LONDON, APRIL 2, 2012—Director of Photography Robert Shacklady has worked his way up in the industry—from camera clapper loader and focus puller—to his current role as a DP with a slew of films and commercials under his belt. So when it came to making an investment in powering his new ARRI ALEXA cameras, he selected CINE VCLX/2 and DIONIC HC batteries from Anton/Bauer, part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company and a premier global provider of batteries, chargers, lighting and other mobile power systems for the professional broadcast, video and film industries. This way his gear continues to grow alongside his career.
“I work closely with ARRI Media, a hire company here in the UK,” says Shacklady, whose previous roster of projects includes those for Sony, LG, Guinness and more. “One of the main reasons I chose Anton/Bauer batteries to power the ALEXA was because ARRI Media did their research into which batteries were the best to power the ALEXA and if a big camera hire company like ARRI Media was going to invest in a particular battery, I knew it would make sense to follow their lead.”
Shacklady has worked on many commercials, dramas, corporate videos and short films in his day, and recently, he shot a Citroen commercial campaign using the ARRI ALEXA and Anton/Bauer combination. “What’s great about them is the sized power of the batteries,” he says. “The DIONIC HC is very small but extremely powerful.” Anton/Bauer’s DIONIC HC provides 91Wh and can operate a 40-watt HD camera for over two hours. Transported as carry-on luggage without restrictions, the DIONIC HC incorporates a special honeycomb design to protect cells and is the perfect lightweight battery for shooting on location* anywhere in the world.
“I’ve also got the QR-HOTSWAP AR dual-battery Gold Mount,” says Shacklady. When operating the power-hungry ARRI ALEXA, the QR-HOTSWAP Gold Mount allows for two DIONIC HC or DIONIC HCX high-current batteries to seamlessly hot swap. “I can hot swap batteries off the back of the camera, which is very useful and the QR-HOTSWAP displays the combined batteries’ remaining run-time right in the camera viewfinder. In addition, the brains behind the battery management systems have really impressed me. When you plug your batteries into the TM4, the charger knows how much charge to put in, how quickly to put it in and all that sort of stuff.”
When it comes to using the CINE VCLX/2, Shacklady appreciates Anton/Bauer’s acknowledgement of how professionals are using the gear in real-world applications. “I selected the CINE VCLX/2 batteries primarily because of how they fit in the Fisher Dolly, which is my preferred dolly. I’m so pleased to see that somebody at Anton/Bauer actually looks at how these batteries are being used—they’ve made the dimensions to the right size,” he says.
The CINE power system provides ultimate power performance, extended run-times and flexibility. Ideal for remote locations, CINE VCLX batteries are used in the world of film and digital cinema on cameras such as ALEXA, RED ONE, EPIC and SCARLET. The CINE VCLX/2 is powerful enough to run an ARRI ALEXA for more than two hours. The safe and high-power-draw performance of the nickel metal hydride cell technology can also power microwaves, recorders and lighting, including HMIs and the Litepanels 1x1 LED panels. The CINE VCLX/2 includes (one) 4-pin XLR for 14.4V and (one) 3-pin XLR for 28V and provides dual simultaneous outputs (10 amps at 14.4v; 12 amps at 28v). “I also really like the rubber housing around the battery. If you’re in very cold or damp conditions, it still keeps the battery itself slightly off the floor,” says Shacklady.
What’s more, Shacklady appreciates the on/off button on the CINE VCLX/2. “Because of the electronics in them, it just switches off so once they’ve been charged I can turn the power off and I can house them for as long as I’d like and know that once I go to use them—whether it’s a couple of days later or a couple of weeks later—it’s got a full charge, which is very useful.
“With other hire companies also using Anton/Bauer batteries, I feel confident that if I rent cameras or other equipment from them that my batteries will work with their equipment and vice-versa,” says Shacklady. “What also has been really good is working directly with Martyn Sly-Jex [Manager, EMEA]. I met him at a tradeshow in London and he’s been just really helpful, actually, in many ways, especially when it came to choosing batteries. It’s nice to know that if a problem does occur, it will get resolved very quickly and backup is there from Anton/Bauer’s customer support.”
For more information, visit www.robertshacklady.com.
*For more information about Li-Ion travel, refer to www.antonbauer.com.
About Anton/Bauer
Anton/Bauer is recognized as the world’s innovator and a premier provider of batteries, chargers, lighting and other key mobile power systems for the professional broadcast, video and film industries. Based in the United States in Shelton, CT with offices in Europe and Asia, Anton/Bauer was established in 1970 and has expanded its product offerings to include many signature lines such as its leading Gold Mount system, InterActive chargers and Logic Series batteries such as the HyTRON 50, 100 and 140, and DIONIC 90, 160, HC and HCX. Their products are compatible with every camera brand on the market today. Other Anton/Bauer high performance products include the Ultralight 2, ElipZ, CINE VCLX and the Tandem 150 Modular Charging System. Their superior-quality products have become an industry standard. For more information on Anton/Bauer, visit www.antonbauer.com.
About Vitec Videocom
Vitec Videocom brings together some of the most respected, most innovative and most sought-after brands in the industry: Anton/Bauer, Autoscript, Litepanels, OConnor, Petrol, Sachtler, Vinten and Vinten Radamec. It acts as an endorsing brand for these market-leading broadcast, film and pro video products, encouraging multi-brand system sales and simplifying the way that customers worldwide do business.
Vitec Videocom is an operating division within the Vitec Group, an international business serving customers in the broadcast, photographic and military aerospace and government markets. Vitec is based on strong, well known, premium brands on which its customers rely on worldwide.
Vitec Videocom - innovative products around the camera.
