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One of the largest and top ranked pediatric health systems in the United States, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, has been an independent, non-profit system since 1924. Children’s serves kids throughout the Upper Midwest and maintains it’s longstanding commitment to the community to improve children’s health by providing high-quality, family-centered pediatric services and advancing those efforts through research and education. They serve children from before birth through young adulthood at two free-standing hospitals that have 12 primary and specialty-care clinics and six rehabilitation sites. Within the hospital, they have a production company known as Star Studio that provides positive, memorable experiences for the patients and families as an alternative to mainstream and commercial entertainment. They produce live, interactive programming, several pre-recorded shows and create visual tools to educate staff and families.  They broadcast to all hospitals televisions and on the Star Studio’s website from their own closed circuit television channel.

When they reached out to us for a power solution to help their productions, we were more than happy to donate gear. They recently used the PowerBase 70 for their Canon XH-G1 for one of their biggest broadcasts which is at the Minnesota State Fair. The show is interactive where the patients get to call the crew at the fair live and tell them where they’d like them to go. Their goal is to give the patients and families an opportunity to experience the fair without actually leaving their hospital room. The crew completes the requests of the kids by doing activities such as seeing the baby animals or going on the “Giant Slide,” which are a couple of the most popular requests.

With the PB70 battery this year, they were able to move their production more efficiently throughout the fair. By having a smaller and wireless setup, it allowed them to make their way through large crowds and go on rides such as the “Giant Slide” and ferris wheel which they weren’t able to do in the past.

Now that their yearly broadcast of the fair is complete, they will continue producing content and live shows on their in-house channel, as well as film and edit a variety from promotional videos for fundraisers to clinical content, all to support the hospital.

Check out the broadcast from the fair here and the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota site here.

Zeke Kamm, successful filmmaker and storyteller, realized one day that there wasn’t a place on the web where you can get a general overview on why one would use a particular type of gear over another for certain situations. This led him to producing Gear Dictionary, a web series of educational gear videos for both beginner and working filmmakers to describe and explain the characteristics and use of certain production gear. He mentioned they’re not gear reviews or “how to” videos, but more of explanation videos. The first season contained an episode for each of the following categories: gimbals, microphones, camera rigs, lens filters, light modifiers, and cine lenses.

For the production, mainly shot in Zeke’s studio, Hypercore battery packs powered their rig with a power splitter sending power out to their Panasonic  Lumix DMC-GH4, Atomos Shogun monitor/recorder, and audio recorder all at the same time. One Hypercore-98S provided them long lasting power all day long. Hypercore also powered their Zylight F8-100 LED Fresnels. With that highly efficient LED set at around 3% of max, one Hypercore 98wh battery lasted many days of shooting which Zeke said “was quite a treat!”

The use of Hypercore batteries benefits Zeke’s productions because he always knows how much power they have on each pack with the large LCD power gauge and pro level cells, he doesn’t have to worry. He added, “When you are a traveling/location filmmaker power is constant concern. It doesn’t matter if you have a $1,000 camera or a $100,000 camera, if your power poops out, you can’t film a thing. High quality batteries are essential.  Also, with all the travel restrictions regarding flying with big batteries it was a huge help that these are sized to hold the most juice possible without getting booted by the airlines.”

The phenomenon of Shark Week on The Discovery Channel is upon us! The annual event is one of the greatest weeks of television. Andy Casagrande, one of the principle cameramen relies on Hypercore battery packs in powering his cameras to acquire the footage for many of the shows aired.  We were lucky enough to get a glimpse into the production out in South Africa.

Andy has always been fascinated by sharks ever since he saw one as a kid, being first exposed to the creatures through television. He ended up moving to South Africa at 22 to join the White Shark Trust as a research cameraman. After a few years he was hired as a professional cameraman for Shark Week. Since then, he’s helped film and produce 33 different Shark Week specials from around the world. He’s been lucky to film a vast array of sharks in almost every ocean on the planet, but his favorite is the Great Whites in South Africa.

In order to get all of the footage needed, Andy always finds himself constantly traveling to different parts of the world; Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and more for weeks at a time. A typical day of filming starts before sunset, prime time to document Great White Sharks hunting seals.  He relies on the Phantom Flex 4K, RED Epics, and GoPro’s to capture the animals in their native habitat. To power those cameras, Andy uses Hypercore-98S with a hotswap adapter plate to make sure he never runs out of power. Once he goes underwater, he needs to make sure he has enough power to never miss a shot. Since he travels all over the world, it’s important to him that the batteries are air-travel friendly, reliable and rugged which are all characteristics of Hypercore 98s.
  

Depending on the Shark Week project, the film crews vary from 3 people to 20 people. Andy prefers to have a “lean and mean” smaller crew to get the most out of his time filming in the field. His ideal crew is one underwater cameraman, one topside cameraman and logger who he refers to as a  “data-monkey.“:)

Even though sharks are dangerous creatures, they are simply just predators trying to survive. Andy has been shark diving for over a decade, both caged and uncaged, and has never been bit by a shark. He stated “sharks are very misunderstood and their bad reputation is unwarranted.” To help inspire people to care more about sharks and their survival, Shark Week is revamping their programming this year to include more science and conservation.

Make sure to tune in when Shark Week starts July 5th on Discovery Channel. We can’t wait!

After the great feedback of the New York Lifestyle Project, we decided to head to the West Coast to feature four professionals throughout the Golden State. Martin Fobes, Michael Sato, Jessica Lopez and Tony DiMaria are giving us an inside look of their busy life on-and-off set with 30 photos in 30 days. We’re only half way through now, but here’s a glimpse of their life and what they’re all up to thus far.

Martin Fobes is a filmer and editor for DC Shoes, who gets to travel all over the world doing what he loves; filming skateboarding, snowboarding and motocross. He is currently working on the Defy Convention video series, but most of their shoots are very short notice so every day he never knows what to expect or where he’ll be going. Although it’s simple for him to film skaters since he’s been doing it his whole life, he mentioned that it can get tricky sometimes because most of the professionals he films land their tricks very quickly. In order for him to get the perfect shot, he has to know exactly how he wants to shoot it on the spot and make sure he’s ready at all times. To help him through his shoots, he uses Hypercore-98S to power his RED, and the TorchLED Bolt 220 to light up his night clips. He loves using Hypercore because they’re lighter than his RED bricks and have the ability to charge his iPhone or GoPro through the USB. He says the Bolt 220 is the perfect camera light for him to shoot skateboarding because you just plug in the D-Tap and go, without having to worry about extra batteries. When he isn’t out filming for DC or editing away at DC headquarters, he’s usually out skating and filming in his free time with friends because he enjoys it so much. He couldn’t be happier by doing what he loves for a living. Take a look at Martin’s Lifestyle Project photos here.

Michael Sato is the owner and Executive Producer of SatoStudios, a Northern California based Production Company. Currently, they’re working on a professional golf reality based television show, and working with Toyota for NASCAR and Blox Evolution car show series. To power through his productions, he uses a PB70 with his Sony a7S. With the stock batteries, he would go through 6-8 batteries for a day of shooting, but with the PB70 he could go more than one day of shooting! Creatively to get an idea of how they want their productions to go, they first brainstorm ideas about what the main keys to the story are and then storyboard their typical shots needed for the video. They then decide which camera fits the job and look at what other accessories they need for camera movement such as a jib, slider, tripod, etc. For Michael and the rest of the crew at SatoStudios, a typical week always varies from traveling out of the country or shooting in their own city. They also try to balance their shooting, editing, marketing, website and social media throughout the week as well no matter where they are. When Michael gets some free time, he spends it all with his three sons golfing or building Honda Ruckus scooters. Check out Michael’s Lifestyle Project photos here.

Jessica Lopez is a union Steadicam Operator with work credits on projects such as Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee with Jerry Seinfeld and a Netflix new original series called Love. To prepare for a production, she looks at the storyboards, script and/or photos, scans the locations to see what she’s up against and speaks to both the Director and DP so they’re all on the same page as to how to execute the shot. She then relays all of the information to her Focus Puller on how she’ll move within the scene. During productions, she benefits by using Hypercore-98AG because of how light they are, and as a Steadicam Operator, she has to maximize any unwanted weight since she’s wearing the entire camera contraption on her body. When Jessica isn’t busy being a Steadicam Operator, she’s out trying to make the world a better place by volunteering her time with camera organizations, homeless shelters, helping with foster kids, recycling and helping clean up her city, as well as staying active by hiking and roller skating. See Jessica’s Lifestyle Project photos here.

Tony Dimaria is a San Diego based Cinematographer, Aerial Specialist, Production Manager for Full Sense Productions and a Director of Photography for travel network, A Wealth of Entertainment (AWE). Tony has at least one battery from every battery series we offer! They make his productions possible by “offering the most power and durability a product can offer while being out in the field.” When he’s tackling a project he usually sizes it up and sets a platform goal, then executes the project in the most effective way to achieve and complete whatever the goal may be. When he’s not out filming, he goes surfboarding, works on his motorcycles or skates around town to find new sites to film. Check out Tony’s Lifestyle Project photos here.

It’s been an amazing last few months and the best time of the year is here, Summer! Summer is always the best for skateboarding because schools are out and we can enjoy skating the school yards all week instead of waiting for the weekends like the rest of the year.

I had the opportunity to work on another video part with one of my close friends and DC Shoes pro, Mikey Taylor. I always get stoked working with Mikey on projects because he’s very professional and puts a lot of trust in me. Anyone that makes videos knows how trust leads to the freedom of creativity and that’s important.

Check out the Mikey Taylor video part introducing his 2nd signature shoe from DC shoes.

A lifestyle project I shot along with Martin Fobes was with the artist known as “Mouse”. Mouse is famous in skateboarding for his art being stenciled on griptape and I’ve seen it all over the world. It was awesome to play with smoke and listen to how creative of a mind Mouse has. Martin did a great job on the edit.

Check out the DC Shoes X Mouse video:

In a crazy turn of events I was asked by DC shoes to come out and shoot a Moto project with a bunch of the biggest pro’s in motorcross. Not only had I never met these guys but, I had zero experience in shooting moto. With no experience I was really excited because I wanted to come out and shoot it in a way I pictured it and was hoping to bring a different look or feel to the video. I was able to shoot a bunch of jumps with a fisheye lens and got lucky none of the guys landed on me – ha! I’m stoked on the way the edit came out by Bobby Sorich. I can’t wait to get back out and shoot more moto. Those guys are awesome!

Check out the DC x Deft Family edit here:

My latest edit released was a concept presented that only few skaters can achieve. “Never Been Done’ is a video starring Chris Cole and he’s performing only tricks that have “Never Been Done”. It’s one of those projects that can be somewhat of a nightmare to work on because of the difficulty, but the payoff has been well worth it.

Check out Chris Cole’s “Never Been Done” for DC Shoes.

It’s going to be an amazing summer, but I’m most excited for the release of a secret edit coming out in August from DC Shoes. We spent 3 weeks in Tahiti shooting non-stop and pulled off something we weren’t sure was even possible. Be on the look out for that and plenty more of my work on the DC Shoes YouTube page and updates from my Instagram

Josh and Jason Diamond, aka The Diamond Brothers, have used Core SWX batteries as their go to power solution for a long time, stating “reliability and functionality are what we look for when we’re choosing new gear.”  When they approached us to see if we’d be interested in sponsoring a project they’re producing called “The Dungeon Master of Bushwick,” (Working Title) we were instantly intrigued to learn more about it and support the production.

Last year was filled with projects and a lot of traveling, but was an amazing year. This year is already gearing up to be another year full of interesting projects and new places to visit. One of the exciting parts about my job is that I get to use the best equipment and film the best skateboarders in the world. In January, I got to travel to the Canary Islands for the Thrasher Skater of the Year trip that will be featured on the Trasher website this month.

I worked on the ‘DC Trase’ video in January. It turned out to be a unique experience for me because it wasn’t the ‘usual’ skate video. We had the opportunity to really play around with colors and use paint as a prop to create something different and outside of the box. After watching the video you’ll understand why were thankful we had a good clean-up crew.

The Nyjah N2, Nyjah Huston’s newest shoe, was released in February by DC shoes. For this video I directed, filmed and edited with the help of DC’s creative department and fellow DC filmer, Massimo Legittimo. We shot 3 different trick styles that reflected the technology of the shoe itself.

In between my traveling and projects for DC Shoes, I have been working on a new website with two of my friends, Jeff Goforth and Mikey Taylor. We presented flyingstrangers.com where I have been able to showcase a different side of my passion for film. I already have a few different videos that I have put together on the website showcasing others following their passions in life.

It is only March, but so much has already happened this year. I have a lot on my schedule already including a video part with Mikey Taylor for his new signature footwear and apparel, my first ever Nascar shoot in Las Vegas, and the annual NAB show where you can see my new Switronix video featuring the Bolt 220. If you see me, come up and say hello.

For more updates follow Chris Ray on Instagram & Twitter.

The Lifestyle Project is kicking off in New York with four creative, talented participants; Stephen Marino, Brandon Cotter, Noel Cordero, and Carl Timpone. All of them are heavily involved in their projects but have taken the time to be part of campaign to give us a glimpse of their life on-and-off set.

   
Stephen Marino is a cinematographer with work credits on projects ranging from Nike, Redbull, Levi’s, and more. Currently, he is working on a short profile piece of an ex-skateboarder (Benny) who recently started to restore cars from the bottom up. Stephen uses the Bolt LED lights (220 and 220R), and the Powerbase70 for his C300 which has proven to stand the test of time, as he rarely steps inside a studio, relying on field location setups, so his equipment has a fair share of abuse dealing with unruly conditions. A regular week of shooting for Stephen consists of being on location at the Car Restorer’s house 2-3 times to grab the footage he needs for the short profile piece.  Some of the highlights so far have been some high-speed driving and sketchy burnouts. When Stephen isn’t working on Benny’s short profile piece, he’s working on three other film projects and in his spare time he works on his own motorcycle projects Discover more about Stephen and his Lifestyle Project here.

Brandon Cotter is a writer, director, editor, and time-lapse photographer. Brandon’s resume includes writing and directing two short films and working with the Timelapse Group on various productions. Recently, Brandon made a time-lapse of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and currently working on a project for a research company. Brandon leverages the brightness of the Bolt LED lights (220 and 220R) for his work.  He said, “I love the bolt because it’s a light weight device that can easily be used as run and gun light, the power of a larger LED light, and the convenience of the remote control function.”  The Bolt lights have dazzled, both with light output and efficiency.  A typical week for Brandon is conversing with contacts and colleagues to follow up on the gigs they agreed upon for the week as well as an office job for 3 days to have a steady stream of income.  He allocates 12 hours a week for writing, to keep him sharp creatively and for upcoming production gigs.  The time spent keeps him fresh so he can deliver his A game for the next project in cue. For most of his gigs he is a project manager, director, cameraman, and every now and again takes a project as AC. Find out more about Brandon and his Lifestyle Project here.

Noel Cordero is managing partner and creative director at the Timelapse Group where he has worked on a New Year’s Eve Time Square time-lapse, a WestHouse Hotel Construction time-lapse, and currently is working on a 5K vertical video project for the Park Central Hotel.  He uses many products including the Bolt (220), Jetpack and Jetpack X, and Powerbase 70s. Although he loves them all, his favorite is the Powerbase 70s because he can shoot a time-lapse for weeks on one charge. Noel is busy every week scheduling photographers for shoots, working with clients, editing, and shooting video. Check out more about Noel and his Lifestyle Project here.

Carl Timpone is a photographer, creative director, and co-owner of the media group, Visual Natives.  On a day to day basis, Carl is working with clients on various different creative projects including logo design to artwork for singer/songwriter’s new albums. Recently, he is working on filming a music video for a country artist, documenting the Ferguson protest in NYC, and model photography for a new social media app. No matter what he is working on, the unifying factor is concept, which is his favorite aspect of the creative process. Carl utilizes our lighting, the Bolt 220R and TL-50NXT, and is very excited to use these tools in his upcoming personal series.  Being a trained photographer, he values the LEDs simplistic design, and portability which can assist in changing the entire mood of an image. Learn more about Carl and his Lifestyle Project here.