Graham Sheldon Checks In With the Alexa LF and Mini LF — Wooden Camera

Graham Sheldon wears many hats. With an Emmy Award underneath his belt, he’s a director of pictures, author, producer, gross sales agent, drone pilot, and Director of Improvement at Nerdist. Suffice to say, there is no such thing as a stopping Graham. 

Along with his proactive nature, Graham has develop into accustomed to many digital camera techniques. Most not too long ago, he had the prospect to function the Alexa Mini LF and Alexa LF on a story function set totally Indiana. Throughout manufacturing, Graham, 1st AC Tiffany Murray, and a crew of about seventy folks braved the winter components to seize the story of So Chilly the River. Capturing in rain, snow, on seashores, in a lodge, on Steadicam, Ronin, drones, and with underwater housing, the digital camera workforce wanted equipment that might enable them to maneuver rapidly and effectively.

Graham partnered with Wood Digital camera to assist outfit the manufacturing’s Alexa Mini LF and Alexa LF cameras based mostly on the wants of the shoot and the story. He and Tiffany sat down to speak with us about their expertise on set and how a pair new Wood Digital camera merchandise have been capable of assist.

Wood Digital camera (WC): How did you get your begin in filmmaking? What made you wish to begin making movies?

Graham Sheldon: My father gave me a head begin in filmmaking as a child. He had labored on a bunch of reveals like Star Trek: Subsequent Technology and Charlies Angels and he uncovered me to movie classics at a younger age. If you’re watching movies like Lawrence of Arabia at eight years previous what different occupation can you actually have?

I used to be fortunate sufficient to get an entry-level Affiliate producing job in tv proper out of graduating from Indiana College. Issues began to develop from there. Since then, I’ve had the great fortune to have my digital camera and producing work seem on networks like VICE, NBC, TLC, iTV, BBC, Reelz, PBS, Disney, Discovery, HGTV, Netflix, Amazon and extra. 

WC: Inform us extra concerning the undertaking you’re presently engaged on. What’s the scale of this manufacturing? 

Graham: So Chilly the River is written and directed by Paul Shoulberg and based mostly on Michael Koryta’s novel of the identical identify.

The film stars Bethany Pleasure Lenz, Andrew J. West and Katie Sarife. Pigasus Footage and 1804 Productions are producing. The film has an unimaginable location within the West Baden Springs Lodge in Indiana and we wrapped filming earlier this yr. 

I used to be fortunate to function A-Cam Op (Alexa LF, Alexa Mini LF) on the movie underneath the route of DP Madeline Kate Kann. I’ve additionally had the chance to steer further 2nd Unit protection in addition to function a number of drone and water photographs alongside a crew of about 70.

WC: What Wood Digital camera merchandise did you employ for this undertaking and the way was your expertise utilizing this gear within the subject? 

Graham: For this undertaking we used a complete host of Wood Digital camera goodies constructed primarily round our A-Cam, the Alexa Mini LF. The Unified Cage gave our 1st AC, Tiffany Murray, loads of helpful mounting factors for every thing from screens to a Teradek Bolt 4K 750 TX to a spot for the audio workforce to place their hops.

Since we have been altering digital camera builds usually from Ronin 2 to sticks to sometimes a Hostess tray automobile mount, the Unified Baseplate and Safety Dovetail made swapping builds simple. Relating to B-Cam (a full sized Alexa LF), the Alexa LF 24V Sharkfin Battery Bracket saved the usually very energy hungry LF digital camera chugging alongside by way of lengthy shoot days.

As a complete, our Wood Digital camera equipment saved each cameras effectively protected through the occasional quick digital camera transfer and all the mounting factors saved the construct clear and concise.

Tiffany Murray: We actually appreciated the D-box Plus [for the Alexa Mini]! The flexibility to have an SDI port on the operator-side made cable administration for our on-board monitor a lot cleaner. The swing away operate was additionally actually nice for attending to the ports behind the battery plate and accessing our Comtek from sound which lived mounted on the bottom of the plate.

WC: Typically, what are some important instruments you convey to a shoot?

Tiffany: I am all the time in search of gear that is tremendous versatile- plenty of mounting choices and customization. It is troublesome to be ready for each single state of affairs you are going to put the digital camera into on a film like this, so having choices mount issues in odd locations and attachments that enable for full customization is vital. I all the time attempt to convey a handful of adapters and attachments like a rod to 1/4″ adapter that saved our butts a pair occasions, various sizes of arms, cables, screws, and so on. You by no means know which little adapter goes to save lots of the day in a pinch. 

WC: What have been some highlights of this manufacturing? 

Graham: Clearly the prospect to work with an extremely proficient workforce has been an enormous spotlight, however watching everybody overcome the difficult winter climate and fast-paced taking pictures schedule stood out to me throughout filming.  

–

To maintain up with Graham and So Chilly The River, you’ll find him on Instagram and Facebook. To see extra of Tiffany’s work, take a look at her Vimeo and regulate her Instagram for brand spanking new initiatives and different So Chilly The River updates.