For the first in a series of quirky national spots for the Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, cinematographer Gavin Fisher decided to use the Blackmagic camera, Canon lenses, and his trusty Sachtler Ace M for support. “For this first spot, for Arby’s, we shot in a small artist loft location, and on a very tight schedule,” said Fisher. “I needed a lightweight package that I could move quickly. The Ace M was my perfect solution.
“Sachtler has always been my go-to support,” he said. “When I’m shooting high-end commercials with a larger package, my Video 20 is the perfect solution. With my run-and-gun projects, it’s the Ace M. For these kinds of spots, I’m often racing in and out of traffic from job to job, location to location, with the Ace M strapped to my motorcycle. It’s a sturdy piece of equipment and I know, once I get there, the ACE will be ready to work in seconds.
“For Arby’s, we had about three hours to capture all angles of the ‘story’ that would ultimately become a 15-second spot. Even when I packed the Blackmagic with the Canon lenses, an Anton Bauer battery, a follow focus and other accessories, the Ace M took the package with ease,” he said. “Because I needed to get a wide shot is a small space, I had to back up into a corner to get the best shot. It was a tight space, yet because of the size and weight of the Ace M, I was easily able to make a nice smooth pan.”
With a payload range of 0 to 8.8 lbs (0 to 4 kilograms), the Ace M was the perfect choice for Fisher’s Blackmagic camera. The five-step counterbalance allowed him to set up easily and the three vertical and three horizontal grades of drag gave him the ability to make the fine adjustments for the pans he needed in the confined space.
“These spots, which are geared to a youth market, are getting a fairly heavy saturation on this much-watched Cartoon/Adult Swim network,” said Fisher. “Our company is slated to shoot more for them in the near future. Of course, no matter what the spot, you can be sure Sachtler’s Ace M is going to be my support.”
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