Cinematographer and Steadicam camera operator Brant Fagan, SOC, has traveled the
globe, working on countless films, episodic television programmes, commercials and
the occasional live event production. Working his way up through the ranks of the
industry for the past 20 years, he has witnessed much technological change and
evolution. And through it all, he has consistently employed batteries, chargers and
Gold Mounts from Anton/Bauer, part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group.
“Anton/Bauer offers the best power source for motion picture production worldwide,’
says Fagan, who has used ARRI ALEXA digital cinema cameras with Codex RAW
recorders on several recent feature films and commercials. To power his Steadicam,
Fagan runs Anton/Bauer HyTRON 140s, while powering his onboard cameras with
DIONIC HCs. “When we’re not shooting, we dock the batteries and plug the sled into
the Anton/Bauer CA-ARRI CINE VCLX cable. We then have that battery on a sling
hanging off my stand and plugged into “shore power.’ This way, when I need to pick it
up, we just disconnect it and run the batteries onboard,’ he says. “If it weren’t for the
DIONIC HC, I would not be able to power this type of camera on a Steadicam and
have that kind of dependability.’
The DIONIC HC was designed to handle the demands of today’s power-hungry
equipment, utilising advanced lightweight, high-current and high-capacity lithium-ion
cells.
The HyTRON 140 is a high-power NiMH battery system ideally suited to the power
demands of today’s high definition equipment and on-camera lighting systems.
In addition to working on feature films, which have included such hits as Madea’s
Witness Protection, The Other Guys and I Am Legend, Fagan works with leading
consumer brands and networks for commercial production.
“I worked on two large Nike commercials this year, and the convenience and longevity
of Anton/Bauer batteries really came into play,’ he says.
For the commercial titled I Would Run to You, Fagan and his team traveled across the
US, following a long-distance couple who decide to run toward each other from
opposite coasts until they meet up.
“We shot 16-hour days, ultimately producing a complex, two-and-a-half-minute
commercial that was precisely choreographed to the song’s lyrics. We ran the camera,
pre-amps, wireless equipment and monitors all off Anton/Bauer CINE VCLX batteries
and were able to charge the batteries in the vehicles on location.’
Anton/Bauer’s 560Wh CINE VCLX batteries also provide superior run-time and service
life for the power demands of today’s cinema production and lighting equipment. The
safe and high-power-draw performance of the nickel metal hydride (NiMH) cell
technology can also power microwaves, recorders and lighting.
