehen soll – ein Tränenfall bei 200.000 fps wird zur metaphysischen Erfahrung. Wichtig ist, dass die Aktion komplett durchgeplant ist, weil wir nur 2,8 Sekunden Aufnahmezeit haben und jede Wiederholung 45 Minuten Setup kostet.
Blue Streak bedeutet einen kompletten Drehtag für maximal 10 Sekunden verwertbares Material, plus Spezialisten-Crew für 3.500 Euro täglich. Die Stromkosten explodieren durch die HMI-Batterien, und wir brauchen einen Daten-Techniker nur für die 4TB-Übertragungen – das rechtfertige ich nur bei wirklich spektakulären Sequenzen.
1. Zu welchem Department gehört „Blue Streak"?
2. Wie viele verschiedene Fachperspektiven bietet dieser Eintrag?
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