InCinematographer - Issue 3 - 12

12

www.incinematographer.com | Issue 3

On the Trail of the Elusive
Scottish Wildcat
Miller Tripod's fluid head and tripod withstand challenging Highland
terrain for wildlife documentary The Last Highland Tiger...

F

ilmmaker and Videographer Jason Henwood
recently had the chance to work on a passion
project in the rugged terrain of Scotland, choosing
Miller Camera Support Equipment, a leader in the
production of innovative camera support solutions, to
help capture footage of the subject of his documentary
film, the Scottish Wildcat.
This very rare and beautiful animal is confined to
the Scottish Highlands. Known for its elusive nature,
the large predator is sometimes mistaken for the
common housecat, but the near-extinct species could
not be further from that. Henwood's documentary
set out to educate the public on what makes the
Wildcat so unique and how its resourcefulness has
helped it survive deforestation and varying habitats.
Mountain Trek
Henwood
teamed
up
with Director Katie Wardle,
trekking
into
rugged
mountains
and
dense
woodlands to capture the
footage. With the demanding
requirements in mind, they
knew equipment selection
was critical, and would need
to be as light as possible
and incredibly durable. To find the best solution,
Henwood and Wardle reached out to Miller, who
recommended the right combination of fluid heads
and tripods for the job. Henwood and Wardle began
their project knowing that Miller's ArrowX7 fluid head
and Solo 100 three-stage Carbon Fiber Tripod were
the solution to capturing the footage they needed.
The Solo 100 three-stage Carbon Fiber Tripod
allowed for a rapid set up for Henwood, eliminating

the need for a spreader
with an innovative leg angle
control that incorporates a
safety lock to ensure quick
and easy tripod set up.
"In less than ideal and
very windy conditions, I was
literally able to set my camera up and be ready for
shooting within a minute or two," noted Henwood.
"With the Solo 100, I am afforded the greatest degree
of freedom without compromising the stability of the
tripod."
Long Lenses
Miller's ArrowX7 fluid head provided the precise
pan and tilts, crucial to capturing shots with long

MILLER Showcase at Inter BEE
Miller Tripods has premiered its latest innovations, the CompassX
and Skyline 90 in Japan...

M

iller Tripods showed its latest fluid heads
at Inter BEE 2017 in Tokyo. The company
presented the CompassX series (CX) and Skyline 90
fluid heads, both designed to meet the needs of the
growing production community.
The new CX fluid heads incorporate Miller's CB
PLUS™ enabling technology, which takes traditional
counterbalancing a step forward. The line is offered
in five models, CX2, CX6, CX8, CX10 and the CX18, all
of which feature 16 positions of counterbalance for
fine, rapid adjustment.
The side loading base plate enables fast and easy
mounting and alighting of camera rigs. The inherent
wide payload range of the series provides maximum

flexibility when switching cameras or adding
accessories. Its robust construction guarantees a
long, low maintenance service-life and low cost of
ownership.
All CX models are designed for strength and
durability, the range offers standard features to
suit most applications, as well as distinguishing
characteristics to each model. The set of fluid heads
in this five-option series deliver on Miller's "right
feel" and are backed by a three-year warranty
promise that videographers and cinematographers
have come to expect.
Also being shown, the Skyline 90 Fluid Head
is designed to meet the stringent and rigorous

The Last Highland Tiger

lenses, in the terrain of Scotland as quickly as they
happened. This was used in conjunction with the
ARRI AMIRA and, at times, a 2x Doubler, which
allowed Henwood to reach up to 500mm for closeups
of the Wildcat's prey. The hunted animals that were
filmed included hare, rabbit and red squirrels, all of
which can be hard to capture on camera.
Henwood applauded the product saying: "Miller's
ArrowX7 with its wide payload range, precision fluid
drag and counterbalance delivered the flexibility,
speed of set up and accuracy of shot is exactly what
was needed for this production environment."
The Last Highland Tiger recently made its world
premiere at the recent Wildlife Conservation Film
Festival in New York.

standards presented by challenging environments
and condition of outside broadcast. With a sliding
platform featuring 300mm of sliding range that
glides smoothly and effortlessly with a full payload,
the Skyline 90 easily balances heavy camera loads.
It also comes with an auto safety lock to ensure
a secure horizontal position when loading or
dismantling heavy box lenses.
www.millertripods.com
Tough:
Miller Skyline 90

CX features Miller's CB PLUS™
counterbalance technology
http://www.incinematographer.com https://youtu.be/Mb8_iJRT6_M https://youtu.be/Mb8_iJRT6_M https://youtu.be/Mb8_iJRT6_M http://www.millertripods.com http://www.millertripods.com http://www.millertripods.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of InCinematographer - Issue 3
