Behind the Scenes with Motion24 and the MoVi Pro Gimbal System

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We go behind the scenes with Craig Porter, James Davis and Ben Mitchell of Motion24, to find out more about the MoVi Pro Gimbal System.

How did you shoot the Mazda advert?
 
The Production Company was Chips films and  a co-director team of Jonathan Brooks & Mat Laroche. James Davis of Motion24 was the operator on the job - it is a ONE take shot. No cuts. No drones. Our bespoke MoVi Pro Gimbal on a tracking vehicle. We shot all day in April in the Scottish highlands, waiting for rain to die down.
 
 
 
What is the MoVi system and where does it fit between other gimbal based camera set ups. 
 
The MoVi Pro is currently the best gimbal available on the market for small to medium size camera packages. Having invested into the MoVi ethos from day one, we feel that everything to do with Freefly and their gimbals out performs all other similar gimbals out there. The MoVi Pro sits in a league of its own when it comes to versatility and being an efficient system to work with on set, with our many unique modifications working with a Motion24 Custom MOVI rig opens up new possibilities in camera movement. The camera is not an integral part of our set up and we can work with many cameras ranging from Red to Arri to Sony etc...
 

What does it allow you to do that other systems don't? 

Freefly have gone to great lengths to create a system that is fast and reliable to work with on set, with proper weatherproofed/waterproofed electronics, long range remote control options and hot swappable batteries that let you leave the rig/camera/accessories powered up and ready to use all day.
 
Putting aside all the great factory features that Freefly have created, we have also taken great care to perform many of our own customisations and even developing our own range of MOVI components/products to further improve the options available from the superb system. 
 
Our Rigs are so heavily customised to improve their performance and capabilities as a creative tool that they are almost unrecognisable when put next to a standard MOVI Pro rig, highlights from the many features of our custom rigs include:
 
An "On-Shot" pivoting monitor amount system which allows you to seamlessly perform low to height lens height changes during a shot whilst framing accurately.
 
A quick-change top handle system that lets you seamlessly switch between hand-held/supported/shotdock shooting modes in just a few seconds.
 
A quick-change handheld/studio kit that lets you move from the MOVI to handheld/studio mode in under a minute* (with most typical camera builds*)
 

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There were some reported technical issues with early versions of MoVi rigs when they first emerged on the market, what would you say to producers who are thinking about using the rig today?

We feel that unfortunately what happened with the MOVI in it's early days was that it was a very misunderstood piece of technology, just like other technological advancements that have come before it in this industry there are always teething problems in the early days.
 
Motion24 have been at the forefront of pushing this type of equipment to it's absolute limits, finding those limits, finding ways to push them even further and then developing/redesigning the equipment to improve upon it.
 
As a company, a group of skilled technicians, but first and foremost a collective of experienced camera crew....we are confident that with Motion24 you are getting equipment packages furnished with the best off the shelf/custom components available, but more importantly skilled technicians and operators who are used to working in complex and demanding environments all over the world.
 

When did you set up M24 and where are you based? 
 
Motion24 is based in central London with its offices in Old Street. We believe having a central presence in one of the busiest cities in the world for feature films, TV drama and commercial filming puts us as the forefront for providing the best service possible 24 hours a day. Motion24 has officially been functioning as a company for just over a year now, however our involvement with the MoVi and initial development phase of our custom rigs began almost 3 years ago.

What do you see as the future of the MoVi system? 
 
The future of the MoVi ecosystem is constantly evolving. Be it with the MoVi Pro or the newest member the MoVi XL, the first question now isn't what you cant do with it, it is always what you can and want to do with it, we are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to move the camera, even developing our own products to do so when existing equipment falls short.
 
 

Motion24 Robots Replace Teachers Behind The Scenes from Motion24_tv on Vimeo.

 

Vist the Motion24 website: https://www.motion24.tv