Taking place at Cinespace Chicago, the breezeway of the center stage building was flooded with camera and lighting vendors showcasing their latest technology. This was AbelCine's first year participating at Filmscape, which is now an annual event, and our booth was a big hit. We showcased ARRI, Sony VENICE, RED MONSTRO, and the Phantom Flex4K. All the cameras were equipped with full frame and Super 35mm glass, including ZEISS Supreme Primes, Canon Sumire Primes, and the Angenieux 44-440mm. Each camera was outfitted with accessories to showcase various configurations, including gear form Miller, Shape, OConnor, Ronford, ARRI, Teradek, and Bright Tangerine.
We also displayed products from CameoGear, such as the Cameo VESA Mount, Swivel Mount, and wireless accessories. Attendees got a sneak peek at the Fathom Camera Cage One, which starts shipping Monday, September 16.
We also put on customized versions of three of our popular workshops: Camera Assistant 101, The Art and Tech of Camera Movement, and An Intro to Phantom High-Speed Cameras as a Storytelling Tool. These were well attended by upwards of forty students each.
In Camera Assistant 101, Megan Donnelly and Nic Somera built lightweight and studio-style camera rigs, while discussing the AC's role, key equipment terms, and best practices. The lightweight build featured a Sony VENICE, ZEISS Supreme Prime, ARRI MFF-2, and Bright Tangerine clip-on mattebox.
In Art and Tech of Camera Movement, Nic took the students through a condensed version of our Steadicam and MoVI classes. He started out with a brief history of camera movement, as well as a few iconic Steadicam and MoVI clips to breakdown the art, theory, and mechanics of the movement. He then flew a Steadicam Zephyr rigged with an ALEXA Mini and Canon Sumire Prime, as well as a MoVI Pro with a RED GEMINI and ZEISS Supreme Prime. Students watched the drills from the drills from the Steadicam Bronze and Silver classes via a Teradek Wireless Transmitter.
During An Intro to Phantom High-Speed Cameras, Megan took students through a live demonstration of the Phantom Flex4K in action at 1000fps at 4K. She operated the camera via the tethered DIT station, as well as the wireless PCU2+, while discussing the ins and outs of high-speed photography, on set workflow, and post considerations. One of AbelCine’s newly trained Phantom technicians operated another Phantom Flex4K at the BOLT booth.
The featured event of the weekend was our Creative Forces: A Conversation with Tommy Maddox, where Megan and Tommy Upshaw-Maddox discussed the films that have inspired him throughout his career, as well as the still photographers and painters that inspire him.
Check out the video below for a quick (20 sec) tour of our booth, and visit our Facebook gallery for more photos from the weekend.
