PORTO, PORTUGAL, JULY 11, 2018 — When Sony unveiled the Venice, its first full-frame cinema camera system, Cinematographer Antonio Morais couldn’t wait to get his hands on it. Knowing his camera is only as good as its supporting platform, Morais once again turned to Miller Camera Support LLC, through EACAMPOS, the official local dealer, to put the highly anticipated camera to the test for his work on the Portuguese film, A Sound in Motion. The film, fully shot in the city of Porto, is a fictional story based on the way deaf people adapt themselves to normal daily life situations. 

Morais and Director Ricardo Teixeira employed a Miller ArrowX7 system and a Skyline 70 kit to shoot the film. Morais used the new Sony Venice with a Fujinon HK zoom lens set, 14.5-45 and the 18-85 both T2, the Fujinon XK lightweight zoom 20-120 t3.5 and an Atomos Shogun Inferno coupled with the Atomos Sumo 19-inch monitor for Teixeira. The camera package was supported by the Arrow X7 with either the 2 stage carbon fiber Sprinter legs or on a hi- hat whenever in a hurry. For more stable shots that required a longer lenses, Morais utilized the Skyline 70 with a heavy duty 2 stage carbon fiber tripod.

“Miller’s fluid heads are so smooth and let you execute better camera movements than other brands on the market,” says Morais. “We were able to adapt the tripod by choosing multiple variations of the counterweights, which allowed us to be more versatile, and save time and money.”

The Arrow X7 was Morais’ main tripod on set, used in all types of configurations, including on a hi-hat, doorway dolly and with Miller sprinter tripod legs. The team was impressed with the way the movement was able to remain fluid even when fully loaded. The Skyline 70 was another important piece of Morais’ kit because of its ability to handle the weight of the fully rigged Sony Venice, which exceeded 25 kilos. The tripod provided a stable platform that guaranteed smooth movement.

Morais has an appreciation for Miller’s development of turnkey tripod solutions that can be utilized during hectic production schedules. “I really like how Miller thinks through every detail of its products,” adds Morais. “I like its 16 position counterweight mechanism that allows you to use the same tripod fluid head with multiple camera packages. The quick reload plate lets you speed up the mounting of the camera on sticks, which is also an excellent feature. The Sprinter II and the Solo systems allow you to be quick without limiting the multiple positions when setting up the camera, creating an all-in-one solution from Miller.”

Morais credits the extreme functionality of the Miller tripods for never delaying the production, but instead saving much needed time during filming. Whether Teixeira needed a stable shot static or in movement, Morais was able to achieve the shot by using one of the three tripod set ups. The Arrow X7 proved impressive when it almost surpassed the load limits of the head (25 kilos) while still remaining stable, despite its lightweight design.

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.

Born from the historical company “Emilio de Azevedo Campos, S.A.,” which was established in 1854, the new “EACAMPOS - Soluções para Topografia & Vídeo, S.A.” offers the best professional solutions and technical support to broadcasters, cinematographers and videographers. Representing Miller in Portugal for several decades, the close cooperation between manufacturer and dealer continues to be an extraordinary success for both companies, widely supporting Miller users. For more information, visit www.eacampos.pt, www.facebook.com/eacdvp and www.youtube.com/eacdvp.