Sachtler s Video 0 S and Speed Lock CF Tripod speeds the way for Freddie Wong s Video Game High School Web Series

Sachtler's Video 20 S1 and Speed Lock CF Tripod speeds the way for Freddie Wong's Video Game High School Web Series 03 Dec 2013

Everything Freddie Wong touches these days turns to gold. A filmmaker, musician, VFX technician and competitive gamer, he has created game-changing productions that draw millions of viewers on three wildly popular YouTube Channels freddiew, freddiew2 and Node. So, when he took his hit web series, Video Game High School, into its second season, he upped the anti. We knew we were going to do a couple of firsts' for web projects, he says. As far as we can tell we are the first web series to release TV length episodes as well as the first web series to shoot at 48 frames-per-second. Season 2 consists of six 30-minute long episodes.

The only tripod Wong would ever like

When we started prep, we knew that we would be moving fast and have a lot of action. We needed a camera package that would keep up. We chose a RED Epic and RED Scarlet as well as almost every camera out there from GoPro Hero 3 to the BlackMagic Cinema camera. Our DP, Jon Salmon, introduced us to Sachtler's Speed Lock CF saying it would probably be the only tripod that I would ever like and he was right. Pairing it with the Sachtler Video 20 S1 head was a perfect match for our needs. Sachtler is part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company.

The Speed Lock is lightweight and durable but most importantly the single point of manipulation to extend the two-stage legs means that it is FAST, he says. Small adjustments to height are no longer giant three-person affairs a single operator can adjust the camera by himself. You never realize how annoying and how much time is eaten up with other two stage systems. He was right it is the best set of tripod legs I've ever had the pleasure of using.

Invaluable combo: Speed Lock CF and Video 20 S1

VGHS is unique in that giant chunks of every episode are dedicated to action sequences. We pride ourselves in making our action cinematic and in order to rise above cookie-cutter coverage, you have to be fast and efficient. The Speed Lock CF was invaluable in this regard. We shot our entire sequences in a single night or single day of shooting and without the Speed Lock we couldn't have made our days. The efficiency it affords really adds up, which translates to faster pace on set, which translates to more energy on screen from our actors, which translates to, in the end--a more vibrant final product.

Wong and Salmon would often find themselves in situations where they swapped the heavier A-camera setup with the B-camera setup between sticks and handheld. The Speed Lock and Video 20 S1 combo was robust enough to handle either camera comfortably, Wong says. That let us move quickly, especially on a night when we had a single night to cover an incredibly complex drift racing sequence. We were able to hop back and forth depending on what camera needed to be covering what without having to lug around multiple tripods. It is literally the only tripod out there that can keep up with our breakneck pace.

Shooting with three turns of the hand

Ready to support payloads up to 88 lbs (40 kg), The Speed Lock CF is the ideal companion for 100mm heads like the Sachter Video 20 S1. The operator simply releases the three easy to reach clamps and the Speed Lock CF is ready for action. Carbon fiber construction ensures minimal load free weight and increases stability and twist resistance.

Freddie Wong and his RocketJump.com are an action comedy production house specializing in VFX shots on YouTube (youtube.com/Freddiew) as well as web series like VGHS. The first season of the series received over 5 million subscribers and a billion video views. The second season is currently playing on YouTube and RocketJump.com and season 3 will start production in early 2014.

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