Zack Koczanski
TAMPA, FLA.—Newhouse Media Group is a production company that was launched in 1985 to produce training, sales informational, and surgical technique videos for major pharmaceutical companies. In 2005, the industry began to shift towards streaming video as well as the adoption of social media, so to ensure that our customers would remain relevant, we began moving to video streaming. Our focus now is very much on streaming video and we produce a range of training, marketing, corporate imaging and business content for websites, iPods, iPhones, and other handheld devices.
As the Newhouse founder and chief creative officer, I really think of myself as a visualizer. I try to see through the lens of the camera and figure out how I can best tell a story for a client, communicating their individual story and vision to their customers and client base. Each client is unique, and we take the time to make sure that what we deliver is the story they need to have told.
Our work requires a lot of time on site and frequent relocation. We need gear that’s portable, easy to set up and break down, and light enough to be easily transported.
Recently, we needed to replace a tripod with a heavier duty model as our new camera weighted a bit too much for the support system that we’d been using. We began shopping for a new support system that could accommodate the increased payload, would meet our other requirements, and yet wouldn’t be too expensive. After we’d evaluated several systems, I recalled a meeting that I’d had with Shotoku at a recent NAB Show. There I’d gotten a demo of the company’s SP100 tripod system and had been quite impressed. The SP100 looked like a good match for us and after a bit more research, we decided to place an order.
HOLDS ALMOST TWICE ITS OWN WEIGHT
I used the Shotoku system on a few projects and it didn’t take long to realize that I had made a good purchase. It’s very simple and easy to use, and weighs only 17 pounds while supporting up to 33 pounds—more than enough for our worst case camera load.
The fluidity of the SP100 is wonderful and it’s lightweight, easy to open up, and allows me to set up on the spot. Also, I used to think that I could only work with carbon sticks, but found this aluminum tripod to be really wonderful. The mid-level spreader is also quite nice. I can get in the lowest position, open it up and still get the tracks I need. The head is easy to set up and use too—the 100 mm unit works very well with prompters and other ancillary gear.
I’m very pleased with my Shotoku purchase— and when you look at the price point, it’s an absolutely magnificent value for the dollar. Based on what we do, the Shotoku product delivers exactly the right bang for the buck.
Zack Koczanski is president and chief creative officer at Newhouse Media Group. He may be contacted atinfo@newhousemediagroup.com.
For additional information, contact Shotoku at 866-746-8658 or visitwww.shotoku.tv.
