Ever since the HDSLR market exploded there have been countless workshops trying to educate aspiring filmmakers to turn their 5DMarkII into a movie making machine. One of the major issues with workshops is that filmmakers speak a different language than photographers. Hallmark Institute’s Dennis O’Clair is trying to change that.

Dennis has been speaking the language of photography for more than 25 years. He has worked as a film director and cinematographer shooting 16mm and 35mm film producing stock footage for Getty Images. The release of the Canon 5DMarkII inspired Dennis to get back into film and video production. “After years of teaching workshops I joined the Hallmark Institute of Photography and brought my HDSLR filmmaking skills and experience to their program.”

“My philosophy is adaptation and simplicity. One thing that sets this workshop apart is that its designed for photographers. I teach filmmaking from a photographer’s perspective, using terms and tools that they can relate to. Most photographers are spoiled from shooting RAW. They can greatly manipulate those photos without any image quality loss, but with video your MOV files are basically heavily compressed small JPEGs. Shooting HDSLR video is very much like shooting slide film. You have to get it right in camera and get out of the mindset of “I’ll fix it in post”. If you spend more time getting it right in camera, you spend less time in front of the computer. I’m out there shooting more and producing more videos, and thats what this workshop is all about.”

The Hallmark Advantage

“We have amazing facilities here at Hallmark. Our edit lab has 20 workstations with Final Cut Pro. We have a dedicated audio recording studio, dedicated video production studio and tons of gear on hand that you get to try out all at once. Everything from lights, video tripods, camera sliders, follow focus rigs and audio gear. Plus plenty of cameras, lenses, etc.”

Workshop Overview

Dates: March 17 & 18th

Location: Turners Falls, Massachusetts

Cost: $450

HIP Alumni $400

ASMP, APA, ASP, PPA, or WPPI Members $400

March 17 9:30 – 6:00

March 18 8:30 – 3:30

Lunch provided both days

Click here to register for the Intro to DSLR Video for Professional Photographers Workshop.

This workshop is for professional photographers and is not intended for those who don’t have a strong understanding of photography.

We showed up for the last 2 legs of the trip in Toronto and Montreal along with some Cinevate toys. Finally getting my hands on the camera I can say that everything I’ve read is accurate. The low light/high ISO performance is phenomenal and Canon’s new Cinema Lenses (EF mount) create an image equal to or better than what I’ve seen in the CP.2s. I still look forward to getting some ‘alone time’ with the C300 and doing some shooting and comparing, but until then I feel pretty confident that the camera is the low light king that people are claiming it to be.

Anyone else make it to a C300 event? What were your thoughts?

Introducing Trawly – A compact, lightweight and versatile camera dolly.

By adding wheels to our universal Simplis base plate, we add an entirely new dimension in functionality. With Trawly, it’s easy to adjust the legs and wheels to pull off straight dolly shots, crab moves, arched turns and use it as a handheld rig.

In standard Simplis fashion, the camera can be quick-released from Trawly for smooth transitions between setups.

Trawly will be available for purchase in early March for $449. There will also be a Trawly wheels kit that can be added to existing Simplis rigs for $99.

Check out the video and let us know what you think.

You can check out Beau’s Fusion 2012 page or call to register. Make sure to stop by and say hello. Plus you never know, we might just have some new toys to check out.

The Nikon D4 offers a 16.2 MP FX-format CMOS sensor, 10fps continuous shooting, a 91,000-Pixel RGB Sensor, improved 51 point AF System , ISO expanded to 204,800 and 1080p video at 30fps and stereo sound.

The Canon EOS – 1D X has a full-frame 18.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor and all-new Dual DIGIC 5+ Image Processors deliver high quality image capture at up to 12 fps (14 fps in Super High Speed Mode) and a powerful ISO range of 100 – 51200 (up to 204800 in H2 mode) provides sharp, low-noise images even in the dimmest low-light conditions. An all-new, 61-Point High-Density Reticular AF and 100,000-pixel RGB Metering Sensor.

They’re also giving away a LensBaby with each winner as well as $150 credit with Nations Photo Lab. You’ll need to head over to their registration page as well as ‘Like’ their Facebook page for a chance to win.

Some of my favorite behind the scenes content has come from Michael and Rebecka over at Visual Masterpiece. In their Shooters Commentary series, they break down a shoot and explain how they achieved a shot and often why they chose to shoot it that way. Their latest installment features some of our toys (Atlas FLT and Cyclops DSLR Viewfinder for example) and some other goodies like SmallHD’s DP6 and a Glidecam.

I think these are great pieces for some of us novices who are not only trying to add new gear and production value to shoots but also trying to learn some theory and when and why we should employ these tactics in our shoots. If you like what you saw in this video then you might want to check out one of their upcoming workshops. The next workshop is in Tustin, California from March 15th until March 17th. “The workshop will take you A-Z into what you need to know to operate a successful wedding and event based studio. We will focus on Canon DSLR workflows and associated cinematography equipment.” Michael tells me that they’re already planning for some mid year workshops as well in larger cities, including New York, so stay tuned to their blog so you don’t miss out. Lastly, check out this video explaining how their seminars function, as well as some testimonials from recent attendees.

As we all know Canon’s EOS C300 is not far off from public consumption. You may have seen one of the test films online but now you have a chance to see it for yourself. Canon Canada is holding a launch event across 3 major cities, starting with Vancouver on February 13th, 2012, then in Toronto on February 15th and ending in Montreal on February 16th. Canon’s release also indicates there will be some of the new Cine lenses as well as the 1D X;

“Join Canon and special guests for the exciting unveiling of the revolutionary C-300 Cinema EOS Camera and Canon’s ground breaking profession D-SLR, the EOS 1D X. Canon’s award winning EF line of lenses will be available to try on the C-300 and HD-DSLRs, as well as a selection of newly announced Cine-lenses.”

The event is slated to be Open House from 3PM-7PM with what sounds like an opportunity to get your hands on the camera. The guest speakers start at 7PM, ending around 9PM with Vincent Laforet as the Key Note Speaker (who made the first C300 film, Mobius).

If you’re keen on attending you’ll want to register to ensure a spot for the guest speakers as seating is limited.

You might have noticed a few slides in there courtesy of the Atlas 30 camera slider (which is part of our 30% Off Slider Sale!) Devin even sent along a BTS shot of it in action. You’ll notice the slider shots are often in close-ups covering finer details in ultra smooth movements. If you’d like to be featured in our Customer Showcase just send a link to your clip to showcase@cinevate.com.

I asked Casey about workflow and managing media, which I assumed would be a huge nightmare, but he said it wasn’t as bad as you’d think. “On location all the footage is offloaded to hard-drives and then it gets overnighted via a courier to MLB headquarters where a team of editors and loggers ingest the footage and begin to start crafting rough cuts of each game. To create the final World Series film, they use a combination of footage from the broadcasted games, the footage we shoot, and the footage from MLB Network cinematographers as well the interviews that are captured throughout the series. Approx 7 days later after the last game of the series the framework of the story is crafted a cut of the film is ready to view. Shortly after that it goes to post and the blu-rays and DVD’s are then created.”

Since the final video is actually available for purchase we can’t share it here, but you can find more information or purchase it off amazon.com here.  You can also check out MINDCASTLE’s blog to keep up on their adventures. Worth noting as well is that Casey’s favorite (and much used) slider, the Atlas 30, is currently part of our massive Slider Sale (30% off!!!) until February 8th.

You saw Victor on camera explaining some simple ways to employ video using gear you already own while Brian and I were in the chat answering questions. We can’t transcribe the chat conversation but if you do have any questions feel free to post in the comments. For those who found it helpful, you’ll be happy to know we’re already talking about our next webinar, focusing on, well, focusing. If you’d like to see other topics covered let us know!

But that’s not all! We’ve also added 2 new lengths to our Atlas 10 & FLT sliders. The Atlas 10 now has a much bigger brother in the Atlas 10 – 58 inch camera slider. The other new addition is to our award winning (Videomaker’s Best of 2011) Atlas FLT. Previously available only at 26 inches (so that it could fit into a suitcase), the Atlas FLT now comes in a 35 inch length as well.

The Atlas 10 lengths in relation - 26 inch, 35 inch, and 58 inch.

Atlas FLT camera slider now available at 35 inches

Like I said, we’re getting ready for the big move and want to take as little as possible with us, so stay tuned to our blog, facebook and twitter for other sale opportunities over the next couple weeks!

If you’re like a lot of photographers out there then you’re probably being pushed into shooting video alongside or in place of stand alone photography. There are new and different rules to consider when shooting video instead of photography, but it’s best to start with some video basics. In fact, if you have an HDSLR and your standard photo tripod and/or monopod you can get started right away! Cinevate’s Victor Ha has been on the road communicating information like this for the past year and has put together this free live webinar to introduce photographers to these basics (and using tools you already own no less!)

The Webinar (remember, live AND free) will feature a simple and straightforward video shot using only a Canon 5D Mk II, a basic photo tripod, monopod, ball head, and some photo lenses.  Of course, you’ll also be able to ask questions during our live chat. We’re hoping this will help get the creative mindset necessary to start employing video into your productions.

Be sure to sign up to ensure access to the webinar this Thursday, January 26th, 2012 at 1 PM Eastern-Standard Time.

Who should attend:
- Photographers interested in shooting video with their DSLR camera
- Photographers shooting DSLR video on a budget
- Photographers looking to offer video services to their clients

Some pretty creative uses of photo gear (the enlarger gatling gun with 35mm film rolls as ammo, and the CF cards as empty shells landing in the snow come to mind). Can you spot the Atlas 10 camera slider . You can check out their site (or if you’re in Calgary, go say hello!) thecamerastore.com

Rob started shooting wedding videos on VHS (which you might recall as those funny looking rectangular shaped videocasette tapes that played on VCRs or more recently played a role in Michel Gondry’s film Be Kind Rewind). From there Rob began using video cameras before switching entirely to HDSLRs. “I had to ease into using HDSLRs and gradually phase out the video camera. A lot of people are still afraid to make the jump to HDSLR. Everything is manual and there’s no auto switch so the comfort level is lost.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Rob was inspired by some of the early DSLR adopters like Ray Roman and Adam Forgione of Pennylane Productions. “They were trailblazers in this field and because of them we were one of the first companies out there shooting on these new cameras getting these cinematic results which everyone now asks for.” With a crew of two other shooters besides himself, Rob works with a tight production crew that only focuses on the actual wedding film. “A lot of photographers just have no idea where to start. I never recommend trying to shoot stills and video on the same day with the same crew and I think that’s where the photographers underestimate just how big the job really is.”

It seems like everyone owns a DSLR of some kind these days and some people may think it’s an issue when showing up to a job with a camera their client owns as well. “Brides are becoming more tech savvy these days and they know what 1080p is. They know what DSLR cameras are capable of. However, they also know they couldn’t produce anything close to what we’re doing with the cameras. A lot of this has to do with our storytelling approach and the production value that we provide. That’s part of the reason why we’re fully booked for 2012 and 2013 is already filling up quickly.”

When asked what advice Rob would give to a wedding photographer looking to transition into wedding films he had this to say; “Don’t be afraid of the video function. Keep your depth of field and don’t go too shallow at first. When shooting indoors don’t go below an f2.0 and when outdoors don’t go below a f5.6. Everyone gets their footage later and realizes that its all out of focus. Build some confidence first and then go for the shallow depth of field look.”

The workshops that Rob teaches offer some important advice. “Pick your shots well. If you want your work to look high end you have to pick your shots well and be smart about it. There needs to be a backbone to the story. Amateurs tend to make videos that lack story, go on for too long and end up as unintentional music videos. And nobody likes shaky footage. If you’re just starting out let your subjects be the motion and just try to stay still.”

Rob’s Essential Gear List: “If I had to choose just a few pieces of gear I know I could make a great wedding with this would be it.”

Manfrotto 561 BHDV monopod
Canon 5D Mk II
50mm f1.2
Atlas 30 Camera
Slider

Check out Rob’s site and info on his upcoming workshops here.

You’ll probably find the ISO/noise test and the dynamic range comparisons particularly interesting (between the C300 and the 5D – there’s still detail in the highlights on the C300 whereas the 5D is completely blown out.) You can see Casey’s entire post which covers the aforementioned ISO performance and dynamic range, as well as everything from Shooting LOG, the LCD, and of course his final verdict over at the MINDCASTLE blog.

Casey also snapped a few shots of his C300 setup using some of his existing Cinevate parts, making it not unlike our Core Package.

We are happy to announce the immediate availability of a new collection of bags designed in cooperation with Tenba to meet the needs of today’s videographers. Cinevate has shared their vast expertise in the filmmaking world with Tenba’s 30+ years of bag building experience to design innovative carrying solutions for the leading video gear. These new bags provide rugged, versatile protection for a wide variety of digital video and HDSLR camera systems, rigs and sliders, with a special focus on Cinevate’s industry-leading models. Every case is built with the finest materials available, including YKK zippers, welded steel D-rings, water-repellant ballistic and Cordura nylon, and heavy-duty ball bearing wheels. The collection includes:

Camera Slider Case – 42 inches

Protects sliders up to 42 inch long models with a lightweight, low-profile design that is
incredibly easy to transport. Triple tie-down straps secure the slider to the interior base. Clear vinyl pockets on the interior provide quick storage for all-terrain legs, kip handles and other loose accessories. Best suited for Pegasus & Atlas 30 35″. Made in the U.S.A.

Camera Slider Case w/Wheels – 60 inches

Similar to the 42-inch case, but designed to accept the largest Cinevate Sliders, up to the super-smooth, heavyweight-ready Atlas 200 60″ model. Full-length skid rails on the bottom of the case protect the exterior base from wear and tear, and heavy-duty, ball bearing wheels make it easy to transport a monster slider. Best suited for Atlas 30 47″, Atlas 30 58″, Atlas 200 48″ & Atlas 200 60″. Made in the U.S.A.

Camera Slider/Grip Case – 42 inches

Designed to hold a slider with a head attached, plus additional gear like a tripod or other large equipment. Full-length interior pockets hold cables and outsize accessories, and ball bearing wheels facilitate the movement of heavy systems. Best suited for Atlas FLT Vertical, Atlas 10 Vertical & Atlas 30 35″. Made in the U.S.A.

Director’s Bag

An urban-inspired messenger bag with a removable, padded camera insert and storage for a laptop up to 17 inches. There are over 20 pockets to organize accessories of all sizes, and a Quick Access top zipper that allows quick retrieval of gear without opening the front flap. Fits a DSLR with 2-3 lenses.

Video Backpack

You can’t control the weather, and no matter how wet and wild it might get outside, this backpack is secure. A water­ repellant dobby/ripstop nylon exterior combined with rubberized, YKK zippers provides protection under the most extreme weather conditions. There’s even a removable rain cover for an additional layer of protection. The generously padded interior shell is easily adjustable to hold large camera kits plus a stabilizing and support system like Cinevate’s DSLR Rig, and the interior can be quickly removed to convert the backpack for non-camera use. A rear, padded sleeve will hold a laptop up to 15 inches, and an innovative, multi-stage tripod carrier will hold virtually any size tripod. Fits 1-2 DSLRs with 6-8 lenses.

Video Roadie

This is the ultimate rolling camera bag. The Roadie meets U.S. domestic and many international carry-on requirements, and it fits a large camera kit with a multitude of accessories. A padded front pocket holds a laptop up to 17 inches and a removable collar secures any size tripod to the front of the case. The capacious interior will fit multiple configurations of Cinevate’s DSLR Rig, plus additional gear. Smooth-and silent-rolling ball bearing wheels are user replaceable. Fits 1-2 DSLRs plus 7-9 lenses.

Core Production Case (available soon)

This hard-sided case is custom-fitted to hold the Cinevate Core Rig with attached matte box, follow focus and DSLR, all with drop-in speed and simplicity. The interior also provides space for the stabilizing shoulder pad and counter balance, plus additional lenses. There are tons of exterior pockets to organize cables, filters, hard drives and accessories, plus a velcro-friendly, removable, padded interior pouch to protect more delicate accessories. An exterior name badge includes an aluminum plate that can be customized with a name or logo. Best suited for Core Rig, Simplis Ultimate, AF100 Core & Canon XF300/305 Rig. Made in the U.S.A.

- The cheese-plate construction allows you to securely mount your camera anywhere
- Level your camera in any position
- Versatile hi-hat achieves ultra low shots with maximum control and stability
- Strong enough to mount camera rigs 90 degrees
- Accepts 100mm ball natively and 75mm with adapter
- Delivers countless accessory mounting options

Stay tuned for an in-depth video showcasing all of Dromos’ uses in the coming weeks!

Click here to view the embedded video.

With this video comes one of my favourite BTS pics of all time. When you don’t have apple boxes or a ladder you improvise. In the 2nd pic you’ll notice an angled Atlas 10 with the camera leveled appropriately using a Benro Ballhead. Traditionally we’ve offered Manfrotto bits to do this but we’ll be offering both Manfrotto and Benro pieces as options for our sliders in the next couple weeks – stay tuned.

Loaded Boards used the following gear:

Cameras: Canon 5D, Canon 7D

Lenses: 24-70mm f2.8 L-series, 28-300mm

Gear:
Manfrotto 536 4-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod
Atlas 10 Camera Slider

New camera announcements are beyond a dime a dozen these days, so is the D4 just another ripple in the water? The specifications aren’t unlike other DSLRs at first glance;

- 16.2Mp 36.0 x 23.9mm CMOS Sensor
- Nikon FX Format
- 1080p HD video at 24 and 30 fps
- 3.2″ LCD Screen w/ Live View
- RAW, TIFF, JPEG, RAW+JPEG Files

What caught my attention was the uncompressed video out via HDMI; “Check video recording on the camera’s LCD and external monitor simultaneously; ideal for focus pullers and camera operators. When the highest possible image quality is required you can bypass memory cards and record uncompressed footage directly from the image sensor onto an external storage device. Options to customize the HDMI output signal are also include.” Not too shabby.

The release also states “Fast sensor readout enables reduced rolling shutter – especially useful during panning sequences” which is hopefully an improvement over some of the jello-esque shots we see so much of. You can find the press release and order info over at B&H, which shows the camera listed for February availability at a price of $5,999.95 (Body only).

So Nikon shooters have something to be excited about, but what about everyone else? With some decent glass you’re looking at $7,000-$8,000 – not all that far from a Scarlet or Canon’s C300 in the big picture. So what do you think – Nikon’s saving grace or just too late to the game?

Oh, and lastly, here’s an early video shot with the D4 (posted first at NoFilmSchool.com).

Click here to view the embedded video.

Mike Horrigan, who wrote the film, had nothing but praise for Director Jeremy Kennedy and how well he executed their collective vision;

“After a nervous pitch I was thrilled that Jeremy Kennedy decided to run with it. One thing I wanted to be clear about was how the story was running in reverse. Starting with the ending and moving back in time towards the beginning. I suggested we needed a camera move that said just that to the audience. Every new scene needed to go back somehow. Jeremy knew exactly what I meant and ran with it. Karim Ayari (DP) executed the lighting perfectly. The visual movement was smooth and almost melodic in its pacing thanks to Jeremy’s direction and use of slow motion. Jeremy designed slow motion shots that were beautiful and perfectly framed, only to be brought back into real time with a more gritty hand held documentary style. He felt it needed to feel like we were peeking in on someones life.”

Best Short Film winner Jeremy Kennedy captures a shot with the RED on our Atlas 10 Camera Slider - Photo courtesy of Derek Price / Say Ten Productions

Congrats to Jeremy Kennedy, Mike Horrigan, everyone who entered (for those who didn’t win, at least you completed a film!) and to Digi60 for another successful festival. Don’t forget to check out the Digi60 Film Festival page for all entries and info for the 2012 festival. Can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with next year.

These photos were taken by Sophie Perrin on November 11, 2011 using a Canon EOS 60D.

The C300's view from the tub.

The C300 takes a ride on the Atlas FLT.

The C300 still looks good in black and white.

The C300 on the Atlas FLT Camera Slider

You can check out all of the bts pics on Sébastien’s flickr account.

We were honoured that Sébastien chose to use the Atlas FLT Camera Slider on this shoot.

Stay tuned for a behind the scenes video that chronicles the entire production.

First place winner Saxon Richardson shot and edited rider Tyler Meester with his Canon T2i.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I also really enjoyed the 4th place entry of rider Phillip Martin and camera op Mike Kimmel. Some beautiful shots and cool perspectives in there (courtesy of his Nikon D7000 and, of course, a GoPro).

Click here to view the embedded video.

Congrats to all the winners. What’d you think of these entries? As for the non-long boarding shooters out there don’t worry, we won’t be waiting for another 6 months for the next contest – and we promise it’ll be more accessibly to all of our shooters. Stay tuned!

Our friend Sébastien Devaud of Bigsensors & Films recently shared this very interesting short film that he shot for Canon Europe using the Canon EOS C300.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Out of Tunes is a modern short tale of our generation. After the great launch of the new Canon EOS C300 at hollywood with the four superproductions, here is the first official european short movie filmed with Cinema EOS System. (Model EOS C300 EF Mount)
A “8″ days production : 2 Nights scripting / 2 days shooting / 2 days editing and 2 days of composition.

Sébastien has promised a behind the scenes clip as a follow up and you can be sure that we’ll update the post and share it with you all as soon as we can.

When Sébastien contacted us about the film, we were honored to find out that he used the the Atlas FLT Camera Slider for the slider shots in this production. Thanks Sébastien!

Even more recently, Atlas FLT was featured on PDN’s Objects of Desire: A Holiday Gift Guide for Photographers. They begin by saying, “One of the best ways to give your HD footage a professional, cinematic look is by using a DSLR slider. The problem with sliders—metal, rail-based contraptions that help produce smooth tracking shots—is that they’re heavy, ungainly and a pain in the butt to lug around. All of which is why we’re pleased as punch that Cinevate is now offering a more portable camera slider. Called the Atlas FLT, the new slider is basically a petite version of Cinevate’s popular Atlas 10 model.”

Speaking of Atlas 10 camera slider, the FLT’s bigger brother also made it on a Christmas Wish List this year as well, specifically LensProToGo’s Ultimate Photographer’s Gift Guide.

By now I’m guessing everyone’s already sent their wish lists to Santa, so it might be a bit late to make it under the tree this year, but luckily we have a few sales including our Atlas sliders running until the end of the year! You can save $50 via Mail in Rebate on the Atlas FLT camera slider until December 31st, or grab the Atlas FLT or Atlas 10 camera sliders in a variety of bundles during our 12 Days of Festivus sale, also running until the end of the year!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jawad has an extensive and detailed write up on the vimeo description – here’s an excerpt;

Click here to view the embedded video.

“When we decided to tell this story, we knew it would be a challenge during the production.  With so many different set ups, indoor and outdoor scenes, we wanted to use the right tools but in a limited way.  Thanks to ‘Cinevate’ and ‘Small HD’ we were able to do that.  We used Cinevate’s Atlas 10, Pegasus, Durus Follow Focus and Cyclops during this film.  Our original plan was to use Pegasus quite a bit for in door scenes and Atlas FLT for outdoor scenes.  However, due to time constraints we ended up using Pegasus a lot less than we had anticipated.  Not because it wasn’t a good enough tool to work with but more so due production hurdles.  We also used Cinevate’s Durus Follow Focus with 15mm rails.  It’s one of the most versatile Follow Focus on the market.  While some may argue that Cinevate’s Cyclops is not a great viewfinder due to it’s size, I would disagree.  For us, it has been a great tool as it allows you to give a full perspective with both of your eyes instead of one.”

Big congratulations and thanks to Jawad Mir for pulling off a unique wedding film, and for not only allowing us to share it but also for providing a complete Behind-the-Scenes video and BTS pictures as well. I think he set the bar pretty high, but don’t forget that you too can be featured in our Customer Showcase, by sending your video (and BTS video/pics if you got ‘em) to showcase@cinevate.com.

If you have a look at Stillmotion’s shooter showcase going back a few years, you’ll note Patrick speaking about a desire to do a documentary somewhere in the near future. Their recruitment by the NFL franchise saw them on the field at the last two Superbowls, and next thing you know, engaged in the “A Game of Honor” doc with over 100 shoot days. Naturally when Patrick approached Cinevate for some help in putting on a premiere for the doc, we jumped on it. With that in mind, Cinevate is proud to present the premiere of the film to be shown on December 19th, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. I’ll be flying there personally to take in the Premiere and personally congratulate Patrick and the Stillmotion team on their achievement. A large collection of Cinevate gear was used during the shoot including our Atlas 30 slider, Titan Mattebox, Proteus Cage System, and Simplis base plate system.

Patrick was one of Cinevate’s first Brevis35 customers going back 7 years. Since then Stillmotion has continued to push our creative envelope in supplying them with equipment that satisfied their demands of artistic versatility while surviving the punishing regimen of constant field abuse and travel. Anyone who has worked with them knows that gear is only a means to an end, and what doesn’t work, gets abandoned (or destroyed!) very quickly. I remain personally inspired and driven to match Patrick’s restlessness with gear that enables his team’s constant drive to excellence. The evening of the 19th will be a special one indeed for us.

Dennis Wood

The 12 Days of Festivus sale is live. We’ve bundled together some of our favorite products to provide the most savings possible. Having personally used bundles like The Tracker and The Nomad outside of Cinevate I can honestly say that these are some of the best pairings we’ve offered. All 12 bundles are already available exclusively through Cinevate.com and will be until December 31st, 2011. Although the products are all available currently, the aforementioned videos will be posted consecutively over the next 12 business days (assuming we maintain our SDE productivity – lol) so to get a detailed breakdown of each bundle be sure to check back.

One thing you might not have noticed was an added Festivus Bonus in the form of Free Shipping on all Festivus orders. To take advantage of the shipping promo (free ground shipping on all orders in US and Canada, or save $50 on Express shipping domestic or overseas) you need only to ‘tweet’ or post on your Facebook wall the following: Check out @cinevateinc’s 12 Days of Festivus Sale! Instantly save up to $1,250 on 12 brand new DSLR and video bundles. cinevate.com/festivus

Finally, there is yet another promotion offering some equally awesome savings. We’ve extended our Fall Rebate Special until the end of the year for purchases through our North America resellers and through Cinevate.com. If the Festivus bundles aren’t quite what you’re looking for then you should definitely have a look at the available rebates which include savings on our popular Atlas camera sliders and Simplis DSLR rigs!

That’s 3 ways to save some serious cash on your Cinevate purchases over the next few weeks. There’s never been a better time to fill your kit with sliders, rigs, supports, and bags. Happy Festivus!

The first is Stunt Poetry which features stuntman Dante Ha (his impressive resume includes The Dark Knight,  X-Men First Class, and The Walking Dead).

Click here to view the embedded video.

The second video, The Beauty of Mud was picked up by Gizmodo and now has nearly 90K views. This video was shot with the even more affordable 550D T2i.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Some key suggestions that seem to be consistent are to shoot at 60 fps and at the highest shutter possible (the Mud video was shot at 1/4000). There is some noise and artifacts in a few spots, but compared to the $100k Phantom it’s a decent bang for the buck. What do you think?