Sachtler's Ace M Provides Fluid Movement for Surf Documentary 02 May 2013
Filmmaker Kellen Keene is dedicated to documenting artistic endeavors through his visuals. Recently, he was inspired to go behind-the-scenes with surfer and photographer Chris Burkard to show what it is like to be a surf photographer and to showcase how some of the images Burkard shoots are made. Keene knew every shot had to be in-the-moment, so he wanted a shooting package that could keep up with the quixotic personality of the surf. That's why we shot most of the project on the Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon d800s. We also used the new GoPro 3. We had multiple water housings, stabilization gear and various Canon L-series and Nikon glass. For support, my choice was Sachtler's Ace M. Sachtler is part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company.
Smooth
When you are shooting action like surfing it is critical to get every shot smooth and steady as you pan with your subject, he explains. That's why I had to use the Ace M. You never know which shot is going to produce the moment you are trying to capture, so consistency and trust in your fluid head is key and that's what the Ace provided.
Strong
I also like the Ace M because it's strong enough to put my 12 foot jib on, yet light enough to trek up and down the beach in the sand, he adds. In both cases, the Ace was smooth it worked great. The jib shots were amazing and all of my counterbalance weight was no issue at all. On the other end in the sand nothing got caught in the legs while we were shooting on the windy beach.
Shooting Chris editing photographs in his office proved to be a challenge, says Keene. I didn't want this necessary indoor part of the project to at all take away from all of the outdoor beauty we shot. I decided to throw my 12 foot jib on the Ace and hover over Chris' adjustable Wacom screen to let his photographs over power and almost make you forget you're in an office.
Versatile
The biggest challenge of this video was fitting all of the places we wanted to shoot into our time window, he adds. It was also challenging trying to make everything look consistent, so the pieces would flow together nicely. We followed Chris from his studio, down the roads to his favorite surfing places, through the grass, sand and surf. To bring our audience into Chris' world, everything had to feel as if it was happening at the moment there were no do-overs. Sachtler's Ace allowed me to do that to level up and get ready quickly. It went through a lot on this project; salt water, creeks, waterfalls, sand dunes, mud and more. Yet it still performed perfectly in a studio setting.
Professional
The Sachtler Ace M has become the go-to support for independent videographers such as Kellen Keene. With an attractive price performance ratio, it helps deliver broadcast quality images on a one-man-band budget. The 5-step counterbalance and long 4.1 inch (104 mm) camera plate sliding range facilitate quick balancing of a camera set-up anywhere in the Ace M's zero to 8.8 pound (0-4 kg), payload range. Plus the Ace M head has a +90 to -75 tilt range. For a broadcast feel, Ace systems feature Sachtler's patented SA drag (Synchronized Actuated Drag) damping with three vertical and three horizontal grades of drag (+0).
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Sachtler's Ace M Provides Fluid Movement for Surf Documentary 02 May 2013
