PACIFIC MOTION CONTROL - Motion Control Camera Systems for Movie and Television Production, Motion Control Rigs, Rentals, 3D MoCo Systems, Cranes, Dollies, MoCo Heads, Commercials and Music Videos, Special Effects, CGI » Television

Super Mario Galaxy 2 for Nintendo Wii Comercial

Garritt — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 23:45:59 +0000

The Graphlite motion control camera crane was recently used to film a commercial for Super Mario Galaxy 2 for the Nintendo Wii. The commercial was filmed on a stage in Mexico, demonstrating that even our largest motion control rig is fully portable. In this case, the Graphlite, Kuper motion control computer system, and track were all packed into cases and flown to Mexico. Multiple setups and motion control passes were used to make it appear as if the actors are in a spherical world, and able to run, jump, and flip like Mario.

First in Motion Control

Garritt — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 23:39:22 +0000

First in Motion Control

Kohler Flipside Handshower Commercial

Garritt — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:43:49 +0000

Pacific Motion Control recently had the opportunity to work on this commercial for the new Kohler Flipside Handshower. A motion control head, motion control model mover, and motion control bogey dolly were used to film the precise, choreographed movements of the shower head. While multiple passes were filmed to give the effect of multiple choreographed shower heads, motion control was also used for the precise camera movements highlighting the single shower head.

Motion control is often the perfect option when steady, precise camera movements are needed, which would be difficult to capture with a handheld camera, or manual dolly or jib. These beauty shots often can be captured in much less time using motion control, and motion control adds the luxury of precise repeatability for multiple takes.

Grainger “Conveyer Belt” and “Hand Delivered” Commercials

Garritt — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 21:29:08 +0000

Grainger “Conveyor Belt” Commercial

Grainger “Hand Delivered” Commercial

At the end of 2009, we had the chance to work on two commercials that were a great example of how motion control can be used. These Grainger spots were filmed two at locations in the Los Angeles area, using the Zebra Motion Control Camera Dolly. Motion Control was used to give the look of continuous motion, and seamless transitions between widely varied locations and sets.

Produced by Kommitted Films
Agency - Two By Four
Director – Nathan McGuinness
Executive Producer – Marc Siegel
Producer – Jodi Fisher
D.P. – Amir Mokri
Motion Control Operator – Mike Leben
Motion Control Tech – Craig Shumard
Motion Control Tech – Garritt Hampton

The Maine “Into Your Arms” Production Featured in American Cinematographer Magazine

Garritt — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:47:13 +0000

In their October 2009 issue, American Cinematographer Magazine featured a three page article on the production of The Maine’s music video for the song “Into Your Arms”. The video was directed by Aaron Platt, produced by Justin Cronkite, and edited by Hank Friedmann. It was shot in one day, at Ontario International Airport. The production used a Red One camera on a motion control dolly provided by Pacific Motion Control, and featured three separate setups with 80′ of track each. Joshua Cushner served as the motion control operator, and Adam Francis and Garritt Hampton were the motion control technicians.

The Maine “Into Your Arms”

The Maine “Into Your Arms” – Behind The Scenes

Read the American Cinematographer article

Visit Aaron Platt’s YouTube Channel

Visit Aaron Platt’s Official Website

Visit The Maine’s Official YouTube Channel

Visit The Maine’s Official Website

New High-Speed Cheetah Motion Control Dolly Gets a Workout on a Samsung/NFL Commercial Shoot

Garritt — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:07:09 +0000

Pacific Motion recently got a call for a fast motion control dolly. That isn’t so extraordinary, but this client wanted to go REALLY fast! They needed a dolly that could track a professional athlete (and not a bowler or golfer), running at full speed. The client had contacted a few other motion control companies and been told to call Pacific Motion. The truth was, that no one had a dolly fast enough to pull off the shot that the client wanted. At the time, even Pacific Motion didn’t have a dolly that was fast enough to do what the client wanted. That’s where the fun started.

At Pacific Motion Control, we pride ourselves on being able to meet clients’ needs, whatever they may be, and this was the perfect opportunity to show our stuff. Within 2 weeks, with the help of Academy award winners, Mike Sorensen (creator of the Zebra, Graphlite, and Gazelle motion control rigs) and Al Miller (Aerohead and Talon Heads), we built and tested The Cheetah. The Cheetah is a gear-driven (for precision and repeatability) motion control dolly, capable of traveling 18 feet per second (and easily pacing a runner), while outfitted with a Pan/Tilt/Roll head and full-size motion picture camera.

We built and tested The Cheetah motion control dolly in our shop, and we were sure that it would meet the client’s requirements, but we were excited to get the dolly on a stage, and test it under real-world circumstances. The first job that The Cheetah went out on required approximately 12 hours of continuous, precision repeat passes, on 100′ of track, at a top speed of 18′ per second. This was a torture test, and The Cheetah performed flawlessly. Throughout the shoot, The Cheetah never malfunctioned. It repeated every move with frame-accurate precision, and accelerated and decelerated even quicker than we expected. The client was thrilled, and so were we.

Check out the final product!

Motion Control Operator – Rob Menapace
Motion Control Tech – Craig Shumard
Second Tech – Garritt Hampton

We look forward to many more FAST shots with The Cheetah. If you need to film a fast-moving motion control shot, call Pacific Motion, at 818-768-1573, and if you need to do something that no one else has ever done, don’t wait, call us now.

Cheetah Dolly Specs