The power behind Sons of Anarchy
14/11/2019
Paul Maibaum is the younger son of screenwriter Richard Maibaum (writer of 13 James Bond screenplays).
Upon graduation from USC School of Cinema, he worked for Director of Photography Michael P. Joyce at Filmart. He was made a Director of Photography on the stylish Fox TV series, Parker Lewis Cant Lose and since then has worked on movies for television, single camera episodic television and multiple camera comedies.
On the acclaimed FX series Sons of Anarchy, director of photography Paul Maibaum, ASC relied on solutions from Anton/Bauer, for the production's stage and location shoots in Southern California. The DP and his crew trusted the gear for battery power throughout all seven seasons of this hit show.
Maibaum was the show's director of photography since the second episode of the first season. Created by Kurt Sutter, Sons of Anarchy explores the lives of members of an outlaw motorcycle club in California's Central Valley. The drama is one of the highest-rated series in the history of FX. Sons of Anarchy is like a modern-day Western with vistas and composition driving a look that harkens back to the movies of John Ford and Spaghetti Westerns, Maibaum says. Only on this show the horses are motorcycles, and the code of the west is the code of the club. The challenge of developing the look for the show was to make it natural, not too slick, he notes. Handheld gives the narrative a feeling of immediacy that's organic to the story. There are many non-verbal, dramatic elements that are signature shots of the show; it's not rushed, in the sense that we like to get the reactions of the characters.
Maibaum is also a long-time user of OConnor fluid heads and Litepanels LED lighting fixtures. I cannot remember a project that I have worked on where there weren't at least two OConnor heads, going back to the days of the OConnor 100, and I have used Litepanels' Bricks and 1x1 LED panels almost since they first came on the market, he notes.On Sons of Anarchy, Maibaum used a pair of ARRI ALEXA cameras as his A cameras with one or two Sony F55 CineAlta cameras supplementing the 1st unit or serving as a two-camera package on the 2nd unit. Angenieux Optimo Zoom lenses are deployed to enable operators to switch back and forth from handheld to studio mode and stabilized camera moves with minimal downtime between modes. Maibaum notes that approximately 60% of the show is shot handheld, splitting the rest of the scenes evenly between dollies and camera stabilization systems.
Location and studio production were evenly split during the seven- to eight-day shooting schedule, with the studio housed in a converted warehouse in North Hollywood and locations throughout Los Angeles.Litepanels fixtures are prominent on the show with Bricks as well as 1x1s playing key roles in the lighting package. They're invaluable, Maibaum declares. They work alongside all of our other lighting instruments, whether tungsten or HMI, on stage and on location. They're lightweight, and the ability to run on battery power, along with their dimming capabilities, makes them essential tools in our lighting package. Adding, The output of the ASTRA is surprising. I was able to use it as a fill light during some insert car work, filling the actors' faces in broad daylight with the fixture projecting from roughly 8 feet from the subject's faces. It was much brighter than the original light that we planned to use.
On the set, he reports that the 1x1s hang quickly and easy - they're a solid, good-looking light; from flood to spot it's easy to narrow the beam. Litepanels Bricks are often used for eye light. In scenes where lighting is sketchy, I'll tell the team to add a ping' - or place a Brick' to brighten the eyes, says Maibaum. Litepanels gear is an essential element in my bag of tricks, adds gaffer Tony Anderson. The freedom of battery-powered lighting has saved me many times. When the DP needs one last thing,' the 1x1 is my go-to instrument. I have also worked with the ASTRA and am very impressed with the versatility and output of this head. It has enough output for bounce keylights yet is light enough to rig just about anywhere.
Anton/Bauer batteries fill many mobile power needs for Maibaum's crew. They use the award-winning CINE VCLX as the main camera battery for the ALEXAs and F55s when on dollies or cranes.
DIONIC batteries act as a power supply for the handheld cameras and Litepanels 1x1s, and also power the wireless video assist. What I like about Anton/Bauer batteries is that they charge quickly, don't lose their charge, and the digital readout tells me how much power is left all the time.
They're also lightweight and attach on and off quickly to the camera or light, Maibaum points out.
No matter how many surprises Sons of Anarchy has had in store for fans over its seven-season run, behind the scenes our Anton/Bauer, Litepanels and OConnor gear has delivered consistently unsurprising results. I don't believe we would be able to complete our day's work within the time allotted if we did not have the complement of reliable gear from those brands that we employ on virtually every set up on an average shooting day on Sons of Anarchy, Maibaum concludes.
Share This Page Twitter Facebook Linkedin
Related articles
On location with Jonathan Young
Shooting stars
Lighter, Stronger, Faster
More from Anton/Bauer
27/02/2024
The business of sustainability
Anton/Bauer is taking a lead in driving the TV and motion picture industry to become more sustainable. But it's not just products like our Salt-E Dog 9kWh s...
18/01/2024
The Sodium Power Play
class=attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail f-align-center alt decoding=async data-lazy-srcset=https://www.antonbauer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Brad-Cheney-1...
18/01/2024
Salt of the Earth: Why sodium is the future of sustainable production
Diesel is in its dying days. HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) is a lower carbon transition fuel for on-location power but it comes with its own sustainability i...
20/12/2023
The California Generator Ban: what it means for your Production.
The State of California has set the wheels in motion for a significant shift in the way mobile operations, including those in film and TV production, are powere...
06/11/2023
Sleighing Sustainability
class=attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail f-align-center alt=Director Jared Cohn decoding=async data-lazy-srcset=https://www.antonbauer.com/wp-content/uploads/2...
07/09/2023
The Show Must Go On
class=attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail f-align-center alt=Camilo Paparoni decoding=async data-lazy-srcset=https://www.antonbauer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/...
06/09/2023
One Constant for TaylorVision
Led by Director of Photography Bruce Taylor, Emmy-winning production team, TaylorVision, based in New York, Boston, Connecticut, and New England are known for t...
05/09/2023
Powering up a Parallel Universe
class=attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail f-align-center alt=James Frater SOC, ACO decoding=async data-lazy-srcset=https://www.antonbauer.com/wp-content/uploads...
16/08/2023
Powering Wild Life
class=attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail f-align-center alt decoding=async data-lazy-srcset=https://www.antonbauer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Clair-Popkin-...
02/08/2023
From matchday moves to post-game analysis
class=attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail f-align-center alt=Jon Pijnen decoding=async data-lazy-srcset=https://www.antonbauer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/jo...
02/08/2023
Power for people that dont compromise
The final season of Peaky Blinders is upon us. Anton/Bauer, the premium power partner of Focus 24 and the Peaky Blinders production brings you behind the scenes...
30/05/2023
Salt-E Dog Unleashed
The industry-first 9kWh sustainable power supply uses salt-based power cells to replace lithium, marking a new era of environmental media production30th May 202...
25/10/2022
Peak Power
class=attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail f-align-center alt=Renan Ozturk decoding=async data-lazy-srcset=https://www.antonbauer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/...
10/10/2022
Give the people what they want
class=attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail f-align-center alt=Flug rental logo decoding=async data-lazy-srcset=https://www.antonbauer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022...
13/07/2022
TaylorVision Powers TV Productions With Anton/Bauer Batteries
Originally Published in TV Technology. We rely heavily on Anton/Bauer to power a multitude of equipment on set and in the field I began my career as a DP in 19...
06/07/2022
Native 26V B-Mount batteries for ARRI Alexa 35
New B-Mount Batteries, Chargers and Camera Brackets Deliver High Power Performance with Anton/Bauer Safety and Reliability Anton/Bauer has expanded its DIONIC ...
14/06/2022
New VCLX NM2 600Wh battery
Anton/Bauer has launched the next generation of its Academy Award winning VCLX battery. The new VCLX NM2 delivers 600Wh of consistent power at 14.4V, 28V and 4...
10/05/2022
Premium Power behind The Witcher Season 2
class=attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail f-align-center alt=James Frater SOC, ACO decoding=async data-lazy-srcset=https://www.antonbauer.com/wp-content/uploads...
10/05/2022
Power for people that don t compromise
Power for people that don t compromiseThe final season of Peaky Blinders is upon us. Anton/Bauer, the premium power partner of Focus 24 and the Peaky Blinders p...
28/04/2022
Powering the world's toughest motor race
class=attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail f-align-center alt decoding=async data-lazy-srcset=https://www.antonbauer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/dakar-150x150...
17/06/2021
Anton/Bauer Battery Lab Testing
Leading by DesignAt Anton/Bauer we pride ourselves on producing batteries for cameras, monitors, lights and more designed to always deliver consistently high pe...
22/02/2021
From matchday moves to post-game analysis.
Jon PijnenFollow Jon : Instagram Link Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn With over 20 years of experience covering the beautiful game, Jon Pijnen has brought ac...
25/01/2021
Strive to Survive
Sebastian AristotelisFollow Sebastian : Instagram Link LinkedIn Sebastian Aristotelis is a co-founder of SAGA Space Architects together with Karl-Johan S rense...
15/01/2021
Powering Ambition with Titon SL90
Uro PodlogarFollow Uro : Instagram Uro Podlogar is a professional photographer and videographer & Sony ambassador based in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Known for fas...
17/11/2020
The Visual Artist with a unique perspective.
Ruben ContrerasFollow Ruben: Instagram Link YouTube San Francisco based Director and Cinematographer Ruben Contreras and the crew at Sybex Studios were amongst...
09/09/2020
One chance to get the shot on BBC wildlife series
Cherique PohlFollow Cherique: Instagram Facebook YouTube Conservation and wildlife filmmakerConservation and wildlife filmmaker Cherique Pohl founded productio...
09/09/2020
Power Behind the Throne
class=attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail f-align-center alt=Sean Savage decoding=async data-lazy-srcset=https://www.antonbauer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/s...
03/09/2020
The Power Behind the Throne
Sean SavageFollow Sean : IMDB Sean Savage, Assoc BSC ACO & SOC, is best known for his ground-breaking work as A Camera operator on HBO's Game of Thrones...
11/02/2020
Going the distance with Jim Kenney
Jim Kenney, Broadcast CameramanNFL Network and Fox Sports' NASCAR Race Hub show. Kit List Titon 90 Gold Mount Battery Performance Dual Gold Mount Charger...
25/11/2019
Titon batteries go the distance for Jim Kenney
Jim Kenney, Broadcast CameramanNFL Network and Fox Sports' NASCAR Race Hub show. Kit List Titon 90 Gold Mount Battery Performance Dual Gold Mount Charger...
25/11/2019
Power all day, with absolute certainty
John FryFollow John : Twitter Facebook LinkedIn John has worked with big rigs for almost 15 years, during which time he has operated Steadicam on everything fr...
25/11/2019
Peace of Mind to Power the Story
Steve Hubbard - BBC CameramanExperienced cameraman Steve Hubbard swears by his Anton/Bauer Titon batteries to deliver the performance he needs to get through a ...
14/11/2019
The power behind Sons of Anarchy
Paul Maibaum ASCFollow Paul: Twitter Instagram Paul Maibaum is the younger son of screenwriter Richard Maibaum (writer of 13 James Bond screenplays). Upon gra...
02/08/2019
Shooting stars
Bjorn AmundsenFollow Bjorn : Twitter Bjorn recently put his gear from Anton/Bauer, Litepanels, OConnor, Sachtler, SmallHD, and Teradek to work on a large, mult...
02/08/2019
Giant Slalom - Titon Battery
Elias R etschiFollow Elias: Instagram Facebook Specialists in action-packed, outdoor, extreme sports films, Elias R etschi and Moritz Sieber founded PeakFrames...
23/07/2019
Unleashing the power with Titon
Danny AlanizFollow Danny: Instagram Danny Alaniz Is a Local 600 SOC active Los Angeles based cinematographer with 20 years of industry experience in the Camera...
23/07/2019
It starts with the river
Ryan StruckFollow Ryan: Instagram New York based sports, adventure, lifestyle, portrait, documentary, travel, photographer and director shooting stills and mot...
09/07/2019
A ticket to the top
Przemek SiemionFollow Przemek: LinkedIn Twitter Virtual reality (VR) has an unprecedented ability to create experiences that shock, awe and inspire. Described ...
09/07/2019
The hunter becomes hunted
FZ ProductionsFollow FZ Productions: Instagram Facebook YouTube Extreme shooting condition specialists, FZ Productions are the production team behind some of t...
09/07/2019
It starts with the river: documenting a cleanup
Ryan StruckFollow Ryan: Instagram New York based sports, adventure, lifestyle, portrait, documentary, travel, photographer and director shooting stills and mot...
09/07/2019
Rising stars in cinematography
Kimisha Renee DavisFollow Kimisha: Instagram Facebook Kimisha Renee Davis is on the Dean's List at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, majoring in Cin...
09/07/2019
Kit your camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini
#poweryourstoryHere at Anton/Bauer we know that the need for your mobile power to be reliable is essential to run your cameras, lights and other equipment where...
09/07/2019
Kit your camera: Sony FS7
#poweryourstoryHere at Anton/Bauer we know that the need for your mobile power to be reliable is essential to run your cameras, lights and other equipment where...
24/06/2019
400,000 cool characters and a camera
Bertie GregoryFollow Bertie : Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Bertie Gregory, Nat Geo Wildlife Cameraman, Demands the Most Reliable Gear When Shooting in R...
11/04/2019
On location with Jonathan Young
Jonathan YoungFollow Jonathan : Instagram As a documentary cameraman, Jonathans work has been recognized by his peers and industry with three Guild of Televisi...
11/04/2019
Cruising glaciers and outrunning avalanches
Absolute ZeroFollow Absolute Zero: Instagram LinkedIn Absolute Zero is the moniker designated to three good friends with a passion for filmmaking. After years ...
11/04/2019
Bringing light to the deepest, darkest jungle
Will NicholsFollow Will: Facebook Twitter Aiming to capture the importance of conservation, 20-year-old photographer and filmmaker Will Nicholls embarked on a ...
11/04/2019
Powering up in the Scottish Highlands
Paul CookFollow Paul : Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Anton/Bauers revolutionary new battery series the Dionic XT was put through its paces by DoP/ Filmma...
11/04/2019
Shooting the stars
Bjorn AmundsenFollow Bjorn : Twitter Bjorn recently put his gear from Anton/Bauer, Litepanels, OConnor, Sachtler, SmallHD, and Teradek to work on a large, mult...
11/04/2019
A walk on the wild side
Cherique PohlFollow Cherique: Instagram Facebook YouTube Conservation and wildlife filmmakerConservation and wildlife filmmaker Cherique Pohl founded productio...