“Two Toshiba IK-HD1 cameras were attached to the new Polecam 3D mounting plate,” adds Chris Taber. “This allowed easy adjustments of convergence and roll to be made at the head while final adjustments were handled in a Telegenic truck via a Sony 3D convergence unit. Left and right HD-SDI signals were converted to fibre for a run of nearly 2 kilometres back to the outside broadcast compound. Data from and to the Polecam remote control panel was also sent via fibre and allowed the engineers full control of the cameras: a vital requirement for 3D.

“The quality of the two Toshibas allowed the pictures to cut in seamlessly with the main cameras, thrilling producers and audiences alike. The simplicity of the 3D setup allows the Polecam to retain all the benefits it offers 2D users. The only crane currently available to carry a full 3D rig is costly and requires several people to operate. Polecam stays head and shoulders above the rest as a single-operator system that can offer shots other cameras can’t get.

“In short, wet, windy and enormous fun!”

“Sky 3D went live on October 1 after six months of test transmissions,” adds Polecam founder and Managing Director Steffan Hewitt. “We are delighted that Chris Taber’s rig was chosen to play a part on such a historical day and for the duration of the Ryder Cup.

“For our advertisement, promoting reusable bags for Oxfordshire County Council, we wanted to get up close and personal with our hero bag and its contents in an ambitious tracking shot following a rear basket on a moving bicycle. Chris and his Polecam gave us the flexibility to try a range of shots that were just not possible on a standard tracking shot. A real pleasure to work with and a fun shoot with fantastic results.” Peter Austin, Assistant Producer, Jovian Productions Ltd.

Producer, Carl Waken said, ‘The ability to change location several times throughout the day is of huge benefit. The shots Chris achieved were spectacular and added a fantastic edge to the coverage. Polecam is indeed my weapon of choice’.

What started out as a 3-week hire enquiry ended up as a full-blown 2-week shoot, staying in 2 campsites on the banks of the River Mara. I was using the Toshiba HD camera with the 4mm and 8mm lens and recording to HDCam.

We set off on an incredible 7 hour drive from Nairobi to the Mara, through the Great Rift Valley, on roads in worse condition than those on the surface of the moon!

The Rig was mounted on the roof of a Toyota Land Cruiser, which, meant my operating position was half in and half out of the car, this did raise an eyebrow from the guide as he did point out that dangling ones leg in front of a hungry lion has interesting repercussions!

Shooting wild life with the Polecam requires a different style to that of conventional filming. There is a massive dependency of the guides ability to spot suitable animals assess their behaviour and most importantly, know where they are going. When filming wildlife with the Polecam you have to let the animals come to you, not the other way round. This requires large amounts of patience, but the rewards were fabulous.

One of the highlights was filming a male lion just after a kill. We positioned the camera approx 18 inches above the ground and used tall grasses as the foreground. After waiting for quite some time we were able to film a 15-20 track with the lion full frame and only 10 feet from the camera!! A shot that, traditionally, would only be achieved with the camera on a track. In this environment that is simply not an option.

Just being in the Mara is an unforgettable experience, but being able to get really close to the wildlife and produce shots that were previously unobtainable was a great thrill.

Production manager Andrea Glazier said, ‘ The Polecam footage was our favourite, Chris managed to conjure up shots that none of us had thought of and his enthusiasm was evident. We had to turn the edit around very quickly and found that using the Flash XDR saved us a great deal of time.’

Using the Polecam zoom lens and a standard 4mm we were able to get high angle geography shots and the all important close ups! The surgeon and his team were very accommodating and allowed us great access. Space was always an issue, but by rigging the Polecam with the elbows we were able to operate without hindering the theatre staff’.

3D Director Duncan Humphrys said, ‘yet again the versatility of Polecam served us well, the 3D setup is very simple and does not need the mirror rig system needed by the bigger cameras. The original shots that Chris delivered really added to the final cut.’

The left and right HD-SDI signals were converted to fibre for the near 2k run back the the OB compound and data for the RCP unit was sent via fibre as well. The RCP allowed the engineers full control of the cameras, a vital requirement for 3D!! The quality of the two Toshibas allowed the pictures to cut in with the main cameras seamlessly.

The simplicity of the 3D setup allows the Polcam to retain all of its benefits available to its 2D users. The only crane currently available to carry a full 3D rig is a technocrane, which is costly and requires several people to operate. Polecam stays as a single operator system and can still offer shots that other cameras can’t get…..
In short, wet, windy and enormous fun! Arise Sir Monty!