When faced with the task of recreating writer and director Kanen Flowers’ cyber-
punk superhero world on screen for the upcoming all-digital indie film Hero Punk,
cinematographer Ferguson Sauve-Rogan knew he would need a lot of peripherals to
power up his rig.
That’s why Sauve-Rogan relies on portable power solutions from Anton/Bauer®, part
of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company and a premier global provider of batteries,
chargers and other mobile power systems for the professional broadcast, video, film
and healthcare technology industries.
Hero Punk, a soon-to-be released independent feature film from Flowers (produced
by Scruffy.TV), is a futuristic sci-fi thriller that takes place in the year 2042 and tells
the story of a dystopian society in which authorities look to eliminate people with
mutant powers.
More than half of the film is being shot on a 335m green screen and the director
heavily relies on post-production VFX tools to bring the complex digital world to life.
During filming, Sauve-Rogan selected several Anton/Bauer DIONIC® 90 batteries, as
well as a few Gold Mount® solutions, to power the three monitors and Zacuto Z-
Finder EVF that accompany the Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera he is using for
production. Rogan’s kit also includes RED EPIC cameras, Canon DSLRs and 35mm film.
“Sure, we could run cable, but there are so many already in the studio that I don’t
want to add the cable clutter on the floor,’ says Sauve-Rogan. “I have recently
been finding myself shooting more on the Blackmagic Digital Cinema Camera, which
has an internal battery that can’t be removed.
“Since it has a shorter life span than what I require, this forces me to go after a
more professional battery solution. On Hero Punk, the Anton/Bauer DIONIC 90
batteries allow me to power a ridiculous amount of accessories on my camera so that
the director and his staff can have a video village,’
Sauve-Rogan first discovered the Anton/Bauer solution several months prior to
production while working on another on-going project, Our Happy Apocalypse (OHA),
a sci-fi web series. On that set, his crew shoots in some remote locations where it is
often difficult to find power. This mandates that the crew bring along its own reliable
power sources for the cameras and lights.
“Believe it or not, I only bring two DIONIC 90s with me when I shoot somewhere on
location for OHA; they last us all day,’ says Sauve-Rogan. “I have yet to kill a
battery. I just change them casually at lunch time. I can supply all of my gear with
what I need, and I don’t panic about not being near a wall charger. Plus, since I’m
now free to move about, I can keep the camera package small and portable, so we
can move several times in one day.’
He adds: “We’re going to have many more crazy back-to-back travel days coming up
for OHA and the Anton/Bauer solution is going to save me a huge headache. Long-
lasting and portability were two big perks that really allowed me to realise the power
and benefits of the brand.’
Anton/Bauer designed its DIONIC 90 so that it would deliver consistently reliable
performance even in the most challenging, fast-paced shooting environments. It
offers a RealTime® display that continually updates the operator on remaining run-
time and the state of the current charge.
Weighing only 800 grams, the DIONIC 90 can be transported without restrictions
under the IATA and DOT safety regulations. The 95Wh battery can handle a
maximum load of six amps, and offers run times ranging from six hours at 15W to 1.75
hours at 50W.
“I never used to pay too much attention to my power solution,’ adds Sauve-Rogan.
“But then I began to notice that my RED EPIC kits usually came with V-mounts when
I rented them. I found myself constantly getting annoyed when they would get
loose. On all the broadcast work I’ve done, we’ve always had Anton/Bauer on the
back with the company’s Gold Mount, and it just feels more solid.
“It doesn’t move at all while we’re operating. I started requesting Gold Mounts and
DIONIC 90s almost a year ago and I’ve been a fan ever since. When it comes to
power, you really can’t cut corners. It needs to be top notch because if your camera
dies, productions, such as Hero Punk and Our Happy Apocalypse, will come to a
grinding halt,’ he concludes.
