Flying Pictures and the importance of a monitor

Issue 82 - October 2013 Hampshire based filming specialist Flying Pictures is the world leader in the provision of aerial & helicopter filming services for feature films, commercials, television, live broadcast events and surveillance. Based in the UK, the company nevertheless operates worldwide, so if you need something done in the air; they do it professionally, safely, cost effectively and with spectacular results as their work on the Bond movie \'Skyfall\' and the amazing aerial shots at the beginning of \'Prometheus\' testify.
Whilst we all expect a helicopter camera team to sport an extensive inventory of state of the art aerial camera systems, including the latest Cineflex Elite with the Alexa M camera and Canon lenses, the Eclipse¢ (for HD, 35mm and 3D) and Wescam (for 35mm and HD including Alexa, Red and Genesis), there is another single piece of equipment that is vital to the crew in order to film accurately from the skies.
The helicopter pilot is like a precision driver, positioning the craft at exactly the right place and distance from the subject matter. Aerial filming is a team effort and the pilot must know how well he is doing. To this end the teams at Flying Pictures use a Marshall V-LCD70XHB-3G 7 monitor positioned above the instrument panel where the pilot can see the results of the camera shot by way of a live feed. The monitor is attached to the windscreen, usually by way of a Coleman suction mount. Sometimes the shape of the instrument mean the monitor needs to be attached upside down. This is where the Marshall\'s option to flip the image vertically comes in useful.
Newbury based broadcast specialist Cache Media has been supplying Flying Pictures with monitors suitable for use in the demanding conditions and limited space of a helicopter cabin for many years and, with over 100 feature films and numerous television and commercials\' credits to his name, Flying Pictures\' Aerial Director of Photography and Head of camera department, John Marzano (BA Hons. GBCT) explained how he found the perfect monitor for his needs: I needed a lightweight monitor that was small yet rugged and tough and the Marshall 7 monitors seemed to fit the bill. Cache Media supplied our first one some time ago. Since then we have bought many many more. The Marshall V-LCD70XHB-3Gs are neat and compact, they can be flipped to work upside down and they will run off a 12 volt supply. I wanted a good quality image and they provide that along with all the picture formats including 3G.
As well as the pilot being able to monitor the scene he is shooting, the facility for playback means the director can discuss a shot with the pilot and operator and explain any requirement for another shot with a different trajectory. Without it the pilot and director would be reduced to relying on a series of verbal instructions.
The model supplied to Flying Pictures is the Marshall V-LCD70XHB-3GSDI, a high brightness monitor with integrated 3G-SDI loop-through. Major features include cast metal front panel, adjustable backlight and markers, manual gamma adjustment, Image Flip, 1/4"-20 mounting on all sides and a robust power switch. The latest range from Marshall now include HDMI and 3GSDI loop-through and built-in waveform (V-LCD70MD-3G).
Cache Media MD Stuart Cameron added: Like many of our clients, Flying Pictures have very individual needs and our role is more than just a supplier; we strive to provide the advice and technical backup that an operation like theirs needs.
For more than 30 years Flying Pictures has worked on hundreds of films, commercials and TV productions including the recent releases: "World War Z", "Fast & Furious 6", "Star Trek Into Darkness", "Welcome to the Punch\" and "Skyfall". At the time of writing John and his team are in Hong Kong filming a commercial for Nissan and will soon start work on a new Ridley Scott film \'Exodus\'.
Although largely known for helicopter filming work in the UK, Europe and Worldwide, Flying Pictures have year round contracts for live broadcasting of sporting events from airships & lightships. They have provided live broadcast and surveillance from their Top Shot system tethered aerostats for various sporting, musical festivals and Summit Meetings.
Established in 2002, Cache Media is the UK & Ireland distributor of monitors from Marshall Electronics as well as streaming and transcoding products. The head office, test lab, repair centre and warehouse are supported by a dedicated and enthusiastic team located in Newbury, Berkshire.
www.cache-media.com