Anti-Theft
Protecting your equipment and crew doesn't start and stop on set, it's a full time objective that deserves the utmost attention. Safely and securely storing your equipment, transportation to and from set, and diligence on location, safety and security are a top priority. There are a few main areas to focus on when it comes to protecting your equipment and personal property from theft.
First, how secure is your equipment at your home/office/studio? Do you have a gear cage, are the cases locked, how inconspicuous is your setup? Cages are not cheap, for sure, but there are some steps you can take to protect your items if that setup won't work for you. Padlocks and zip ties on gear won't necessarily stop the item from being taken, but it may deter a potential thief from knowing what you have. From our experience (unfortunately), not every thief knows the value of that Sennheiser MKH416 shotgun microphone, or that that Sigma Cinema lens is more expensive than the Sony a7S. Instead, they'll go for headphones, laptops, things they recognize. This can be a good thing if they make off with something relatively inexpensive and easy to replace, but being robbed is always a horrible experience. Being inconspicuous has real value, what can you do to make it as difficult as possible to see/recognize your equipment? What can you do to conceal your items going in and our of their storage place? Work harder than the thief would. Think like a thief. Have people you trust look at your setup and make sure you're not missing something.
Gear in your car. Here's a difficult one. You've got to get it to location somehow, and sometimes you need to leave your equipment in your vehicle while you grab food, get gas, etc. One thing you should never, ever do, is leave gear in your car overnight. At very least, take cameras, lenses, microphones, computers, all the really good stuff that thieves will recognize, and bring them with you. A couple extra cases lugged into your hotel or even into Chipotle is worth not getting broken into and robbed. Thieves work quick! You may think you're just having a 20 minute meal, but it only takes a couple minutes for someone to walk by your vehicle, notice that laptop bag on your passenger seat, and smash and grab.
Lastly for now, gear on set. Just because you've made it on set, does't mean you're safe. Do you know everyone on set? Are there additional staff, people around who may have an opportunity to grab something? It's one thing for someone to walk by your vehicle and know what they're looking it, it's a whole different story once all your amazing equipment is out in the open. If you're in a room at the L.V. Convention Center, the Sands Expo, or a suite at Mandalay Bay, make sure that you know your gear is watched over before you run off to grab a coffee or leave for the evening.
In conclusion. You don't want to live paranoid, but you also don't want to have your expensive and wonderful equipment stolen. Be diligent, invest in insurance, and be smart. A lot of this is simply premeditated steps you can do to ensure that you're operating using good habits. Best of luck, and see you on set!
Canon EOS C70 now available!
We have exciting news! We've acquired a few of Canon's new ESO C70 cameras. These cameras are absolutely wonderful, and we would love to tell you about them...
Canon wanted to provide the Cinema EOS quality camera in an EOS R size unit. Think of this camera as a C300 Mark III as a really big DSLR. The size of the camera provides great flexibility and range in how you can support the camera, whether that be by a lighter tripod than the Cinema EOS cameras, a smaller gimbal such as the Ronin RS 2, and smaller drones. Despite the smaller size, the performance, reliability and image quality is great!
Some features include a Super 35mm Dual Gain Output, (DGO) Sensor that is capable of over 16 stops of dynamic range. The DIG!C DV7 Image Processor that you would find in similar Cinema cameras enables up to 4K 120p High Frame Rate recording and Dual Pixel Autofocus. There is also a full 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10-stop internal ND filter system! Lastly for this post, just like in the Cinema cameras, the EOS C70 supports both Canon Log 2 and Canon Log 3 Gamma. The C70 also features HLG and PQ compliance with ITU-BT.2100 in "Custom Picture" presets, which allows you to record HDR footage instantly without grading.
We could go on and on, but we know that's not what you want. What you want is to get your hands on these wonderful cameras, and take them for a spin. SO! Drop us a line, let us know when your next Las Vegas video production is, and we'll get you set up with a great package to capture your cinematic magic!
Saying Goodbye to the HDX 900 & HVX 200 #panasonic #cameras
We're saying good bye over here to a couple of our old workhorses. Just sold a Panasonic HDX 900 and a Panasonic HVX 200 and we'll be sending them off this week. It's tough to see those two cameras go, we haven't had much call for them recently but they both made some incredible pictures and captured hours of great video.
The HDX 900 is still in use in many television productions as some old companies still prefer tape based archiving. It's much more difficult to erase a tape they say.....I agree if you have no idea how to use a computer. But that's for another conversation. I understand it's a great camera but I think the time to upgrade to some of the more technologically superior formats. We held onto it as long as we were getting calls but that time seems to be over.
The HVX 200 was a game changer when it came out. It held up all these years and is still in use for indie productions all over the world. We haven't had the calls for it due to upgrading our camera gear to the Panasonic HPX 500, Sony PMW 300 and Canon C300. However, it was a valuable piece of equipment and no doubt has been for countless other individuals and companies.
So, thank you to Panasonic for these two great cameras and we're looking forward to more in the future. They are going to good homes too!
Our new camera bags - The High Roller
We decided on purchasing the Cinebags High Roller for all of our C300 and PMW-300 Camera Packages. The Lens Smuggler has been a great accessory to transport our lenses and additional gear as a carry on. The quality is what you would expect from a high end manufacturer. The Zippers and stitching are built to withstand heavy use. I personally love that there is a little more depth to the main compartment over the previous version the Camera Daddy. Because of the added space we can now store the C300 camera with the top handle as well as the 24-70 lens on the camera. This allows for quicker setups and I think the less we can take the lens on and off the body the better. Oh almost forgot... These new bags have a telescoping handle and wheels. No more lugging a 30lb. Camera bag on my shoulder running from plane to plane. Also, while we are on the topic of traveling. I have to mention the lens smuggler allows us to bring a variety of lenses and stash them under the seat very comfortably. It is slightly thicker than the laptop case but not one airline worker has given it a second look. A highroller and the lens smuggler are a great combination. One carry on and one personal item. We are very glad to have these new bags and I expect them to be a valuable tool for us for the life of our cameras.
Camera bag for the Canon C300
With our new camera in hand we wanted to find the right case to transport it. For our day to day shoot we opted for the Cinebags camera daddy. The bag holds comfortably the camera body and 4 lenses and accesories. We considered the Pelican 1660 case, I loved the build quality and protection it offered but we would have needed another case just for lenses. I'm sure we will pickup one of these cases for when we travel.