Alessandro Beltrame chooses FSB 6:2 D tripod system by Sachtler for shoot in Antarctica
Alessandro Beltrame uses FSB 6:2 D tripod system by Sachtler for shoot in Antarctica
Alessandro Beltrame chooses FSB 6:2 D tripod system by Sachtler for shoot in Antarctica
The Sachtler FSB 6 between Penguins, Snow and Eternal Ice
Shelton, Connecticut, July 24, 2013 – The mainland is a white desert of snow, surrounded by a clashing cold ocean, and scarcely populated. Only the animals and few plants are accustomed to the difficult living conditions. This is the Antarctic. DP Alessandro Beltrame from Italy left his warm southern European homeland for two documentaries for The Antarctica Project, a cooperative project of the Italian government and the private broadcaster Mediaset. With scientists of the national research centers CNR, ENEA, and PNRA as well as the FSB 6/2 D tripod system by Sachtler, part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company, he spent a month at the South Pole – with merciless temperatures dropping to 58º F (-50° C), a real test for the crew and the equipment.
The native penguins and seals are optimally adapted to the hostile living conditions with a thick layer of fat and dense fur or feathers and can move quickly over ice and under water. For human feet, this is more difficult, especially when it is also necessary to carry heavy equipment. “Transport over icy, snowy, and rocky terrain is very difficult; that’s why the equipment has to be extremely robust and very lightweight at the same time. The less weight, the better,” says Beltrame when explaining the challenges of filming at the South Pole. During shooting, temperatures between -40 to -58 ºF (40 to 50 °C below zero) were the norm. And this is what the fluid heads of the Sachtler FSB series were made for! Its metal casing makes the FSB 6 particularly resistant and robust. Even the damping mechanism with three horizontal and three vertical grades of drag +0 remains unfazed by the extreme temperatures. Together with the ENG 75/2 D tripod, the fluid head weighs in at only 11.7 lbs (5.3 kg), which makes it easy to transport through rough terrain. With a transport length of 33.1 in (84 cm), the compact tripod system can be comfortably carried on the shoulder.
Beltrame is not only on the go for projects commissioned by public and private Italian broadcasters; he also works for the BBC and the National Geographic Channel. Every shoot is an individual challenge – and this is exactly what the Italian cinematographer finds so appealing, “I like the adventure and extreme productions. Underwater, windy mountain tops and caves – these are my specialties.” Thanks to the sideload camera plate with the Snap & Go mechanism, camera configurations can be prepared according to climate and project requirements and then be set on the fluid head from the side with a turn of the hand– even when you’re wearing thick gloves like Beltrame at the South Pole. During the Antarctic shoot, the extreme temperatures required frequent battery changes. For this reason, it was especially important to Alessandro Beltrame that the counterbalance of the camera set-up worked quickly and simply. He found support in the especially long 120-mm sliding range of the camera plate and the 10-step counterbalance with Speedbalance technology for set-ups from 3.3 to 17.6 lbs (1.5 to 8 kg). With the step-shifting system, the settings can be reproduced exactly, and counterbalance is achieved instantly every time. This way, preparations for filming don’t become a test of patience.
With more than 20 years of professional experience all over the world, Alessandro Beltrame knows what counts when choosing his equipment for work, which takes him to the most remote and barren corners of the planet: “The quality of pan and tilt movements is a basic requirement. It doesn’t matter how well you prepare, you never know how much leeway you’ll actually have. That’s exactly why you need the best possible camera support. Especially when, as in the Antarctic, contact to the outside world is only possible every 15 days – when a military airplane comes from New Zealand. The worst case scenario is that you have to do without a tripod system for more than two weeks.” For The Antarctica Project, he relied on the FSB 6 by Sachtler and, with this choice, on the authentic German art of engineering. The patented damping system of Sachtler heads with very finely designed step-shifting uses a special lubrication grease which guarantees smooth tilt and pan movements, even in extreme temperatures of (-40 to +140° F (-40 to +60° C) – without tedious warm-up panning and time-consuming experiments with the settings.
For more information visit www.sachtler.com or contact: Sachtler, 16 Progress Drive, Shelton CT 06484, Phone: 1 203-929-1100, Fax: 203-925-2684, Email: [email protected]
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Photo caption: The camera crane mounted on the ENG 75/2 D tripod and featuring a payload range of 0 to 44 lbs (0 to 20 kg) attracted several curious natives. © Photo by Alessandro Beltrame
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About Sachtler
Sachtler, founded in 1958 by cameraman Wendelin Sachtler, is a worldwide market leader for professional camera support systems for cinematography and television production, its name a symbol of top quality and reliability for decades. With an extensive range of camera support systems as well as a finely modulated product line of reportage lighting, Sachtler is the highly qualified partner for broadcast and film applications. Since 2000 Sachtler has been offering the artemis modular camera stabilizer system. With its numerous workshops and training sessions, the Wendelin Sachtler Academy has become a top address worldwide for invaluable know-how and the exchange of information, creating the ideal international platform for creative talents. Along with other leading brands in the broadcast and professional videographer industry, Sachtler is part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company. For more information on Sachtler, visit www.sachtler.com
About Vitec Videocom
Vitec Videocom brings together some of the most respected, most innovative and most sought-after brands in the industry. It acts as an endorsing brand for these market-leading broadcast, film and pro video products, encouraging multi-brand system sales and simplifying the way that customers worldwide do business.
Vitec Videocom is an operating division within the Vitec Group, an international business serving customers in the broadcast, photographic and military aerospace and government markets. Vitec is based on strong, well known, premium brands on which its customers rely on worldwide.
Vitec Videocom – innovative products around the camera.
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