Broadcast News

Bookmark and Share
17/02/2012

Perkal Chooses OConnor For The Vampire Diaries

When cinematographer Dave Perkal signed on for the new season of the highly unusual series The Vampire Diaries, he made sure his camera package included 2575 heads from OConnor.
"I’ve used OConnor on every production I have been involved in from the time I was a loader, assistant and operator. Now that I’m a DP, they are on my camera order every time. Leaving OConnor off would be like forgetting to order tripods," he explains.
"Our show is a bit different from your normal television episodic," Perkal notes.
"We opt for the more cinematic approach in our visual dialectic. We strive for big screen wide cinematic masters, the kind that evoke a gothic renaissance painterly style and juxtapose those with crushing 290mm close ups. There is no middle ground. The perspective is also very voyeuristic, moving through the foreground and creating off-axis shots to keep you wanting to see more. We move characters in and out of darkness to create mystery and suspense. What you see is as important as what you don’t see."
To do this, Perkal shoots with a camera package that includes three Alexas, two Angenieux 12:1s and a set of Master Primes.
"And, two OConnor 2575s," he adds. "Our Alexa camera with the Angenieux 12:1 and accessories weighs close to 80 pounds. The OConnor balances the load and delivers the precision and subtle smooth feel I’ve come to expect.
"We often use the OConnor heads to vamp move our actors with blistering whip pan speed,” he adds. "We look straight down into the sets and then whip pan high up into the corners. There are also times when we need to be at 290mm and have the precision and control of a gear head but maintain the versatility and freedom of a fluid head. OConnor gives that to me every time."
The flagship of the OConnor Ultimate range of fluid heads, the 2575 series is specifically designed to provide ultimate control and stability for film style shooting with popular digital cinematography cameras. Operators appreciate OConnor's stepless, ultra-smooth pan & tilt fluid drag and patented sinusoidal counterbalance system for true, accurate balance at any point in the tilt range. The 2575D is currently delivering.
Now in its third season, The Vampire Diaries airs on The CW Network.
(LB)
VMI.TV Ltd

Top Related Stories
Click here for the latest broadcast news stories.

31/10/2024
Ikegami's UHL-X40 Ultra-Compact Camera To Debut At Inter BEE 2024
Ikegami's UHL-X40 Ultra-Compact camera, IPX-100 IP gateway and OCP-500 camera control unit will make their Japanese market debut at Inter BEE 2024, Ma
12/09/2019
OConnor Launches Innovative Camera Support System
OConnor has unveiled a new camera support system that combines the precision and versatility of the company's fluid heads with the unique speed of flo
23/05/2011
Rawson Gears Up For New Season Of Cougar Town With OConnor
Vitec Group OConnor has announced that cinematographer Andrew Rawson has chosen their 2575 head for the new season of the ABC series Cougar Town. "I'v
25/01/2010
New Camera Accessory Line For OConnor
A pioneering fluid head innovator, as part of the Vitec Group brand, is pleased to introduce a new line of professional camera accessories engineered
30/05/2024
SMPTE RIS-OSVP Camera And Lens Metadata Committee Conduct Study
SMPTE®, the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, and members of its Rapid Industry Solutions, On-Set Virtual Production (RIS-OSV
29/05/2024
Alibaba Cloud Tests Its AI-Enhanced Multi-Camera Replay Service
Alibaba Cloud in partnership with Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) has tested its latest AI-enhanced multi-camera replay service at the Olympic Qua
16/06/2015
OConnor Introduces New 2560 Ultimate Fluid Head
OConnor, a Vitec Group brand and premier provider of fluid heads, tripods and camera accessories for film and television production, has announced the
11/08/2011
New Ultimate 1030D And 1030Ds Fluid Heads Hit Europe
Now cine professionals can seamlessly go between larger and smaller payloads while retaining the OConnor feel, interface and experience. OConnor, a Vi
15/03/2013
OConnor Announces Blackmagic Compatability
OConnor has announced the compatibility of its family of lens controls and camera accessories with the Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera. Each of the OC
18/04/2013
O'Connor Supports ARRI Cameras On 'Bones'
Cinematographer Gordon Lonsdale, cameraman on long-running Fox detective series bones, credits OConnor support for allowing his operators to work free
23/04/2013
OConnor Supports Sony 4K Cameras
Long-time cine equipment leader OConnor, part of Vitec Videocom, is meeting the challenges of support and lens accessories for Sony’s F5 and F55 4K ca
06/05/2011
Schmidt Chooses OConnor For The Mechanic
Vitec Group brand OConnor has announced that cinematographer Eric Schmidt chose the OConnor 2575 to support The Mechanic, directed by Simon West. This
30/05/2003
OpTex appointed as OConnor distributor
Following the acquisition of OConnor Engineering by Sachtler, OpTex are now UK Authorised Distributor and Service Centre for all OConnor Fluid Heads a
15/10/2013
OConnor Captures The Cow...
OConnor has released news of a new commercial spot for fast-food southeast-based company Backyard Burger, produced by director and cinematographer Jon
02/06/2023
Wooden Camera Launches New Elite Accessory Camera System
Wooden Camera has announced the new Elite Accessory System for ARRI ALEXA 35: a series of camera cage components designed to provide a flexible, full-