With a collective 30+ years of production experience between Sam Gyger and Mikko Paillot serving high-profile clients like Discovery Channel, BBC, and Fox, coming together to be co-owners of the first SHOTOVER B1 in the European region was a no brainer.
“We’re always on the lookout for the latest and greatest aerial tech, so when we heard SHOTOVER came out with a smaller 6-axis system, we were immediately interested,” said Sam Gyger, head of Samcam.Film. “The B1 is small, light, perfect for us to push the boundaries in the air or on the ground.”
Utilizing legacy systems in their early careers, Gyger and Paillot both pursued their dreams of filmmaking at an early age.
“It seemed like an impossible dream, but I went and bought a used WesCam very early on in my career,” said Paillot. “I was working as a cameraman for sports and just continued honing my craft, eventually buying a Cineflex and then purchasing my first SHOTOVER.”
Today, as leading filmmakers across Switzerland, France, Spain, and Italy, Gyger and Paillot are excited to enter into a new venture of co-ownership, becoming the first to provide the B1 system for rental in Europe.
“I’ve worked with many other camera systems throughout my career and the B1 is the ideal small gimbal to shoot beyond what has been previously filmed in certain areas and environments,” stated Paillot. “Being able to offer the B1 as an option opens up a plethora of possibilities for our clients.”
The SHOTOVER B1’s size was a major draw for these filmmakers – not only can it be utilized on a host of aircraft, watercraft, and ground vehicles, but it can also be transported with ease to shoots across the world, requiring fewer travel cases than other aerial camera systems on the market.
While many of their upcoming shoots are under tight NDAs, Gyger and Paillot have big plans for the B1, splitting its time between various projects across Europe and beyond.
With regards to what camera and lens combination these owners plan to use, their payload of choice currently is a RED KOMODO with a Canon 25x250mm lens, a combination they look forward to putting to use for aerials, as well as mounted on their custom Audi E-Tron equipped with a MotoCrane remote arm.
“While COVID-19 put many projects on hold, we are excited to have our B1 available to offer as things begin to start up again,” said Gyger. “SHOTOVER continues to innovate and push the boundaries and I am excited that Mikko and myself can now offer the B1 for shoots that may not have worked with larger systems.”
“While the system is small, it does not sacrifice image quality and I look forward to showcasing what it can accomplish for us and our clients,” added Paillot. “I performed the first flight with the B1 and it was really amazing feeling the power of the system behind the joystick.”
Learn More About Samuel Gyger and Samcam.Film
Learn More About Mikko Paillot and 1T2K