For aerial filming duties on Paramount Animation’s upcoming live-action / animated action feature, Monster Trucks, second unit director Spiro Razatos turned to the SHOTOVER F1 for its flexibility, light weight and ease of use. “The F1 is perfectly tailored to support a demanding shooting schedule, allowing us to capture jaw dropping images from a variety of camera and lens configurations more quickly and efficiently than ever before,” said Spiro Razatos.
Known in Hollywood for creating explosive action sequences with a distinct energy, Spiro Razatos was able to achieve his signature look thanks to the SHOTOVER F1’s fast 90 degrees-per-second pan and tilt rate. This capability, along with the F1’s unique look-down functionality, allowed Spiro to keep up with the fast cars being filmed, without the weight, time and expense associated with traditional legacy systems.
To shoot the aerial sequences on Monster Trucks, Spiro Razatos equipped the F1 with Epic’s 6K RED DRAGON® camera, paired with the Angenieux 15-40mm, Alura 17-85mm and Angenieux 25-250mm lenses. Even shooting in ultra high-resolution 6K, a format that provides more native latitude and image density than even 35mm film, the F1 was able to deliver phenomenally steady images thanks to its powerful 6-axis stabilization technology. An AS350 B3 helicopter served as the shooting platform for the F1.
Fred North (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Inception) was the pilot and Steve Koster (Transcendence, The Dark Knight Rises) was the aerial DP for the shoot, which took place in the Abbotsford (south of Vancouver) and Kamloops areas of Canada.