Delivering in all conditions with a Petrol Bags raincover

Raymond Burns

Author: Raymond Burns

Published 1st May 2013

Autumn in the Czech Republic is damp and foggy, and the higher the altitude, the more piercing and rainy the climate becomes. At an old, remote mill 40 km (25 miles) away from Prague, sludge and mud are everywhere while moisture penetrates the bones. These are the filming conditions on the main set of the psychological thriller Cold Sunday. The other shooting locations on the Elbe, st nad Labem and Dn, also have dreary weather conditions with an average of 14 days of rain per month. It is the perfect atmosphere for the film by director Ivan Pokorny – but also poses great danger for director of photography Armin Dierolf's equipment. For this reason, he protects his PS-Cam X35 with the PR425 rain cover from the Deca product line by Petrol Bags, part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company.

Resistant against rain and splashing water

The filming of Cold Sunday was threatening for the central character, played by new talent Adla Petrekova, as well as for the camera: "We had to compete with high humidity and thick fog. That's why the Petrol Bags rain cover was in constant use. It has a special water-proof zipper on the viewfinder protector with which the cover can be almost completely sealed. With this feature, rain and splashing water are no problem. We were even able to cope with very windy trips with the jeep in the rain – the hotshoe connection on the rigid front hood section enables the one-piece cover to be securely stabilized on the camera,\" explains German director of photography Armin Dierolf.

Quick access and a clear view

Cold Sunday takes place on one cold, damp day during the Czech fall season. A dark and threatening atmosphere defines the film. Only 16 days were planned for the filming of the thriller; that's why the equipment had to function perfectly and withstand adverse conditions. The water-proof nylon of the rain cover protects large full-format cameras from moisture penetration – and does so without putting restrictions on the camera operator. "I especially like that the rain cover by Petrol Bags is almost completely transparent; this way it is suitable for all cameras and their accessories / monitors / etc. The camera doesn't disappear in the bag. It is still visible with all of its displays,\" says Dierolf while explaining the advantages of the rain cover. The sophisticated one-piece design with transparent polyurethane provides Dierolf with especially quick and comfortable access to all of the camera functions and optimal visibility. For example, the tally light is always clearly recognizable on the front side of the cover in thick fog and constant rain. On the upper part of the cover, there is also a 15 cm (6 in) long track made of polypropylene on which a camera light, for example, can be mounted when wet weather is combined with darkness.

Successfully withstand the weather with the Petrol Bags rain cover

The exciting cat-and-mouse game between protagonist Dora, her boyfriend Richard (Krystof Rimsky), and the stranger Adam (Robert Jaskow) revolves around secrets and mistrust and offers everything a thriller needs to keep the audience at the edge of their seats, including pursuit and fight scenes, and the police – not least because of the frightening atmosphere of the film locations. Thanks to the Deca rain cover, Dierolf was able to limitlessly utilize the natural atmospheric elements of the surroundings such as fog, cold, and rain without endangering his camera.

For more information, go to www.petrolbags.com

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