Miller Camera Supports Young Camera Operator

When 18-year-old high school student Nate Ilardi was looking to kick start his career and gain more traction as an up-and-coming camera operator, he reached out to Miller Camera Support to help him take a smooth pivot into the professional world of cinematography.

The company donated one of its DS10 Solo Carbon Fiber Tripod Systems to Ilardi for use on his latest venture with the skate shop THE BOARDR, capturing footage of a national six-stop amateur skateboarding series, culminating at the X Games in Austin, Texas.

"Ilardi is a driven young man, eager to advance in this industry and gain as much hands-on experience as possible, which includes learning how to work with professional-grade camera support equipment," says Gus Harilaou, Miller regional manager for the Americas. "When he approached us for advice and support, we were happy to provide him with a DS10 so that he could continue his education in learning how to operate heavy duty tripod systems to creatively capture content out in the field."

Ilardi first developed an interest in filming skateboarding series when he was eight years old.

"That was when my grandma bought me my first camera, and I started exploring what it meant to be a freelance camera operator," he says. "After years of capturing footage of my brother at skate parks for local sponsors, I created my own media company, Ilardi Media, with the goal to create quality content for my clients."

Currently certified in Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 and Adobe Photoshop CS6, Ilardi continues to expand his platform, traveling with skate shop THE BOARDR to locations across the globe to shoot live footage of skateboarding competitions. He says that the Miller DS10 was essential to him during shooting, as its light weight and versatility allowed him to quickly maneuver his camera to seamlessly follow the skateboarders' sudden and quick movements.

"I am very thankful to Miller for providing me with the opportunity to work with professional camera support equipment," he says. "The tripod's light weight and low spreading ability make shooting hard shots feel easy. The head, in general, just has the right feel, too, and seems smoother to handle than other brands I've worked with. I look forward to continuing to use the DS10 on upcoming projects, as I expand my industry experience."

More of Ilardi's work can be found here.

www.millertripods.com

(JP)