The mind of a filmmaker can be set to dreaming with little stimulus. Putting 17,000 filmmakers on the lot where they shot The Godfather, surrounded by the latest and greatest of the tools they use to bring those dreams to life, provides more than a little stimulus. The attendants of Cine Gear 2019 at Paramount Pictures walked away from the expo with fists full of swag, pockets full of business cards, and heads full of advice from captains of our industry. Read on to catch a gem or two of inspiration from the Cine Gear panel: Landing the Gig and Building a Career. On the Panel: Steven Poster, ASC- President of IATSE Local 600 Bill Dispoto- President DDA Talent Sheryl Main–  Publicist David Hirschmann, SOC- Camera Operator Isiah “Donté” Lee– Director of Photography Yen Nguyen-  1st Camera Assistent Sponsored by Local 600 and moderated by Michael Chambliss of ICG, this panel covered how to cope with the many stressors of being a freelance filmmaking professional as well as how to set goals, stay motivated, and chase after those gosh darn dreams. Even for Cliff’s Notes, these can get a bit long, so here’s part 1 of 2: On Setting Goals Sheryl Main Streamline your goals, and if you’re not really sure how, try and meet with professionals who can help you figure it out. Then be really vocal about your goals. There really is no plan. “You think you can plan out your career, but you can’t.” If an opportunity presents itself that isn’t in alignment with those goals you set, be flexible. You never know where that opportunity may lead. Be open, but be focused on what you want to do, and then believe in yourself. Yen Nguyen Be vocal about what you ideally want to do, so that people have that association in the back of their heads, but first tackle what is at hand. Wherever you are, be focused on that position. You can say, “Today I’m seconding, but eventually I want to buy a rig and be a Steadicam op.” That way, they know you’re happy in your job for the day, but they can also help you with your goals. If you say, “I’m really a Steadicam op, but today I’m seconding, everyone will think, ‘Then why are you here?’” Always show up with your A game to the job you’re on, regardless of the budget of the project or how well that job fits into your master plan. On Starting Out Steven Poster, ASC When the current Local 600 president was a wide-eyed, camera department newbie, an old stagehand pulled him aside, and gave him two pieces of advice he now extends to you: Don’t ever sit down. If you don’t have something to do, walk very slowly from one side of set to the other. If you have to leave set, come back with something in your hands. Whether it’s a piece of paper, or a scrap wedge of wood, if you’re carrying something, no one will question where you were. Yen Nguyen Yen offered her personal motto of OLLA: Observe Listen Learn Adapt Don’t expect every shoot to be like the last. You have to be adaptable to the different ways that directors and DP’s do things. In the long term, use what you observed that worked really well, and remember what really didn’t extract the best methods from each working relationship, and add it to your toolbox. Sheryl Main Don’t get caught up in why you didn’t book something. You have to believe in yourself.  Confidence is a big deal, even if it’s fake. David Hirschmann Show up and listen. Find out whose vision you’re following. Different jobs have different vibes. Take the temperature of the environment, and know how to act on set accordingly. Donte Lee The work isn’t going to come to you. Even when Donte was in school in North Carolina, which doesn’t have floods of production opportunities, he would check Craigslist postings for gigs. On the weekends, he would hop a greyhound bus to day play on a production in DC. Often there were times when he knew more about how to make a movie than the people who hired him, but he wanted to work, so he went after it. Moral of the story: be a go-getter. Bill Dispoto Don’t chase other people’s careers. Hone in on what you do well and keep doing that. On Being a Worthwhile Crew Member David Hirschmann Be nice: be yes before no. Be available, even if it’s just on text message. People who are hard to get ahold of or who don’t communicate with their current production don’t work as much. Yen Nguyen It’s pretty simple. If you’re nice, pay attention, and show you want to collaborate, you’ll work. Bill Dispoto Work on your listening skills. Most of the time, people are just thinking about what they’re going to say next. If you’re the only one listening, you may be the only one who actually understands what a director or a producer wants, and then you add to your value. This will help you on set, but even in a meeting, listening is a key. Have a few tricks in your bag. Be malleable, so that if whoever is hiring goes left instead of right, you can meet them where they are and offer what you can contribute. Donte Lee “I look for people who I wouldn’t run away from if we weren’t on the job. I’d rather hire someone I want to be around over someone who might actually have a little more skill.” On Conduct Bill Dispoto Back in the 90s, you could be a diva. You could be a screamer. We would excuse bad behavior in the name of talent. Now that doesn’t work. There are so many talented people in the business that can do the job just as well as their bad-tempered peers, so to be competitive, you also have to be likable. Sheryl Main We’re in an age where every action on set or in a meeting could become public. It used to be that you could put a spin on bad behavior (or hire a great publicist to help), and blame it on a back spasm or a diabetic episode. You can’t do that anymore. Really be mindful of your behavior and what you say. Now more than ever, your conduct can influence whether or not you work again. David Hirschmann Show up, listen. Find out whose vision you’re following. Take the temperature of the environment, and know how to act on set accordingly. DDA President Bill Dispoto at CineGear 2019 On Working for Free Steven Poster, ASC: Don’t do anything for free that your heart isn’t in. If you’re going to be giving of your time, then give it to a story that interests you. He added that if you work too often for the same people for free, they think of you as that person who works for free, so know your value. Poster recalled a time when he was DPing a passion project, and the director took a call in front of him. Unabashedly, that director was requesting the producer on the other end of the line secure the DP he wanted, and it wasn’t Stephen. Dave Hirschmann The cam op said in his experience, only 50% of freebies end in a paid day. If you can accept that and align your expectations accordingly, you may save yourself some heartbreak. Yen Nguyen “BE. HUMBLE. Freebies are a great place to make your mistakes. Nguyen told a great story about when she was starting out and unknowingly double loaded the film. Luckily, the producers actually preferred the result, but it was a very expensive mistake, and Yen was happy to have made it on a freebie. She also spoke about knowing your weaknesses and using every opportunity to learn. If someone calls her to see if she can come and help with a test on gear she isn’t as familiar with, she seizes the chance to learn when she can. Sheryl Main “I don’t think anyone should ever have to work for free,” said Main, which received a roar of applause from the crowd. She then amended that one can form vital relationships on passion projects but not to make a habit out of doing it for free. I know you all have things to say about working for free… Sound off below! Hungry for more? Part 2 is coming soon.

The new Preston Hand Unit 4 (HU4) made an appearance at Cine Gear and there is lots to love right off the bat. For one, the unit now features a huge 4.63″ (diagonal) daylight viewable touchscreen and is 35% lighter than its predecessor the Hu3. Howard Preston from Preston Cinema Systems gave us the inside scoop in an interview on the show floor:  There are tons of improvements with the new system across the board when compared to the previous generation. In particular I found the touch screen FIZ controls (Focus/Iris/Zoom), to be very intuitive in the brief floor demo and the squeeze and expand hand motion makes lots of sense to anyone who has used a smartphone over the last five years.  Focus assist integration with the Light Ranger 2 on the handgrip is well thought out and you don’t have to let go of the grip to switch from manual to autofocus control on the LR2. The micro force zoom control is included this time around and isn’t a paid upgrade like in the previous generation. The Hu4 will also allow you to transfer lens library data to and from your cell phone using bluetooth with an updater module attached to the lemo port. Simply turn the red portion of the knob (pictured) to adjust knob drag. The HU4 seems able to withstand a fair amount of punishment (especially in the form of moisture) and Howard Preston mentioned that the touch screen interface actually helped make the device more weather sealed overall. You can also control the overall menu using the joystick. Everything remains backwards compatible with past motor drivers from Preston like the MDR-3 and MDR-4. Image Credit: Preston   The Hu4 weighs in at 2.4lb when you include the Sony alpha series NP-FZ-100 battery needed to power the device. The company is also teasing camera control for specific brands of cameras, so it will be interesting to see if that comes to fruition in the near future. Interestingly their manual for the HU4 specifically highlights camera control for the Sony VENICE as “coming soon.” For more information you can visit the Preston Cinema Systems website HERE. What do you think? Does the HU4 make you want to pull the trigger on a Preston Cinema Systems focus, iris and zoom kit? Comment below!

French lens manufacturer, Angenieux, has been the industry leader in high end zooms for decades, and now they have added a line of full frame primes, so if you’re department is well-heeled, you’ll now have the option to match that opulence optic at fixed focal lengths. The set will eventually be comprised of twelve customizable lenses.  The first of the set to step blinking into the sun was the 40mm at this year’s Cine Gear on the Paramount Lot. Read more below.  Image Credit: Rin Ehlers Sheldon At the end of May, my colleague Olaf wrote about Angenieux’s original announcement HERE, so if you’re interested in these primes, be sure to give that article a read! With the announcement being so recent, we didn’t have high hopes that Angenieux would even bring the primes to Cine Gear this past weekend (May 31st-June 2nd), but we held onto the hope of seeing one in person.  Walking past the Thales tent, it seemed business as usual, so we hurried off to a panel hosted by the  Digital Cinema Society  on full frame lens purchasing, where reps from almost every major manufacturer came to make the case for their glass. Art Adams from Arri told us PL was over and Les Zellen from Cooke said that “technology  is wagging the dog.”(As usual, he also said we all owe any progress in optics and our first born children to Cooke, but he keeps that panel entertaining.) Amidst the throwing of the shade and the very cordial “Buy what you like, but what we’re doing is the newest and the best,” speeches, Jean-Marc Bouchut offered very casually that everyone could come by and take a look at at the 40mm Optimo, the first Angenieux prime to be presented at Cine Gear. When Storaro, Kaminski, Libatique, and the like lean on your brand, I guess you can be much more casual about exciting news. It’s the sort of quiet confidence that comes with being a Hollywood standard.   As most reps offered one version or another of rehoused vintage glass, Jean-Marc explained that although the primes are gorgeous as is, one can build that vintage into their primes if he or she so chooses. With the Optimo line’s replaceable rear elements, the possibilities are almost limitless in how you can characterize your aesthetic. As they were mopping up the blood from this friendly panel, we headed to “Lens Alley,” located on New York Street of the Paramount lot, where Graham could talk to Jean-Marc one-one about these new beauties.  We turned the corner, and sure enough, mounted to a RED Ranger was the T1.8 40mm Optimo.  All twelve lenses provide full frame 46.5mm (diagonal) coverage and most have a consistent 1.8 T-stop. The company is quick to mention that the 18mm and 200mm may not be quite as fast, but we will have to wait until the end of 2020 to find out. The full set will be available near the 3rd quarter of 2021. Duclos Lenses has made this handy chart showing the launch window of all twelve Optimo primes: Image Credit: Duclos Lenses The set features fully interchangeable mounts for LPL, XPL, PL, Canon EF, Nikon F, and Panavision.  All the lenses will be manufactured in France and Germany and will support both Cooke/I and Arri LDS for transferring lens data. All lenses have common gear sizes and positions. Focal lengths included in the full set: 18mm, 21mm, 24mm, 28mm, 32mm, 40mm, 50mm, 60mm, 75mm, 100mm, 135mm, 200mm. Image Credit: Rin Ehlers Sheldon Customization:  Angenieux assures us the prospect of  multi-faceted customization for the Optimo series is very real. However, we couldn’t nail down exactly which features are fair game for alteration. It’s a safe bet to say that flaring, chromatic aberration and ya know, all the quirks we previously tried to eradicate that now cinematographers seek in vintage lenses will be achievable with the replacement of the rear element. While the company says that each lens set will have a uniform look out of the box, with the assistance of a great lens tech, you may be able to make these work for you in any number of ways. Pricing: Between $23,000 – $31,000 per lens. If you’ve been working with Angenieux zoom lenses, share with us your thoughts and let us know if working with their new primes is an option for you

Operating heavy cameras over long shoot days can be hard on the body and there are several products on the market that aim to transfer the weight of the camera to your hips.  The Ergorig takes a unique approach to that weight transfer in a form factor that stays fairly compact. I stopped by the Ergorig booth at Cine Gear to give the new support system a try.  I personally shoot on the shoulder all the time throughout a variety of different genres and the act of carrying a heavy camera takes a toll by the end of the filming day. Standing at 6ft 2 inches I’ve struggled in the past with other support options on the market that raise my height as much as a foot or more (door frames were not designed for this). Note the adjustable straps and ability for quick height adjustments using the center knobs. The Ergorig gives you what amounts to a second spine and prevents you from hunching over while maintaining a form factor that doesn’t extend much beyond your normal body size. It forces good posture and has a nifty shoulder design that floats the camera slightly off the shoulder, but not to the extent that I felt like I was losing control over the shot. At $1850.00 it also comes in slightly cheaper than several camera support competitors, but it obviously wouldn’t help you with the weight of a gimbal, for example. For now it only comes in two sizes (standard and small) though you are able to make incremental adjustments to fit your particular measurements beyond those two core sizes. The Ergorig weighs just 5lbs and took only a minute or two to size and put on. During a quick show floor demonstration, led by Jesse Feldman from Ergorig, I shouldered an Alexa that weighed in at about 37 lbs while wearing the Ergorig and it definitely transferred the weight in a positive way. I’d love to see how the rig fairs under constant use over a period of months. We’ll reserve final judgement until we’re able to get our hands on a unit for a full review, but early signs are promising. For more information on the Ergorig you can visit the manufacturers website HERE. What do you think? Does this seem like a good solution for those long shoot days of filming with a shouldered camera? Let us know in the comments below!

It’s been a few years of development but the Cinefade VariND recently started shipping and we had a chance at Cine Gear to catch up with Oliver Christiansen, the inventor of the Cinefade, for a hands on demonstration and to see how the system has progressed. The device looks promising and can deliver more features beyond its signature Cinefade effect (the ability to control depth of field independently from exposure). Details below:  My colleague, Tim Fok, recently broke down all the key specs in his article available HERE. The Cinefade is designed to work with compatible 2-stage matteboxs and is powered by LBUS cable.  In general, the entire system seems quick to setup and having a variable ND (obviously useful for cameras lacking internal ND) and a rotating polarizer (great for car to car) is very useful in my opinion. Control unit for the Cinefade system. Image Credit: Graham Sheldon While the depth of field effect outlined in the video is admittedly very cool it may not see use all the time on set and thus the addition of the polarizer and ND capabilities make this a device that could certainly live on the front of the camera over weeks of filming. That being said, all these features do come with a cost and pricing ranges from $6655 to $8885 depending on the kit you select. As that price point this is likely to be a rental item for most and it will be interesting to see how DP’s and Directors adopt the Cinefade depth of field effect in their projects going forward. Already several films and television projects have found unique ways to use the system and you can find which projects the device has been used on HERE. The Cinefade LBUS power port. Image Credit: Graham Sheldon The full system is available for purchase directly from Cinefade HERE. What do you think? In what ways would you use the Cinefade effect to enhance your story? Comment below!

Just before Cine Gear 2019, Panasonic has announced a significant price drop for their Super35 cinema camera, the Varicam LT. During the show, we visited Panasonic’s booth and talked with Mitch Gross about the price drop. The camera body is now selling for US$9,995. This price actually gets you a ready-to-shoot package with I/O ports, a battery plate, a Canon EF mount, and a control display. The Panasonic Varicam LT was introduced around 3 and half years ago. With that camera, Panasonic was aiming to provide a lightweight alternative (or companion) to the Varicam 35. For more information about the Varicam LT, check our older articles: Varicam LT announced and Hands-on and exclusive footage. Just before the Cine Gear 2019 show, Panasonic has announced a significant price drop for the camera, valid through the end of September 2019 – from US$16,500 the price dropped to US$9,995. Panasonic Varicam LT Price Drop Explained Mitch Gross from Panasonic told us that the reason to lower the price of the camera is based on market research. He spoke about the psychology of buying a camera body. By reducing the price of the Varicam LT, Panasonic is hoping to attract more customers by being in a different, “10,000-ish” price category. Panasonic Varicam LT With cinema cameras it is often necessary to spend another couple of thousands for accessories in order to be able to film with them, as the camera body often comes without the lens mount, battery plate, I/O ports, etc. Hello, RED? With the Varicam LT, the situation is much better. For less then $10k, customers will basically get a ready-to-shoot Varicam LT package. It consists of the camera body, a Canon EF lens mount, I/O ports, a battery plate, and a control display, which can be used as a monitor. Just add appropriate media, lens and battery, and you can start shooting. Sure, for serious work, you will have to get additional accessories (at least an EVF), but it is nice to see that the camera comes with all the vital parts already. B&H buy link: Panasonic Varicam LT Was: $16,500.00  Now: $9,995.00 (Savings: $6,505.00) CVP (Europe) buy link: Panasonic Varicam LT Was: €14,408.98  Now: €8,914.40 (Savings: €5,494.58) (By shopping at our affiliate partners’ stores you are supporting cinema5D through our buy links, as we get a small affiliate commission when a purchase is completed.) The control display is included with the Varicam LT body. Mitch Gross further assured us that the Varicam LT will keep getting better with future firmware updates, which will be free of charge. Panasonic does not plan on replacing the Varicam LT anytime soon. They believe in this system and they will keep updating it. This is definitely an important statement when considering to invest in the camera system. What do you think of the Varicam LT price drop? Are you considering to invest in the Varicam system now? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

The ALPA XO exoskeleton is a cage designed for the newly announced FUJIFILM GFX 100 medium format camera. This cage will have a 15mm rods support, a top handle and a PL-mount adapter. ALPA is planning to introduce more accessories for the GFX 100 in the future, under the ALPA XO brand. ALPA XO Exoskeleton – Cage for FUJIFILM GFX 100 ALPA is a Swiss camera manufacturer with a long history. The company has been recently specializing in premium accessories for medium format cameras. You might have seen their products on cinema5D in form of the custom housing for the Hasselblad H6D-100C medium format digital back. As you probably already know, FUJIFILM have recently announced their new flagship medium format camera – the GFX 100 (our hands-on article is available here). ALPA reacted quickly and launched the ALPA XO, which is planned to be a line of accessories for that camera. ALPA XO – GFX 100 Exoskeleton According to ALPA, the ALPA XO will be a line of accessories, all dedicated to the FUJIFILM GFX 100. The company did not yet disclose all of their planned accessories, but it seems like the first one is going to be a cage for the GFX 100 – or as ALPA calls it: “exoskeleton”. ALPA XO Exoskeleton – Cage for FUJIFILM GFX 100 Unfortunately, there is not a lot of information about the cage yet, apart from a few images. It looks like the ALPA XO cage will have a support for 15mm rods on the bottom and a top handle. A lot of 1/4-inch and a few 3/8-inch threads are a sure thing. The cage leaves the GFX 100 grip on the right side uncovered. As the camera itself is already quite bulky, I think it is a good decision to leave the grip uncovered for better handling, also with smaller hands. What caught my interest as well is the mount. It seems like ALPA will offer a custom PL mount lens adapter with the ALPA XO. There are no specifications yet about the adapter either. ALPA XO Exoskeleton – Cage for FUJIFILM GFX 100 At the moment, there is no information about the price or availability of the exoskeleton cage, but you can subscribe to the ALPA newsletter and stay updated. What do you think of the FUJIFILM GFX 100 and the ALPA XO cage? Are you planning to explore medium format cinematography once the camera gets released? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

SmallHD’s 13RX and 17RX monitors with integrated wireless transmission were revealed at Cine Gear 2019, enabling bright, flexible focus pulling and video monitoring with zero-delay. The two popular monitors now have integrated Teradek Sidekick wireless receivers, while the design of which has not increased the weight or size of the units. The 13RX and 17RX are compatible with many Teradek Bolt devices (Bolt 500, 1000 and 3000), and the 13RX is compatible with Teradek RT lens data, which can be overlaid on the screen. Best of all: zero-delay monitoring. Perfect for accurate focus pulling and monitoring critical moments of action. Daylight Viewing and Colour Gamuts There are minor differences between the SmallHD 13RX model and the 17RX model, which show where the monitors could fit into an existing production or pipeline. Both monitors display in 1920×1080 resolution, with the 13RX model rated at 1500 nits (ideal for daylight viewing), whereas the 17RX is rated at 1000 nits. Both models are usable in bright, outdoor shooting scenarios. The colour gamut differs between both models, where the 13RX displays 93% NTSC. The 17RX displays DCI-P3 100% gamut of the 17RX, which is leaning towards video village use for on set dailies and DIT grading previews. Trusted OS3 Software Both, the SmallHD 13RX and 17RX have the OS3 software installed, which includes the trusted monitoring features like customizable frame guides, customizable scopes and pages, and of course 3D LUT overlays. The monitor updates are simple, but effective in terms of reducing the setup time, cabling and power. Any updates that reduce that time or the amount of kit required for a shoot is a benefit to productions, rentals and studios. Does the SmallHD 13RX or 17RX integrate into your current setup? Can you see yourself using the production monitors on your future shoots? Let us know in the comments.