Burbank, California: September 14, 2012 – Comedy Central’s sketch comedy “Key and Peele” might be shot with a limited crew, camera and gear package on a mandated short shooting schedule, but that doesn’t bother cinematographer Charles Papert. “Achieving a high-end look simply requires a lot of creative corner-cutting and strong support,” he says. So he uses his favorite heads from OConnor, part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company.
For the series, which involves live comedy performances, the producers wanted highly polished production value. No two sketches look alike, and all are shot on location or on standing sets. “We went with Sony F3s, Alura zooms and a set of Superspeeds,” he explains.
Above: DP Charles Papert, Operator Denis Moran, 1st AC Robert Schierer.
Papert insisted the support had to be from OConnor. “The 2575 is the industry standard and represents zero compromise on set,” he says. “I started out as a shooter at a small production company with an OConnor 100, then purchased 2575s in the 90s, then a 1030 later. They are extremely reliable. I’ve always appreciated how ‘invisibly’ OConnors perform.
“Although as a DP I’m no longer particularly hands-on with the camera,” he explains. “I want to ensure that my operators have the right tools to be able to perform shots without compromise, so OConnor is the head of choice. Non-negotiable. Every one of my operators has a different preference on how much drag they like, and the continuous adjustment of pan and tilt makes dialing in the perfect setting easy. In addition, the ability to tilt the camera 90 degrees up and down is often a requirement for specialty shots.”
Papert and crew really test the OConnor capabilities on “Key and Peele”. “On our show we have a number of situations that require a manual jib, and sometimes it puts my operators into the unenviable position of having to maneuver around the arm for fairly complex moves, including back panning and tilting. With that kind of challenge, it’s absolutely critical to be able to dial in exactly the amount of drag that will allow for smooth camera moves while not restricting the swing of the arm.
“On one concert sequence, A-camera operator Denis Moran did an amazing job clambering around a multi-level set of risers, operating the jib smoothly, then letting it soar up and over his head,” Papert explains. “Back at the monitors, I never saw the transition point or ‘clunk’ as he took, or relinquished control of the camera – to his and of course, the OConnor head’s credit.”
“Key and Peele”, the classic sketch comedy show in the tradition of “Chapelle’s Show” stars Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key.
For more information on OConnor, a Vitec Group brand, visit www.ocon.com, send an email to info at ocon dot com, become a fan on Facebook, follow the company on Twitter; or contact OConnor, 2701 N. Ontario St, Burbank, CA 91504, phone: 818-847-8666, fax: 818-847-1205.
About OConnor
OConnor has been the choice of professional cinematographers since the invention of the fluid head 60 years ago by founder Chad O’Connor. OConnor’s award-winning fluid heads are known for their smooth feel, fluid movement and intuitive control. Designed for film-style shooting, each facilitates seamless transition when changing payloads and offers stepless, ultra-smooth pan & tilt fluid drag for maximum control. In addition to fluid heads and tripods, OConnor offers a growing line of camera and lens accessories engineered to fill the needs of today’s fast-paced camera work. The line includes the CFF-1 and new O-Focus DM follow focus systems for cine and still photo lenses, the award-winning O-Box WM mattebox, innovative O-Grip handgrip system and the Universal Baseplate. OConnor products are respected and trusted by individual users and rental houses worldwide for their reliability, longevity and toughness.
Along with other leading brands in the broadcast industry, OConnor is part of the Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company. For more information on OConnor, visit www.ocon.com.
About Vitec Videocom
Vitec Videocom brings together some of the most respected, most innovative and most sought-after brands in the industry: Anton/Bauer, Autoscript, Litepanels, OConnor, Petrol Bags, Sachtler, Vinten and Vinten Radamec. 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.
