We here at the Fujifilm Optical Devices Division value the relationships we’ve built with our customers over the years, which is we’d like to recognize and thank our long-time clients at Wisconsin-based Token Creek Mobile Television, who recently purchased a dozen of our lenses to furnish its growing fleet of HD trucks.

The mobile broadcast production company acquired four XA88x8.8BESM Telephoto Field lenses, six ZA12x4.5BERM Super Wide Angle ENG/EFP lenses, and two XA101x8.9BESM Super Telephoto Field lenses. Nine of the lenses are being used in Token Creek’s newest HD mobile unit, Chippewa, while the others have been outfitted in two of their other mobile trucks, Varsity and Hiawatha.


The FUJINON XA101x8.9 lens features a combination of wide angle and 101x zoom range, and the XA88x8.8 offers the industry’s widest angle in class with an 88x zoom range. Both telephoto field lenses feature FUJINON’s exclusive anti-fogging design to minimize lens fogging and reduce downtime due to climate change. The FUJINON ZA12x4.5BERM ENG lens features a 2x range extender and Digital Quick & Cruise Zoom. All three of the lenses boast exclusive FUJINON technology, including the DIGI POWER digital servo control system, EBC coating, and built-in F.I.N.D. diagnostics.

The Chippewa HD mobile unit was first used for a Thanksgiving Day parade telecast in Detroit. The next day, the truck was used for production of the Chicago Public School City Football Championship Game at Soldier Field, home of the NFL’s Chicago Bears. Chippewa is also set to be used for NBA game coverage, and is expected to be in high demand for many upcoming live sporting events.


Have questions about our lenses or outfitting an HD truck? Leave a comment here, on our Facebook page, or tweet us.

It would appear that Zero Point Zero Production does it all. A nearly decade-old television and digital content production company, the group also scouts, develops, markets, and distributes entertainment, producing television shows for Discovery, Travel Channel, History Channel, PBS and Bravo. Since its inception, the company has produced over 225 hours of television in 80 countries around the world, including the critically acclaimed shows, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and Diary of a Foodie. We sat down with ZPZ Director of Technology, Chris Faulkner, to talk about some of the company’s latest projects, the state of the industry and what we can look forward to from his team.

You recently posted a pretty phenomenal video in which you tested the slow-mo capabilities of one of your cameras using the Fujinon PL 19-90 Cabrio lensfor Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain. Tell us about the show and how the equipment performed.

Our DPs Mo Fallon, Todd Liebler, and Zach Zamboni just left for the very first episode of Parts Unknown. They love our new camera rig and can't stop cooing over the 19-90mm Cabrio. It's a great balance of size, sharpness, weight and range. We're all impressed with this new lens.

What other projects are you working on right now?

We just finished shooting another episode of MeatEater with Steve Rinella.

You moonlight as an instructor at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. Do you think teaching gives you a little bit of an edge in terms of keeping you “on your game” in the field?

My class at SVA is made up of first-year film students. I get a mix of newbies, film fans, and budding cinematographers, all of whom are just starting to find their voice in a visual medium. I'm a big proponent of learning by doing, so I have them out on the streets of New York City with Arriflex S-cameras by week three.

Is there one instance you can pinpoint that turned you on to production?

My first job was as sound mixer for an indie feature called Dog Years. It was rough-hewn, shot almost entirely on weekends and was in production for more than 18 months. Whether we were clearing out rattlesnakes from location or crashing a junked car for sound effects, it was a great experience and done with a lot of heart. I kind of fell in love with the process.

What piece of equipment do you rarely/never go on a job without?

Our crews constantly find themselves in tight locations with dodgy power and little time to set up a scene. A string of carnival lights—the kind with Edison screw-base sockets along a length of zip cord—can save the day.

What is it that draws you to the type of production ZPZ specializes in?

I've always worked in independent and documentary production. The "ZPZ style" is always informed by doing the most with the least. Our crews are small, our gear is lightweight and portable, and we rarely go into the field with a sound person. I think it creates a sort of intimacy that you can't reproduce by adding more stuff. Also, Tony Bourdain is a badass.

What do you view as emerging trends in the industry today?

While everyone is chasing big sensors and the cinematic look, there's still a place for a medium-sized format that is lightweight and shoulder-friendly. Besides, there's so much beautiful Super16 glass available and it's currently underutilized.

What are the most significant changes in filming from when you started?

It's quite possible to create a stunning image with equipment that costs less than $10K. What used to be the bastion of only Hollywood can be had by virtually anyone with the hankering and peck to do it. There are more voices in the conversation and I think this drives everyone to work harder and create more beautiful images.


What is something you think people would be surprised to know about you?

I went to Marine Military Academy for high school. Oo-rah!

Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?

Tune in to Parts Unknown on CNN and MeatEater on Sportsman Channel!

For more information on Fujifilm Optical Devices, go to www.Fujinon.com, or follow us at www.Facebook.com/FujifilmOptical and www.Twitter.com/FujifilmOptical.

The team here at Fujifilm Optical Devices will be participating in next week’s Sports Video Group’s League Technology Summit. The event, which takes places at the New York Hilton December 10-11, aims to bring the sports industry together to share best practices and new technologies in sports production and we’re happy to be a part of it!

Thom Calabro, Fujifilm Optical Devices’ Director of Marketing and Product Development, will be a panelist on the Camera and Lens Technology Update, where the discussion will focus on what’s in store for cameras and lenses in 2013, as well as what issues manufacturers and their customers face (December 10^th at 3:00).

FUJINON’s new XA99x8.4 ultra-wide field production lens will also be on display in the exhibition hall. Offering a zoom range of 99x, a focal length of 8.4 to 832mm, and MOD of 2.9m, the lens features an anti-fogging design to minimize lens fogging, and a patented image stabilization technology for rock-steady performance. Ideal for producing live sporting events, the XA99xUltraWide telephoto zoom lens includes FUJINON’s DIGI POWER digital controls, Quick Zoom, two-shot presets, a 2X extender, and comes standard with high-resolution 16-bit encoders. Other features of the lens include FUJINON’s exclusive High Transmittance Electron Beam Coating (HT-EBC), resulting in richer colors and greatly improved blue response and transmittance. HT-EBC, coupled with FUJINON’s exclusive Aspheric Technology, reduces ghost, flare, chromatic aberrations, and increases light transmission at all focal lengths.

 

Keynote speakers of the summit are George Bodenheimer, Executive Chair, ESPN; Ed Goren, former Vice Chairman of Fox Sports Media Group; and Frank Golding, YouTube, Head of Sport for North America. A full rundown of the event can be found here:

http://sportsvideo.org/main/lts2012/

We hope to see you there! 

Have questions about the panel or new lens? Leave a comment here, on our Facebook page, or tweet us. 

We are excited to announce our co-sponsorship of the BLUE Ocean Film Festival and Conservation Event, which takes place from September 24-30 at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, CA.  The film festival—which brings together the world’s top filmmakers, scientists, environmentalists—is a cornerstone of the organization’s mission to provide entertainment, education, and foster greater appreciation for oceans and marine ecosystems.

During the festival, BLUE Ocean will honor Director James Cameron with an award for “Lifetime Achievement in Ocean Filmmaking.”  The award will be presented at the Legacy Awards Dinner on September 27—an exclusive “Marquee Event” for BLUE Ocean benefactors and sponsors. 


James Cameron was chosen for BLUE’s Lifetime Achievement Award because his passion for diving and deep-sea exploration led him to produce a treasure trove of memorable ocean-oriented films. For many of his movies and 3D epics, like “Avatar,” “Ghosts of the Abyss,” and “Aliens of the Deep,” Cameron has relied on a variety of Fujinon lenses.  In many cases, Cameron chose lenses from the Fujinon HA Series of high-performance, 2/3-inch HDTV portable lenses.  The Fujinon HA16x6.3BERM/BERD lens, used on “Avatar,” gives filmmakers a 16x zoom and focal length ranging from 6.3-101mm.  

As many of our readers may know, James Cameron co-invented the FUSION 3D technology used in many of his groundbreaking 3D movies.  For over a decade, Fujifilm worked closely with he and his fellow co-inventors, Vince Pace, ASC, and Patrick Campbell, to customize select Fujinon lenses to meet the exacting requirements of digital stereographic production. Cameron and Pace are co-chairmen of CAMERON | PACE Group (CPG) where Patrick Campbell serves as Chief Technology Officer.

Vince Pace has credited Fujifilm, saying, “When we began developing the FUSION 3D camera system, Fujifilm contributed their experts, engineering resources, and factory support to build precision lenses that captured incredible, outstanding 3D imagery for the big screen.” Custom FUJINON lenses were paired with Sony cameras such as the HDC-F950 and HDC-1500on Cameron’s 3D movies.
Fujifilm’s sponsorship of the BLUE Ocean Film Festival is consistent with its Green Policy, which promotes efficient management of chemical substances during lens manufacturing to reduce environmental risks.

Everyone here at Fujifilm sends their congratulations to James Cameron for this award.  We appreciate the trust and confidence he puts in Fujinon lenses to capture the beauty of the oceans and other breathtaking imagery.  We look forward to a continued close working relationship with James and Vince, and will continue to support their innovative uses of our optical lens technology on their future cinematic expeditions.