QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, MAY 17, 2018 - The 47th Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) National Awards for Cinematography, held on May 5 at the Brisbane Customs House in Queensland, honored Ignite Digi's Chris Fox and Tom Waugh with the coveted Bob Miller - ACS Technical & Innovation Achievement Award for 2018.
Sponsored by Miller Camera Support Equipment, the award recognizes Fox and Waugh's design and development of a unique solution for operators that require quick changeover between ground and drone gimbals as well as traditional tripod or handheld rigs. Ignite Digi manufacturers these unique components that allow operators to change modes in under one minute, a process that had traditionally taken between 5-10 minutes per change, which is vital time saved on any production.
"We are honored to be recognized with this year's Bob Miller ACS Technical & Innovation Achievement award," says Fox. "Ignite Digi started as a small Tasmanian company that has made great strides since coming onto the scene in 2014. By combining our unique skill sets in cinematography and aeronautical engineering, we are able to provide the industry with a solution that helps to capture the shots needed, regardless of mode, and also help productions save time."
Ignite Digi originally started as a drone operator, building its own systems to meet the need for flying high-end cinema cameras. As the need grew for stable moving shots at the ground level, Fox and Waugh developed a set of vehicle mounts for on-ground work that went alongside the drone shots. Its latest product offerings take this one step further by providing specialty mounts that allow for faster mode changes for multiple rigs, from aerial and ground gimbals, to traditional tripod or handheld set-ups.
"This award was created to honor Bob Miller's legacy and to recognize those that continue in his path of revolutionizing the film and television industry," says Mark Clementson, managing director, Miller Camera Support Equipment. "This year's winners, Chris Fox and Tom Waugh from Ignite Digi, were acknowledged by their industry peers for their tireless efforts and product creations that continue to expand upon Bob's vision."
The Bob Miller - ACS Technical & Innovation Achievement Award forms part of the National Awards for Cinematography, an annual opportunity that celebrates the art of cinematography in Australia. Miller Camera Support has sponsored the ACS since the organization's inauguration in 1958. In addition, Miller donated an LP54 tripod in a handcrafted wooden case fitted with a special Bob Miller Award plaque, which is permanently housed at the ACS headquarter in North Sydney. The LP54 plaque has the name of the Bob Miller award recipients from each year engraved on it.
To learn more about the ACS, visit http://www.cinematographer.org.au/.
About Miller Camera Support Equipment
Founded in 1954, Miller Camera Support Equipment designs, manufactures and delivers professional fluid heads and tripods to the film and television industry, providing support for the world's leading camera operators. Celebrating more than sixty years in the industry, Miller is a longtime, global leader in the field of contemporary camera support and holds the first patent for fluid head design for film cameras, which it obtained in 1946. Today, Miller's tripod and camera support systems are frequently used during electronic news gatherings (ENG), electronic field production (EFP), and digital video applications by the world's leading networks, production houses, corporate, educational and government institutions in more than 65 countries. For more information, call +61 2 9439 6377 or visit www.millertripods.com.
