Manuel Correa
December 17th, 2009, 07:44 PM
It's has been some time since I've posted anything on DVInfo and decided to tell everyone of my experience.
Several weeks ago, after getting all the permissions, releases and permits in hand, I was finally ready to shoot a video I had been asked to do. I agonized over the lighting, framing the scenes, making sure the audio would be as good as possible and that everyone knew their lines and how it was being shot. The day went well, everyone had a good time and I was happy that nothing major went wrong or broke down. All the footage was in the camera. All that was needed was to import the scenes and edit. Hooray!
Well, all was not so rosy. As I plied through the footage, something was wrong, something missing. Maybe I'm not editing the scenes properly. Move this, change that, make this shorter, change the order. Everything I tried just didn't gel. What is it? I spent days trying to decipher the problem. Finally, one night while watching a program on TV it hit me like a ton of camera batteries falling from the sky. IT'S BLAND! But Why? Movement on screen. Yes, there is a pan here and a tilt there, a few scenes shot from different angles, but . . . it's BLAH! Where are the moves and shots that get your attention on many shows? There aren't any, that's the problem. Something had to be done. I had equipment, but not what was needed to bring this to a higher level. What I needed was a crane.
I spent some time looking and researching what was available. There are DIY cranes seeded throughout the internet, many not worth the time or effort to build, or limited in their ability, capacity or safety. This would not do. One thing I was sure of, once acquired, it would see use. With that in mind, I decided a purchase was best. Several manufactures adorn the pages of magazines, sites, forums and the internet. Some appear cobbled together, a few weak in construction, while others are far beyond my budget. I examined the options, features and construction, and made a decision, I would order a Kessler Crane.
Within a few days of placing my order, two packages arrived at my door. IT'S HERE! My first reaction was WOW! The K-POD is a massive but not overly so well built piece of equipment. With a handling capacity of 500 pounds, it stands there waiting for you to throw what you wish at it. As I ogled in amazement, this product almost asks, “Go ahead, put a refrigerator on me. I laugh in your general direction!” It inspires confidence that it will do its job always. The pockets on the legs are a very nice touch in providing confidence that the legs will not slip. The legs when opened have one fixed angle and the included and installed mid level spreader snaps into place with authority. This beast is designed for heavy duty work. The upper part of the assembly is fitted with a 100mm bowl and has several holes around the outer perimeter that could be used as tie down anchor points. BRAVO!
Sitting atop the K-POD, was the HERCULES 2.0 head. Not festooned with many knobs, dials or handles, what is there is all you require. The upper handle tightens and clamps the head around the pan handle. The pan handle can be repositioned or removed, is of a good length, padded and strong. To the left a handle adjusts the tilt mechanism from a light drag to no movement and everything in between. I found the tilt drag to be very smooth. A metal locking pin is provided which allows the head to be fixed to a level position assuring no slippage and no need to over tighten the tilt drag when in this position. In addition, there is a spring return within the head that returns it to level position, although it is not adjustable. To the right a third handle adjusts the pan drag. It's range is from free to no motion at all. Below the head sits the 100mm half ball. A cap between the handle and the underside of the bowl allows the user to allow of more or less movement of the ball. A small round bubble level is located on the head just behind the tilt head. The upper portion of the head is flat and came with two knobs that are used to anchor the crane firmly, no chance of it slipping here. In addition tapped holes are located which will allow the mounting of a quick release receiver and plate such as a Kessler studio plate, a Manfrotto 577 or Giottos M621. WELL DONE!
Is there anything one might find at fault here? In my mind, no. The components are well matched and machined very well for the designed purpose, and that is the key to this etup. There could be some nit picky things one could find fault in, such as the head does not have pan arm rosettes, the pan arm is a fixed length, the spring return is not adjustable or that the legs are set for a fixed angle. These are not faults, as this setup is designed to carry a crane, and it does it very well. Despite the nit picky things mentioned, I found the K-POD and HERCULES 2.0 quite adapt at handling a camera without the crane attached. I own 2 other tripod/head setups that I am very pleased with and would have no problem substituting the K-POD and HERCULES 2.0 if needed. With the addition of the quick release receiver and plate, you have an outstanding set of legs and head that will leave you beaming from ear to ear.
Now, for the final piece, the crane. Built from the same material as the tripod, the unit I purchased was the 8 foot model. Seeing the tripod, I knew the crane was going to be just as good. Assembly time took just a few minutes with the tool less package. Once everything was connected and the camera was mounted, I added the counterweights, a total of 22 ˝ pounds to the rig. I was surprised that I had achieved a fairly good balance, but decided to tweak it further. I repositioned the weight bar and one of the 10 pound weights forward. Now it was time to test it. I placed the camera low to the floor, released the tilt drag and the vertical brake and watched. The camera slowly rose and stopped almost level. Thinking of how the clock masters adjust Big Ben when it is running a little slow or fast, I placed 3 pennies on the camera basket and watched to crane achieve perfect balance.
Moving the crane up and down was effortless. If that wasn't enough, panning this awesome rig was an even bigger delight as I moved the beast with just the tip of my index finger, very smooth. One of the selling points for me was the ability to tilt the camera basket or fix it at any particular angle, lock it, then raise the crane and keep the same camera angle. As I ran the crane through it paces I looked for any twisting, bounce, torque, or droop, I did not notice any of these. Once the crane is balanced, the vertical brake only requires a modest twist to lock the crane in position. It held the camera at any position I placed it and did not move once. I was very impressed.
Balance is one of the key things for a crane to operate well. Besides having the crane balanced, having the camera balanced in the basket will go a long way in achieving good motion. The next is practice. Learning how to start and stop the crane gracefully and performing the movements smoothly takes a little work and time, but not to the same degree that a Steadycam warrants.
The Kessler Crane is surprising nimble and adjustable. There are many accessories available for the Kessler Crane, but I will not elaborate on them as I have not purchased them . . . yet! A visit to the Kessler site will reveal what is available, or an email will provide you with any additional information you require. In my opinion the Kessler Crane, K-POD and HERCULES 2.0 head are fantastic products, very well made, and is the best “bang for the buck” you can find. And, did I mention this comes with a lifetime warranty to boot!
What about the video? Well, after much discussion, I managed to convince everyone that we needed to shoot a few scenes over again. The footage captured thus far has the feel of a much larger budget production. The Oooos and ahhhhs the crane garnered was only surpassed by the rushes we viewed that day. Although the Kessler Crane performed brilliantly, the weather didn't. Quite literally it “rained on my parade”, and I could not get the outside shoots I wanted. That will have to wait for another time when the weather and crew are more agreeable.
Several weeks ago, after getting all the permissions, releases and permits in hand, I was finally ready to shoot a video I had been asked to do. I agonized over the lighting, framing the scenes, making sure the audio would be as good as possible and that everyone knew their lines and how it was being shot. The day went well, everyone had a good time and I was happy that nothing major went wrong or broke down. All the footage was in the camera. All that was needed was to import the scenes and edit. Hooray!
Well, all was not so rosy. As I plied through the footage, something was wrong, something missing. Maybe I'm not editing the scenes properly. Move this, change that, make this shorter, change the order. Everything I tried just didn't gel. What is it? I spent days trying to decipher the problem. Finally, one night while watching a program on TV it hit me like a ton of camera batteries falling from the sky. IT'S BLAND! But Why? Movement on screen. Yes, there is a pan here and a tilt there, a few scenes shot from different angles, but . . . it's BLAH! Where are the moves and shots that get your attention on many shows? There aren't any, that's the problem. Something had to be done. I had equipment, but not what was needed to bring this to a higher level. What I needed was a crane.
I spent some time looking and researching what was available. There are DIY cranes seeded throughout the internet, many not worth the time or effort to build, or limited in their ability, capacity or safety. This would not do. One thing I was sure of, once acquired, it would see use. With that in mind, I decided a purchase was best. Several manufactures adorn the pages of magazines, sites, forums and the internet. Some appear cobbled together, a few weak in construction, while others are far beyond my budget. I examined the options, features and construction, and made a decision, I would order a Kessler Crane.
Within a few days of placing my order, two packages arrived at my door. IT'S HERE! My first reaction was WOW! The K-POD is a massive but not overly so well built piece of equipment. With a handling capacity of 500 pounds, it stands there waiting for you to throw what you wish at it. As I ogled in amazement, this product almost asks, “Go ahead, put a refrigerator on me. I laugh in your general direction!” It inspires confidence that it will do its job always. The pockets on the legs are a very nice touch in providing confidence that the legs will not slip. The legs when opened have one fixed angle and the included and installed mid level spreader snaps into place with authority. This beast is designed for heavy duty work. The upper part of the assembly is fitted with a 100mm bowl and has several holes around the outer perimeter that could be used as tie down anchor points. BRAVO!
Sitting atop the K-POD, was the HERCULES 2.0 head. Not festooned with many knobs, dials or handles, what is there is all you require. The upper handle tightens and clamps the head around the pan handle. The pan handle can be repositioned or removed, is of a good length, padded and strong. To the left a handle adjusts the tilt mechanism from a light drag to no movement and everything in between. I found the tilt drag to be very smooth. A metal locking pin is provided which allows the head to be fixed to a level position assuring no slippage and no need to over tighten the tilt drag when in this position. In addition, there is a spring return within the head that returns it to level position, although it is not adjustable. To the right a third handle adjusts the pan drag. It's range is from free to no motion at all. Below the head sits the 100mm half ball. A cap between the handle and the underside of the bowl allows the user to allow of more or less movement of the ball. A small round bubble level is located on the head just behind the tilt head. The upper portion of the head is flat and came with two knobs that are used to anchor the crane firmly, no chance of it slipping here. In addition tapped holes are located which will allow the mounting of a quick release receiver and plate such as a Kessler studio plate, a Manfrotto 577 or Giottos M621. WELL DONE!
Is there anything one might find at fault here? In my mind, no. The components are well matched and machined very well for the designed purpose, and that is the key to this etup. There could be some nit picky things one could find fault in, such as the head does not have pan arm rosettes, the pan arm is a fixed length, the spring return is not adjustable or that the legs are set for a fixed angle. These are not faults, as this setup is designed to carry a crane, and it does it very well. Despite the nit picky things mentioned, I found the K-POD and HERCULES 2.0 quite adapt at handling a camera without the crane attached. I own 2 other tripod/head setups that I am very pleased with and would have no problem substituting the K-POD and HERCULES 2.0 if needed. With the addition of the quick release receiver and plate, you have an outstanding set of legs and head that will leave you beaming from ear to ear.
Now, for the final piece, the crane. Built from the same material as the tripod, the unit I purchased was the 8 foot model. Seeing the tripod, I knew the crane was going to be just as good. Assembly time took just a few minutes with the tool less package. Once everything was connected and the camera was mounted, I added the counterweights, a total of 22 ˝ pounds to the rig. I was surprised that I had achieved a fairly good balance, but decided to tweak it further. I repositioned the weight bar and one of the 10 pound weights forward. Now it was time to test it. I placed the camera low to the floor, released the tilt drag and the vertical brake and watched. The camera slowly rose and stopped almost level. Thinking of how the clock masters adjust Big Ben when it is running a little slow or fast, I placed 3 pennies on the camera basket and watched to crane achieve perfect balance.
Moving the crane up and down was effortless. If that wasn't enough, panning this awesome rig was an even bigger delight as I moved the beast with just the tip of my index finger, very smooth. One of the selling points for me was the ability to tilt the camera basket or fix it at any particular angle, lock it, then raise the crane and keep the same camera angle. As I ran the crane through it paces I looked for any twisting, bounce, torque, or droop, I did not notice any of these. Once the crane is balanced, the vertical brake only requires a modest twist to lock the crane in position. It held the camera at any position I placed it and did not move once. I was very impressed.
Balance is one of the key things for a crane to operate well. Besides having the crane balanced, having the camera balanced in the basket will go a long way in achieving good motion. The next is practice. Learning how to start and stop the crane gracefully and performing the movements smoothly takes a little work and time, but not to the same degree that a Steadycam warrants.
The Kessler Crane is surprising nimble and adjustable. There are many accessories available for the Kessler Crane, but I will not elaborate on them as I have not purchased them . . . yet! A visit to the Kessler site will reveal what is available, or an email will provide you with any additional information you require. In my opinion the Kessler Crane, K-POD and HERCULES 2.0 head are fantastic products, very well made, and is the best “bang for the buck” you can find. And, did I mention this comes with a lifetime warranty to boot!
What about the video? Well, after much discussion, I managed to convince everyone that we needed to shoot a few scenes over again. The footage captured thus far has the feel of a much larger budget production. The Oooos and ahhhhs the crane garnered was only surpassed by the rushes we viewed that day. Although the Kessler Crane performed brilliantly, the weather didn't. Quite literally it “rained on my parade”, and I could not get the outside shoots I wanted. That will have to wait for another time when the weather and crew are more agreeable.