On The Divine Ryans, dop Alwyn Kumst shot with cameras manufactured by Vienna’s Moviecam F.G. Bauer GesmbH, supplied by Toronto’s P.S. Production Services.

‘I was converted to Moviecam around 1995,’ the cameraman states, ‘and I have shot just about everything on Moviecams ever since.’ He points to the cameras’ versatility as their biggest selling point: ‘Two Moviecams can do the work of five cameras [by other manufacturers]. I don’t have to carry a different body for Steadicam, nor to shoot in reverse.’

Moviecam offers the sl model as well as the Compact, which Kumst used on the picture. Despite its name, the Compact is actually the bigger camera, featuring larger displacement style magazines of 500 feet (150 meters) and 1,000 feet (300 meters), although the sl can accommodate the Compact 1,000-foot magazine with an adapter. The upgraded Compact offers additional benefits such as the Moviespeed System, an attachable control unit which allows speed changes during shooting in increments of 0.001 frames per second, from one to 50 fps forward and 12 to 32 fps reverse, with an iris control motor compensating for the change.

The Compact’s Movie Light projects aspect ratios on the ground glass in combinations of all standard formats. Further camera control components include an illuminated on/off switch, incorrect operation or buckle trip warning, forward/reverse display, phase shifter, sync in and out, and a dust-check knob.

Technical specifications

35mm/Super 35 synch-sound film camera with 54mm p.l. lens mount

Movement: dual-pin registration

Filming speeds: 12-32 fps forward crystal on board

Power supply: 24V d.c.

Mirror shutter: mechanically adjustable in-camera off mode to preset angles of 180, 172.8, 144, 120, 90, and 45 degrees

Weight: 27 pounds (12.25 kilograms) [camera body with empty 400-foot (120-meter) Steadicam magazine]

Contacts:

Moviecam F.G. Bauer GesmbH: Tel. 011-43-1-877-69-38; fax: 011-43-1-877-9468-1

P.S. Production Services: Tel. (416) 446-0037; fax: (416) 466-9612; ps@psps.com; www.psps.com