I’d venture that a good percentage of starving film students with an internet connection are probably aware of Johnny Chung Lee and his $14 “steadycam” design. Nowadays Johnny is working for Microsoft’s Project Natal team, putting his 133t Wii remote hacking skills to good use. But I digress. In the spirit of Johnny’s stabilizer design, I stumbled across another DIY handheld stabilizer tutorial, this one actually includes a 3-axis gimbal design and appears to work surprisingly well. Check it out at this link, or view the example footage below if you aren’t yet convinced.

Editor’s note: This equipment review is cross-published from our affiliate, Microfilmmaker Magazine. FreshDV has previously covered Kessler’s products in our Cine Gear 2009 video coverage. For more example footage, check out dvd.kesslercrane.com

Kessler Crane KC-8 Complete – Ultra (no AXIS System)
Review by: Jeremy White, Microfilmmaker Magazine
$1599.95 as equipped
Final Score: 9.0 (of 10)

A while back, a friend of mine made an incredible music video that absolutely made my jaw drop. His shots had something that my shots desperately lacked – motion. His use of a crane added a whole new layer to his film.

Immediately, I began searching for a crane for my productions. I needed something cheap, durable and most importantly smooth. I searched around online for a few days until I finally found a company I was sold on – Kessler Crane.

The model I chose to review is the KC-8 Complete Ultra (no AXIS System). I chose this package for a number of reasons. First, at eight feet this crane seemed the perfect size for my needs. I wanted something small enough so that I could shoot indoors, but tall enough to get above a person’s head. Second, it included a heavy-duty tripod (something most cranes under $2,000 do not include). Third, it included the Hercules 2.0 head. This is a very sturdy tripod head capable of carrying up to 150 pounds. Finally, it included the vertical brake so that you could secure the crane when not in use.

Ease of Use
The crane was extremely easy to assemble. Kessler has even put together an instructional DVD to clearly explain assembly and user operation. I made sure to attach the included caster wheels to the base of the tripod. This made the whole system considerably easier to move.

With the crane fully assembled, I realized I needed some weights to counter-balance the crane. Kessler does sell weights (to save the user in shipping costs), but these can be purchased at most sporting-goods stores. After ransacking my uncle’s house I found some old exercise weights and I knew that I was in business. It took me a couple guesses to calculate the exact amount of weight to use.

Kessler does sell the Hercules 2.0 head, but the KC-8 Package only includes one Hercules 2.0. A second Hercules 2.0 head would be needed for mounting the camera as the first should be used for mounting the crane. They also do sell a motorized “AXIS System” which gives the user a full range of movement, but the AXIS System will set you back another $1,000.) In lieu of using one of these options, I mounted my Bogen/Manfrotto 503 fluid head to the end of the crane. This gave me some extra mobility in configuring my shots that was much appreciated later. Without the fluid head attached, the camera was limited to pointing only in the direction in which it was mounted. With the fluid head, my camera angles were limitless.

Finally, with everything fully assembled, I set out to work. The crane performed flawlessly. Everything worked just as it was supposed to. I took the crane apart and reassembled it to see how long it would take me from start to finish. Elapsed time: five minutes. This crane is so simple to assemble and use!

Depth of Options
The thing I loved about this crane was that (with the addition of my Bogen/Manfrotto 503 fluid head) it could turn in literally any direction. I actually found I liked using the crane better than my regular tripod. It was extremely useful for low shots, which was something I never considered. It is tough to set a tripod so that the camera is one foot off the ground, but with the Kessler Crane this was extremely easy.

The caster wheels were a huge help. With them attached, I was able to move this rather heavy crane with ease. I actually filmed on a smooth surface and was able to use the crane as a dolly for a few shots.

Performance
I was extremely pleased with the overall performance of the crane. I was able to get fantastic high/low angles and sweeping motion shots that would never have been possible before. I was also pleased with the stability of the shots. They weren’t 100% smooth, but they were very close. I found that by running the footage through Final Cut’s “Steadicam Filter,” I was able to achieve the level of perfection I desired. I honestly believe that with just a little bit more practice I could have gotten the shots completely smooth without any post magic.

Another fantastic quality was the stability of the tripod. This thing is a ROCK! I had no problems putting my $3,500 camera on the end of this and walking away. This tripod can hold up anything.

In addition, I never felt like my camera was “too heavy” for the crane itself. I could have had a camera weighing 30+ pounds and I still believe it would have performed just as well.

I did find that the pin to lock the tripod head into place was somewhat difficult to remove. It took some playing around with to get it in/out of place, but this may just be due to the newness of the crane. Overtime, it probably would be easier to get in/out. Also, the vertical brake seemed to fit into place somewhat awkwardly. It worked fine, but it just looked like it bowed out rather strange. I still would recommend having it, but over time it may become slightly warped. Kessler sells a Lighting Stand Clamp Mount that most users would probably find easy to use.

Value
When I first started looking for cranes I was hoping to find something under $1000. While I did find cranes that were priced under $1,000, I would not have felt comfortable putting my camera on them. Just looking at the pictures of these other cranes, I could tell they didn’t even compete with Kessler’s quality. This crane was made with a nice lightweight aluminum alloy that will last for years.

Final Comments
If you want to take your films to the next level, a crane is a MUST. If you want a solid, easy-to-use crane at a great value, definitely look at the Kessler KC-8 Complete.

Jeremy White has literally traveled the world making short films. Most recently, Jeremy traveled to China and Peru to shoot promotional videos for non-profit organizations. His film “Leaves” won the 2005 Highbridge Film Festival.

This equipment review is cross-published from our affiliate, Microfilmmaker Magazine. FreshDV has previously covered Kessler’s products in our Cine Gear 2009 video coverage. For more example footage, check out dvd.kesslercrane.com

DI/Post Producer Leandro Marini has kicked off a multi-part series of blog posts on considerations for Red DP’s and users. The first post deals with why you should consider lighting Red camera projects with daylight balanced light sources, vs tungsten. Leandro provides a few graded and raw example images that illustrate the issue, and why 5000K sources work best. Check it out.

I’ve posted over at PVC a short video on a software research project involving Adobe. This application essentially automatically turns shaky handheld footage into smooth, steadicam-like motion. This isn’t your grandpappy’s Smoothcam, it’s a whole new way to approach the technical issues, and the end result is mind-bogglingly good. Check it out, and if you have an Adobe contact, you know what to do.

Over at ProVideoCoalition, Editor Scott Simmons has written a KILLER article on the The Basics of Avid Media Composer for a Final Cut Pro Editor. Not to be missed. Here’s an excerpt that explains the article focus.

What follows in this article is not a debate of Avid vs. Final Cut Pro or a conversion document that says you should move from Final Cut Pro to Avid Media Composer, but rather a step-by-step guide for anyone new to Avid (or curious about the software in general) to launch the software and perform a few basic functions. It will be geared more toward the FCP editor, but a lot of the basic functionality is the same in many non-linear editors. I won’t compare and contrast various Avid and FCP features as that’s not the focus of the article though I will point out the Avid equivalent of a number of FCP tools. And if you’ve never edited with a NLE application before then consider this primer a way to get your feet wet in Avid Media Composer 3.5.

Highly recommended. Check this one out!

FreshDV reader Leandro Marini has just started his own blog for Local Hero Post, a DI/finishing boutique shop in Santa Monica, CA. His first post is a good start, showing some before and after examples of shooting for a gritty DI with a muted negative. We look forward to keeping an eye on the content they put out. Thanks for the heads up, Leandro!

Panasonic is running an interesting promotion through September 30, 2009…users who trade in a “full-size 2/3”, ½” or RED camcorder” can purchase the AJ-HPX3700 P2 HD VariCam camera for $29,995 USD, which is a savings of 30K off the $59,995 list price. I wonder why they are reducing the price so much for tradeins? Is it that those other cameras are smoking them in sales? Or I wonder if they are they just trying to cement an already-expanding presence in the market? I don’t have any further fine print or details on this offer, but it certainly seems like Varicam shoppers could pick up a Red body for $17,500 and use that for a quick (and hefty) discount on the new solid-state P2 model.

HPX3700 features:
Three 2/3” native 2.2 megapixel CCD imagers
10 bit, 4:2:2 independent frame AVC-Intra recording as well as DVCPRO HD
Dual-link 10 bit 4:4:4 RGB output for uncompressed recording on external devices
Five P2 card slots for up to 5 hours of continuous, full 1920 x 1080 recording on 64GB solid state memory cards
HD outputs for live event production

The offer email I saw said to direct questions to pbtsinfo@us.panasonic.com. We of course recommend purchasing from FreshDV sponsor Midtown Video, a Panasonic Authorized Dealer who we’ve confirmed can deliver this trade-in offer to users. For a reseller list of from Panasonic, see this PDF link.

While at NAB ‘09, the FreshDV crew scored a great interview with Jan Crittenden on the Panasonic HPX-300, a sub-$10K shouldermount camera with serious production chops. Well the folks over at B&H reviewed this beast in one of their newsletters a while back, and I’m just now getting around to posting the link. So here it is, a look at the HPX300. B&H actually carries the P2 camera for $7,999.95 USD (if you click their “email me a better price” link).

Filmmaker and instructor Jerome Courshon wrote in to let us know about an upcoming seminar on the topic of distribution. We’ve spoken at length with Jerome in the past, he has contributed both an excellent “Distribution 101″ video to the FreshDV tutorial vault, and he also was a valuable and informative voice in our most recent distribution podcast discussion. So I’m delighted to help highlight his latest distribution seminar, which will be held in LA this August. I’m including all the details below, check it out.

THE SECRETS TO DISTRIBUTION: Get Your Movie Distributed Now!
So you’ve made your movie. Congratulations! Or you’re going to make your movie. Excellent! What do you do to ensure the final step of your filmmaking journey, getting distribution? How do you play “the game”? Is there even a game??

The answer is YES. There is a game. A strategy. Whether you’re about to start shooting, have finished your final cut, are on the film festival circuit — or even if you’ve been turned down by distributors already — you CAN get distribution. It is not impossible, but there is a strategy that MOST producers & directors do not know or understand.

Where can you learn this? At producer Jerome Courshon’s groundbreaking 2-Day seminar,
“THE SECRETS TO DISTRIBUTION: Get Your Movie Distributed Now!”
http://www.Distribution.LA

WHO SHOULD ATTEND THIS SEMINAR:
- Those with a completed movie
- Those in production or post-production
- Those who intend to make a movie — Get a head start on what you need to know
- Learn what they do NOT teach you in film school

Bottom line? This seminar is about getting results and getting the deal, with key resources provided. This is about securing a viable distributor, whether you have a low budget movie OR a movie with names. If you are serious about getting your movie into the marketplace, then you should NOT miss this day.

We will also cover the newer distribution avenues, from digital downloading to marketing your movie online. Whichever route would be best for you, don’t spend years spinning your wheels, only to end with your movie collecting dust on your living room shelf.

“Without Jerome’s information and help, I’d never have gotten a studio distribution deal for my no ‘name’ feature. Not in a million years.”
– Vince Rocca, Producer, “Kisses & Caroms” (Released by Warner Bros.)

“When I went to Jerome’s seminar, I had been on the festival circuit for 6 months and thought I’d done everything possible to sell my film. I was wrong. This seminar was such a great breath of fresh air — and showed me how much I didn’t know about the distribution game! Informative and well worth every penny, I got a distribution deal 2 months later with a cash advance.”
– Lanre Olabisi, Producer/Director, “August the First”

“I’ve been a working actor for over 25 years and have relationships with many mainstream Distributors. When it was time to distribute my first feature film, I thought I knew it all. Jerome not only opened my eyes but opened doors, with my movie getting picked up for a nationwide release on DVD. Is Jerome’s seminar worth it? You can’t even put a price tag on the knowledge and connections that you’ll get from his seminar.”
– Jeff Rector, Writer/Director/Producer, “Revamped”

AT THE SEMINAR YOU WILL LEARN:
- The Theatrical Distribution game: What to do and what not to do with theatrical distributors
(Most filmmakers fail here, even when they have a killer movie)
- The 8 Basic Movie Distribution Models and how to navigate them
- Who all the Home Video Distributors are
(Do you know there are over 100 of them? Contact list provided at seminar)
- Press Kits, PR & Marketing
- Is your artwork & press kit REALLY up to snuff, or are you sending out inferior materials with your movie causing distributors to say ‘No’ before even watching it? (Happens all the time)
- Are Film Festivals worth your time & energy?
(Depends upon your movie)
- How to effectively use Film Festivals and Key Strategies to generate Buzz, Press & Awards
(It’s not just showing up like a rock star and watching your movie)
- Is the VSDA — now known as the EMA — important to attend?
(Do you know what the EMA is? Your success may depend on this)
- E & O Insurance: How to get it for thousands of dollars LESS than the going rate (You will need it for U.S. distributors)
- Digital Distribution
- Internet Distribution
- DIY Distribution (”DIY” means “Do It Yourself”)
- DIY Theatrical Distribution
- Plus Q & A

NEXT SEMINAR: LOS ANGELES
DATE: August 22 - 23, 2009 (Saturday - Sunday)
TIME: 10am - 6pm
LOCATION: Beverly Garland Hotel, 4222 Vineland Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91602
COST: $299.00
TO REGISTER, GO TO: http://www.Distribution.LA

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Jerome Courshon is an award-winning Producer/Writer, whose first movie was ultimately released by Warner Bros. His challenging journey to achieve meaningful distribution gave birth to the creation of this powerful seminar in 2006. Since then, Jerome has assisted hundreds of filmmakers with securing real distribution through his seminars and speaking engagements, and has written for “MovieMaker Magazine,” “Indie Slate Magazine” and “Film Festival Today Magazine.” (Read/View some of his articles or podcasts, freely available at his website.)

As an admitted card-carrying geek, I’m a huge fan of the Discovery TV series Mythbusters. And as a Canon 5DMK2 user, I am of course delighted when I read about Mythbuster Adam Savage using the 5D for his own video projects. He admitted this initially a few months back in a three-part video interview for Reddit (specific video embedded below, 5D remark at 6:50), and since then I’ve been keeping an ear to the ground for developments. Geeks will be interested in a recent tweet in which he shows off a rig pic, complete with Senn lav, Rode shotgun, Beachtek DXA 5D, and 9″ Ikan monitor. Call it celeb-gear-stalking if you must, but I think it’s cool. Watch below.

Prior to the 4th of July holiday weekend here in the US, I posted about a new Zacuto iPhone video support solution. I mused about how seriously users would take this device for filmmaking purposes. Well, here’s a brand spankin’ new music video that a few filmmakers took very seriously, and shot entirely with the iPhone 3GS. And it wasn’t for lack of more expensive tools, given that they shot the behind the scenes footage on a Canon 5DMK2. I recommend taking a peek at the behind the scenes video first, it’s a nice look into the process of working with this very limiting camera. Check it out.

Well, they’ve gone and done it. Hot on the heels of a tongue-in-cheek Redrock iPhone 3GS video support solution thrown together by guys over at MacBreak (read the last two comments in that article for a good laugh), Zacuto has come up with their own iPhone rig. This one is a little more run-n-gun, and utilizes standard Zacuto components as well as an iPhone “grabber” that holds the device in place. However, it remains to be seen if people will be taking the iPhone’s video capabilities seriously enough to plunk down nearly $300 for solutions like this. We shall see…