Director David Applebee and cinematographer Colin Trenbeath covered 11 US cities in 30 days to capture interviews with some of today’s most inspiring innovators for their film The Limitless Generation – a look at the movers and shakers of Generation Y, which distills the essence of the Millennial generation’s search for value and success.
The team’s interview schedule got quite hectic, with locations changing constantly. “Rental cars, cabbies, and subways,” says Trenbeath. “And, you can also wind up being on your feet a lot to get somewhere new. There’s never a good place to park and it takes a good amount of cunning to fit three people and equipment into transportation and relocate quickly. Looking back, and thinking about having to travel with anything heavier or larger, I don’t think we would have made our days without the Sachtler Ace L and M and one extended bridge plate.”
“We needed systems that would be both lightweight and extremely transportable, but also capable of supporting four different cameras (Canons and Reds), he says.
“Sachtler has always made quality products in my opinion,” Trenbeath adds. “The Ace systems were exactly what I was looking for – two tripods that can handle anything from my minimal SLR rigs up to fully built C300 and Red studio rigs. The tripods were small and lightweight enough for vehicle transportation or on my back where I could sling my fully built camera over my shoulder and get to the action fast. The Ace L and Ace M constantly exceeded my expectations for such compact and lightweight systems.”
“Traveling with 600 pounds of gear in places like midtown New York is no joke,” says Applebee. “Three crew members and no private vehicle. Day one we impressed a local cab driver by fitting everything, including our three giant suitcases, into the back of his car. Given these tripods’ low profile and light weight we were able to smoothly maneuver through cross-town interviews without missing a beat.”
The mobility of the Ace line was a big factor for the team. “I can’t count how many times their size and form factor saved us time/money/and headaches when at the airport,” adds Trenbeath. “When collapsed, these systems are so small and compact, I was able to fit the L and M, six light stands, and a Kessler Cine Slider all inside one checkable golf bag. And, when we arrived at our locations, or were out on a quick day shoot, I could quite easily strap one of these to my backpack and hardly notice a difference in weight all day. The glass I was hauling weighed more than one of the tripods.”
Applebee and Trenbeath recently wrapped principle photography and have started post-production. They plan on taking the film back to the 11 cities for private events and screenings in association with local organizations that Applebee says “foster innovation among Millennials.” It is their hope to take the project through the festival circuit in 2015.
The Limitless Generation www.limitlessgeneration.com
Sachtler www.sachtler.com