SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, MAY 14, 2015-When veteran cinematographer Callan Green ACS was given the challenge of capturing the creative mindset for local Brisbane singer Eves The Behavior's latest music video, he turned to his trusted Miller Cineline 70 Fluid Head for the cinematic-style shoot.
Capturing the creative content for the music video, which supports the singer's new single, TV, was a 10-hour endeavor. As the scene was to be set within the grounds of an old, disused mental hospital in Sydney, Australia, Green, along with his art director and gaffer, were tasked with transforming the space into a simplistic motel. To complete the motif, actors were cast as an assortment of complex characters, inspired by literary and film classics, moving through life trapped within their own thoughts.
"The music video had a great deal of considered, slow shots, with many of the actors moving at half-speed during the video's opening scenes," Green says. "It was extremely helpful to have the Cineline 70 fluid head with me on this shoot, as its larger payload capacity and fluid movement allowed me to comfortably work with a longer lens, like a 45-250mm, without feeling any restrictions while panning through the scene."
On set, Green and his director, Josh Logue, chose to shoot everything on a slowly tracking dolly, generally between 50-100fps. His camera of choice was the Sony F65 CineAlta 4K digital motion picture camera, which once loaded up was fairly heavy, requiring the support of the heavy duty Cineline 70 fluid head.
Particularly helpful during this project was the Cineline 70 fluid head's rear-mounted, illuminated pan/tilt drag, counterbalance controls and bubble level, as many of the shots were heavily backlit, and to some extent, underexposed. "Logue's main visual idea was to go as dark as possible, so the illuminated controls were a really beautiful asset to have on hand," he says. "In a press of the button, I could instantly see all of the settings allowing me to move as quickly as possible yet continue to keep up the quality of imagery that we were after."
Green first began his working relationship with Miller ten years ago and has been using the company's tripod systems and fluid heads ever since, not only for the fact that the company is a local brand to Green, but for their cost-effectiveness and reliability. "Miller has done as good if not better than some of the best camera support brands in the world, and they almost always come in at affordable prices," he says. "As soon as they released the Cineline 70 fluid head, I knew it was a product that would be right up my alley and worth having in my kit."
Miller's Cineline 70 Fluid Head, ideal for use on cinematic projects that require heavy payload, frequent re-rigging and a diverse range of lenses and cameras. It is set to accommodate industry-leading camera mountings featuring an Arri-compatible side-loading camera platform, along with an easy-to-fit 1225 Mitchell Base Adaptor. With a lightweight design, the heavy-duty fluid head offers advanced precision fluid drag control with ultra soft starts and smooth stops and perfect diagonal drag transition.
In addition to providing these industry standard benefits, the Cineline 70 Fluid Head also features an extended sliding range to promote quick and seamless rebalancing of the rig when lenses and accessories are changed resulting in weight distribution shifts. Constructed of corrosion resistant alloy, the Cineline 70 Fluid Head additionally offers dual side mounts and an assistant's box front mount.
"Until very recently, the running trend has been to shoot handheld, but slower, more fluid shots, like what we captured for this video, are emerging back into the spotlight," concludes Green. "I've always found that style to be beautiful and, in order to successfully and creatively capture those shots, a good, solid, dependable fluid head is an absolute necessity. Miller's Cineline 70 Fluid Head proved to be that for me on this music video shoot, and I am very happy for that."
To view the music video for Eves the Behavior's TV, visit https://vimeo.com/124253597.
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.
