InCinematographer - Issue 1 - June 2017 - 51

www.incinematographer.com | Issue 1 | June 2017

Miller & RØDE Expand Shorts Prizes
My RØDE Reel returns for its fourth year in 2017 and Miller Camera
Support Equipment is once again a key sponsor...

ith close to 8,000 video submissions from 89
countries, My RØDE Reel has not only become
the world's largest short film competition, but has
also established itself as a staple amongst the global
filmmaking community.
Miller will be supplying prizes for the competition,
which includes three Miller DS20 Solo CF Tripod
Systems and three AIR Alloy Tripod Systems.
"We are most pleased to be working with Miller
once again for My RØDE Reel in 2017," comments

Three Miller
DS20 Solo CF
tripod systems
are among
the prizes

Damien Wilson, RØDE's CEO. "Our brand partnerships
are carefully curated, we choose those whose
passion for filmmaking and quality reflect our own.
Miller is the epitome of those values and the perfect
choice to inspire and reward filmmakers from around
the globe."
"Film competitions are a great opportunity for
the next generation of filmmaking talent to shine
through," says Charles Montesin, Global Sales
and Marketing Manager, Miller Camera Support
Equipment. "Through our participation in 'My RØDE
Reel,' we look to encourage creativity and support
the future endeavors of filmmakers."
RØDE Microphones launched My RØDE Reel in 2014
to huge international engagement. The competition
returns in 2017 with an increased total prize pool of
more than US$500,000 and, yes, more awards than
ever before.
From amateur to professional - all filmmakers are
encouraged to take part and tell their story. To enter,
people are required to create a short film of three
minutes or less, as well as a behind-the-scenes reel
that features a RØDE product being used during the
production of the film.
The entry kit is FREE and available now at www.
myrodereel.com

The five marquee awards - each of these prizes this
year is worth over US$40,000 - featured in previous
years has become six:
* Judges' Film award for the best short film;
* People's Choice award for the most
popular short film;
* Young Filmmaker award for the best short film
by an entrant under the age of 18;
* Female Filmmaker award - this award, selected
by the judging panel, is designed to encourage
and celebrate women in the film community.
The BTS award for the best Behind-The-Scenes film is
for the first time split into two categories:
* Educational BTS Award, for the most
informative, and;
* Entertaining BTS Award, for the most
entertaining.
New genre awards in 2017 include:
* Best Virtual Reality film
(using 360-degree cameras);
* Best 30-second TVC (for RØDE, naturally) and;
* Best Vlog.
A full list of categories and a free entry pack may
be found at www.myrodereel.com
www.rode.com www.millertripods.com

On the Trail of the
Perfect Wildlife Film
Freelance cameraman and primary BBC Natural History Unit
contributor Graham Macfarlane has put Panasonic's VariCam LT
through its paces shooting in countries from Kenya to Japan...

Orphaned elephants in Kenya's Tsavo National Park

(Pictures: Graham Macfarlane / Gordon Buchanan.)

ourced through VI Rental Bristol, late 2016 saw difference. However I still found the camera to
the airing of the two-part Elephant Family & Me, be nicely balanced on the shoulder," Macfarlane
presented by fellow cameraman Gordon Buchanan.
explained.
Macfarlane (Wild Thailand, Deadly 60, Planet
In often inhospitable environments around the
Earth Live) used the camera handheld on the show, world, cameras shooting natural history need to be
following a herd of orphaned elephants in Kenya's rugged enough to put up with all kinds of abuse. "The
13,000-square kilometer Tsavo National Park.
viewfinder on the LT is one of the best of the current
He was familiar with the VariCam thanks to range of super 35 cameras," said Macfarlane.
its many years of affiliation with natural history
"It's a real headache to focus in 4K these days so
production. "I used the original VariCams and they I was spending a lot of time using it, and it was one
were bombproof," he said. "The images were just of the first things I liked - it's clear and very usable.
beautiful and they were tough, so when it came It's the first camera for a few years that I've thought
to the VariCam LT I expected nothing less from about buying myself."
Panasonic."
The Bristolian, who is now based in
Extended ISO
Japan, filmed primarily at 800 ISO, but
A
forthcoming
series
following
was able to make use of the VariCam LT's
chimpanzees in Cameroon has also seen
dual native 5000 ISO setting a handful of
Macfarlane putting the LT through its
times, such as at sunset.
paces in a humid jungle environment,
"The weight of the LT was nice on its
where the choice to go with the VariCam
own, but the lenses we settled on were
came about due to the darkened
Graham Macfarlane environment created by the thick tree
pretty heavy so they made a noticeable

cover. With the ability to move the camera's ISO into
an extended, still native range, the chimps stayed
visible under the tree canopy.
After a short break he returned home to Japan to
work on a Springwatch Japan special for the BBC,
covering the emergence of the cherry blossoms as
spring arrives and the country's national tradition of
Hanami 'flower watching' as the blossom emerges.
"In these kinds of situations you want a camera
that you can forget about to some extent in terms
of constantly adjusting settings and so on," explains
Macfarlane.
"You want to just focus on the viewfinder and the
images that the viewers at home are going to see,
and, with the VariCam LT, I was able to do that."
business.panasonic.eu/broadcast-and-proav

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of InCinematographer - Issue 1 - June 2017