As an Official Provider of Sundance Institute, the Vitec Group supplied mobile power and camera support systems from four of its industry-leading brands — Anton/Bauer, OConnor, Sachtler, and Vinten — for the 2017 Sundance Institute Directors Lab last year, marking several consecutive years of Vitec Group support for this important filmmaking event.
Thirteen new independent feature projects from Cuba, Chile, Kenya, the U.K., and the U.S. were selected for the 2017 Directors Lab, held at Sundance Mountain Resort in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. Under the leadership of Sundance Institute Feature Film Program’s Founding Director Michelle Satter, the Labs offer filmmakers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to incubate their most audacious ideas in a nurturing environment. At the Directors Lab, filmmakers rehearsed, shot, and edited key scenes from their scripts, working closely with creative advisors, actors, and production crews in an immersive and practical process that drives creative growth.
“Our Directors Lab brings together a community of artists from the U.S. and around the world to learn, discover, and take risks in a pure workshop environment. These 13 artist-driven projects will advance through our year-round support system, with the June Lab as a centerpiece of our program,” said Ian Calderon, Senior Advisor, Digital Initiatives, Sundance Institute Directors Lab. “Every year, we rely on industry leaders like the Vitec Group to support this valuable program, and the equipment from the Vitec Group brands allows our participating directors to work with the absolute state of the art in gear.”
The Vitec Group’s Anton/Bauer brand supplied a range of mobile power solutions including 21 Digital G90 14.4-volt, lithium-ion batteries; five LP4 Quad Gold Mount chargers; and other cables and accessories. In addition, OConnor provided two 1030DS camera heads and two 30L tripods with midlevel spreaders, Sachtler supplied two each of its System 18 S2 ENG 2 and System 7+7 ENG 2 CF camera fluid-head and tripod combos, and Vinten offered a Vision 100 camera fluid head and tripod system with ground spreader.
Camera Assistant Chris Crisenbery, who served with the directors and participants of the Directors Lab, commented, “One of a camera assistant’s top priorities is keeping the camera safe and secure throughout a variety of camera setups — and the staple of this is a solid and reliable fluid tripod head. Working with the Vinten tripod system was a fantastic experience that gave me peace of mind, knowing that the camera was in no danger. The Vision 100 head was quick and simple to balance, providing our operator with an effective tool to pan and tilt smoothly to capture the desired frame.”
“The Lab Program is at the center of Sundance Institute’s year-round support for independent artists and the independent film movement,” said ErinRose Widner, Channel Marketing Director, Americas, Vitec Group. “The Institute’s dedication to these artists has the potential for far-reaching creative and cultural impact; therefore, it’s precisely the type of effort that we at the Vitec Group are committed to supporting.”
