Miller Camera Support Takes On the Rugged Canadian Wilderness with Derek Frankowski
SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA, December 14, 2015— When director of photography Derek Frankowski of Frankowski Pictures was recently tasked with capturing the natural and inherent beauty of the wilderness of Saskatchewan, Canada for Saskatchewan Tourism, he depended on his Arrow 25 Solo ENG tripod system from Miller Camera Support, a leader in the production of innovating camera support solutions.
Traveling by both plane and boat into the middle of the Churchill River Basin, which runs through the heart of Saskatchewan, for two trips to shoot commercial spots for Saskatchewan Tourism, Frankowski needed a tripod system that was lightweight so that he could navigate it through the remote and craggy terrain that included forests, marshes, lakes and rivers. Equally important was equipment that would allow him to also stay inconspicuous to the native wildlife he was filming. His Arrow 25 Solo ENG tripod system allowed him to have an efficient setup to capture these stunning animals and vistas that will help drive wildlife and nature aficionados to the region.
“We were trying to film some bald eagles and we set up on this knoll, trying to stay in camouflage. We were able to get the camera low enough to stay hidden,” says Frankowski, who was truly impressed with the 382 mm (15 in) minimum height of the 3 Stage Solo ENG carbon fiber legs. “I really like the way the legs can be easily adjusted with one hand. So, if you’re holding your tripod on your shoulder or need to adjust quickly to a height when you’re shooting, you can make quick modifications.”
The Solo tripod was a further asset to Frankowski, particularly when filming in rocky terrain, “I have a six-foot long slider that I use and the Solo legs are really great for that. Before I had these legs, I used to always have a spreader between the legs so you couldn’t put it into really precarious spots. However, with this system I was able to put my slider into these really gnarly, craggy rocks because I can adjust the legs to different lengths. It was actually the perfect tool, because you can manipulate that tripod into absolutely any configuration to fit it over really rough terrain.”
Frankowski’s setup included a RED Dragon camera, as well as an array of Nikon lenses that ranged from 400 millimeters to a fisheye lens. No matter what combination he chose to use, the Arrow 25 Fluid Head was able to stay balanced easily and was simple to load. “The head is super fluid and the range of tension you can put on it, depending on what lens you have, is awesome,” observes Frankowski.
The Arrow 25 Solo ENG tripod system features a three-stage solo ENG carbon fiber tripod to support the latest generation in acquisition from the DSLR to film-ready HDV alternatives, to the lightweight ENG camcorders of payloads from 3.5-14 kg/7-30 lbs. This tripod, when equipped with an Arrow 25 Fluid Head, one of Miller’s flagship product lines, offers a four position counterbalance system, illuminated bubble level and extraordinarily stable pan/tilt movements. With a 100mm ball-leveling version available, the Arrow 25 is an extremely durable fluid head in a low-profile and lightweight package.
To learn more about Frankowski and his past projects, please visit www.frankowski.ca. To learn more about Miller Camera Support Equipment in Canada, please visit www.millercanada.com.
About Miller Camera Support Equipment
Founded in 1954, Miller Camera Support Equipment designs, manufactures and delivers professional fluid heads and tripods to the film and television industry, providing support for the world’s leading camera operators. Celebrating more than sixty years in the industry, Miller is a longtime, global leader in the field of contemporary camera support and holds the first patent for fluid head design for film cameras, which it obtained in 1946. Today, Miller’s tripod and camera support systems are frequently used during electronic news gatherings (ENG), electronic field production (EFP), and digital video applications by the world’s leading networks, production houses, corporate, educational and government institutions in more than 65 countries. For more information, call +61 2 9439 6377 or visit www.millertripods.com.
