OSPREY, FLORIDA, MAY 7, 2015 - When 18-year-old high school student Nate Ilardi was looking to kick start his career and gain more traction as an up-and-coming camera operator, he reached out to Miller Camera Support, a leader in the production of innovating camera support solutions, to help him take a smooth pivot into the professional world of cinematography. The company donated one of its DS10 Solo Carbon Fiber Tripod Systems to Ilardi for use on his latest venture with the skate shop THE BOARDR, capturing footage of a national six-stop amateur skateboarding series culminating at the X Games in Austin, Texas.
"Ilardi is a driven young man, eager to advance in this industry and gain as much hands-on experience as possible, which includes learning how to work with professional-grade camera support equipment," says Gus Harilaou, Miller regional manager for the Americas. "When he approached us for advice and support, we were happy to provide him with a DS10 so that he could continue his education in learning how to operate heavy duty tripod systems to creatively capture content out in the field."
Far from a stranger to the industry, Ilardi first developed an interest in filming skateboarding series when he was eight years old. "That was when my grandma bought me my first camera, and I started exploring what it meant to be a freelance camera operator," he says. "After years of capturing footage of my brother at skate parks for local sponsors, I created my own media company, Ilardi Media, with the goal to create quality content for my clients."
Today, currently certified in Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 and Adobe Photoshop CS6, Ilardi continues to expand his platform, traveling with skate shop THE BOARDR to locations across the globe to shoot live footage of skateboarding competitions. He says that the Miller DS10 was essential to him during shooting, as its light weight and versatility allowed him to quickly maneuver his camera to seamlessly follow the skateboarders' sudden and quick movements.
"I am very thankful to Miller for providing me with the opportunity to work with professional camera support equipment," he says. "The tripod's light weight and low spreading ability make shooting hard shots feel easy. The head, in general, just has the right feel, too, and seems smoother to handle than other brands I've worked with. I look forward to continuing to use the DS10 on upcoming projects, as I expand my industry experience."
To view Ilardi's work and read more about his upcoming ventures, visit http://www.ilardimedia.com/.
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.
