American Cinematographer - September 2007 - 90

New Products & Services
borg sought to create a product that would incorporate all video and motionpicture elements into one unit and ended up developing a support system that has at its core a modular, customizable design. In its most primitive form, the Ugrip is a baseplate, one or two arms, and one or two handgrips. Even with this basic setup, multiple configurations are possible, allowing the operator a number of shooting options. Assembly and reconfiguration of the Ugrip is simple thanks to the exclusive use of a 4mm hex bolt for every joint and fastener except one: the baseplate, which can accept either a 1⁄4" or a 3⁄4" screw, requires a wide flathead. Faster than you can say “Picture’s up!” the ergonomic, foam-padded handgrips can be flipped upside down, shortened, extended and rotated in any position. The Ugrip’s flexibility means it’s compatible with a range of cameras, from consumer-level camcorders like the Sony PC350 to prosumer cameras like the Panasonic HVX200, all the way up to the Arri 435. (A list of compatible cameras is available at the Ugrip Web site.) Conversely, the hex-bolt method of customization also lends a certain amount of unreliability to the Ugrip when dealing with heavier loads. In the field, a JVC GY-HD100 weighs about 20 pounds when equipped with a mattebox, rod support, follow focus, V-mount battery and Firestore drive. After about an hour of running around, the grips and the arms began to loosen on their own, even after a strong tightening with the hex wrench. For practical purposes, the Ugrip might work much better with smaller prosumer cameras than larger cameras. In all of the Ugrip’s assembly documentation, an HVX200 is shown, and cinematographer Marcel Zyskind’s endorsement refers to his experience using the Ugrip in conjunction with the Panasonic DVX100. (However, he made use of a similar setup with the Arri 235 while shooting A Mighty Heart.) Concerning the Ugrip’s compatibility with larger cameras (i.e., 16mm, 35mm and hi-def video), despite the system’s inherent flexibility, the grip arms’ short reach could make for a slightly constricting experience, depending on the distance of the camera’s baseplate mount from the shoulder rest. The only way to be sure of this is to field-test the Ugrip before making it part of your camera kit. There are three price-point levels: Koral, Pearl and Diamond; the latter is the most complex and expensive (list price: $1,837). But at any level, you really get what you pay for: the Ugrip is rugged and elegantly conceived. Advanced packages include stackable slots for a Firestore drive or video and audio transmitters, a heavy-duty clamp for onboard lighting and mounting the Ugrip from the top of the camera, and a zoom mount for Bebob’s custom Ugrip zoom controller. For more information, visit www.ugrip.dk. A&I Photographic Offering Motion-Picture Stock for Stills by Iain Stasukevich For more than 20 years, RGB Color Labs in Hollywood was the place student and professional cinematographers went to when they wanted to develop still photos shot with motionpicture film. But RGB went out of business in 2005, leaving Los Angeles-area directors of photography no other local options to do still-camera emulsion testing. (Taking wedges down to the local one-hour is out of the question.) Cinema stocks use a process called ECN-2 to develop the negative, while the more common C-41 process is used for most still photography. The big

Ugrip’s camerasupport system can be configured in a multitude of ways for a variety of cameras.

U-Configure Ugrip by Iain Stasukevich The Danish company Ugrip presented its self-titled flagship product at the 2007 National Association of Broadcasters show, touting it as “a unique and indispensable camerasupport system developed by photographers, for photographers, to make handheld shooting more flexible, stable and comfortable.” Ugrip R&D Manager Lars Malm-

90 September 2007

http://www.ugrip.dk

American Cinematographer - September 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - September 2007