ikan is proud to present “The Drawing Board,” a new web series for filmmakers. The series showcases new and upcoming products, and demonstrates how they can simplify your workflow and improve the quality of your productions. “The Drawing Board” will cover a vast range of video production tools, including Camera Rigs and Rig Components, LED Studio and ENG/Field Lights and Light Kits, High Definition Studio and Field Monitors, Teleprompters, and general Production Accessories.
Our first episode covers 2 offset solutions designed for use with 15mm rail systems—the Vertical Offset and the Horizontal Offset. Using a camera rig improves stability and provides mounting options for production accessories, such as on-camera lights, audio solutions, a matte box or follow focus, which utilize rail systems or threaded mounting points.
Many cameras, such as DSLRs or the Blackmagic Cinema Camera for example, feature LCD screens directly on the rear of the camera. Seeing the screen well enough to acquire critical focus can make the difference between a good and unusable shot. This can be difficult to achieve if the screen is hard to see, especially in direct sunlight, so many video professionals opt to utilize a loupe or viewfinder. Using a viewfinder with a traditional shoulder rig can be problematic, due to the positioning of the camera’s screen at the center of the rig.
ikan’s 15mm Rod Horizontal Offset gives you the ability to position your camera directly in front of you and in your line of sight, a great way to optimize the functionality and ergonomics of your camera rig. Other production tools, such as a Follow Focus or Matte Box, also need to be positioned precisely in order to function properly.
A follow focus is a control mechanism that allows the operator to be more efficient and precise when pulling focus. The mechanism works through a set of gears on the follow focus that are attached to teeth on the focus ring of the lens. A matte box allows you place filters in front of your lens, to help you achieve the look you are going for. Common filters include Neutral Density and UV filters, Polarizers and Color Filters. Another function of a matte box is to prevent lens flare by blocking lighting sources from glaring directly into your lens.
There are many instances where a matte box or follow focus does not line up with your camera lens, due to added accessories or because cameras and lenses vary greatly in size and shape. The 15mm Rod Vertical Offset gives you the additional latitude needed to make vertical adjustments needed to align your lens with your camera peripherals.
We hope you enjoyed the video. Make sure to catch future episodes of The Drawing Board for more camera tips and first looks at new product releases.