For the quirky feature Odd Brodsky, director Cindy Bear and cinematographer Matthew Irving (Waitress, Waiting) wanted a smooth and lyrical feel that harks back to a more classic era of feature films, rather than the reality-show handheld look that is so fashionable right now.
Irving continues: “But we also knew we would be in “run and gun’ mode most of the time, shooting in practical and often cramped, locations. For this reason I decided to shoot the project with the small Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 7D cameras, supported by a robust and compact tripod and fluid head from Sachtler.
Irving called upon his favorite Sachtler, the DV 6 SB, which has been in his arsenal for the last eight years. “It has supported me on many a challenging shoot,’ he adds. “The DV 6 SB provides the versatility and feel of the larger heads I’ve used for many years, shooting 35mm feature films. At the same time it is lightweight enough to hike into a remote park area with the camera and Sachtler slung over my shoulder, in order to grab some beauty shots overlooking Hollywood with minimum crew.’
The Sachtler Speed Balance technology allowed Irving to do fast and precise setups, regardless of the camera configuration. “Whenever I’m using the smaller DSLR cameras, the weight and balance of the rig will change dramatically, depending on whether I’m using a heavy long lens or a compact prime. Often the lens is heavier than the camera body With the Sachtler, I could make changes and balance the rig quickly, without losing precious time.’
The quality of the Sachtler fluid head came in particularly handy during what Irving calls his “lyrical’ dolly shots. Due to size limitations of the practical locations, many of these shots were accomplished on a slider rather than an actual dolly.
“This presented a unique challenge since the camera operator must execute the move at the fluid head instead of relying on a separate dolly grip, while simultaneously panning and tilting to maintain desired composition. The counterbalance settings on the Sachtler and the smooth drag of the fluid head provided the tools we needed to get the shot right every time.’
Odd Brodsky is a quirky comedy about a lovable loser named Audrey Brodsky who quits her steady day job to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming an actress. The film is currently in post-production.
