ikan News Blog

Cheers from the NAB show floor!

I wanted to kick this post of with a bang, so here we go. USB & LANC Remote grips are in prototype phase and a blast to work with. They’re compatible with all 1/4″ mounting methods. These videos have no real audio as I was rushed to produce them (meaning they’re innately flawed but have some notable substance)!

As the title of this post suggests, you’ll be able to demo these products at our booth at #nab2012.

USB Remote Grips for Canon DSLRs:

https://vimeo.com/40302607

LANC Remote Grip for Sony and Canon video cameras:

https://vimeo.com/40298963

Now to more goodies. ikan will also be bringing more new support parts and pieces for display and play in our booth. Our software dept. is also demoing new products. Come by our booth to try the items for yourself.

ELITE Remote for ELITE Prompter:

More on the following items in tomorrow’s post (hey, it could happen):

I doubt that I really left you hanging, salivating at the gourd for what lies in wait regarding the AMAZING AND IMPRESSIVE relatively neat and lightweight shoulder-mount rig I ran around with this weekend.

If I did, I apologize. However, I think that it should become a welcome addition to the ELEMENTS EV2 line and is probably the most practical cinema/run-n-gun style rig to date from ikan. We’ve been playing with a few new, simple, manufactured parts lately in CAD and they had finally come in, so I figured it was time to test these puppies elsewhere, in varied contexts.

Here’s the barebone verison, sans peripherals:

You might say, “those are some really mediocre photos! And you know what? You’re right. they have little zazz to them and are designed to give you concept. However, in testing, it’s worth noting a couple of things:

1. the handle bars actually have comfortable grips, with reinforced rubber feet for setting down.
2. they don’t slip and spin anymore around the bar (if you know, you know. rejoice with me!)
3. the cross-bar connectors no longer utilized some wonky 15RDA contraption to change axis.
4. large and small base plates are compatible (ele-lbp and ele-sbp), includes tripod mounting. this means you can use both your dslr and larger form factor camera or camcorder.
5. padded shoulder brace, lightweight and sturdy, designed to place the camera as close to your body’s pivot point as possible (above the shoulder) to reduce rolling shutter on video takes.
6. because of light-weight improvement, less fatigue holding rig up.
7. goes hand-in-hand with your favorite evf or small on camera monitor (I’ve been using the VL5 because of its simplicity and size).
8. room for follow focus and matte box.

This is the part where I’d gush about the real-world application of the rig, event-style. Due to cancellation, however, I didn’t grab my much anticipated video and stills for some wild club event, designed to help pad this post with pictures of pretty people in freaky costumes.

I have another two of these rigs out for evaluation right now. One is being tested with the Scarlet-X in the Big Easy and is due back soon with some footage I’m really curious about seeing. The other is being used to shoot SWAT Team members in training situations, i.e. fast paced and intense. I should be receiving stills and some fancy words from both of these cats in the next week or so before NAB. By that time, I will have a replacement event with my own deets regarding the rig.

It’s been about two months (too long for a successful and effective blogger to remain inactive) but the delay has been worth the while, considering the changes in my life thus far. Working on a feature, running with multiple different cameras, building new rigs, crazy long nights without sleep, and generally pushing the limits. I feel like its been worth every minute of neglect, though what traffic occurs here I do apologize for the absence of voice.

Could I have written on set of DOLL FACTORY, the horror/comedy feature I just AD’ed? Somewhere in those 70+ hour weeks for the last month and a half, I got to put some old skills back into use and rekindle the logic of why I work here at ikan.

To start, without purchasing the C300 for my own personal tests, my connections let me get my grubby little hands on it for a play day  around the office–nothing spectacular, when you’re looking at beige walls–but handy and pleasing, nonetheless. Here we are…c300 on some newfangled rig (that I’ve already outdated but I’ll get to that in a moment).

And yes, these arent professional photos nor was time spent in post but I’d rather give you an idea on form and size, utility–the glamour shots will arrive…sometime. In fact, you may have noticed some of them on our more recent banner ads around the webs. What we did shoot walking around my office and the building in general were mostly low lighting tests, like the lot of other blokes who’ve had to see for themselves how it performs its awkwardly-proficient high res shots. C-log is a nice addition, I admit, and hope that people begin to use this more than favor the more traditional dslr coloring. Also, because of its resolution and color strengths, grading is much more worthwhile and can really make that image pop in comparison to what we’ve been tweaking out our butts on dslrs the last couple years after we buy the nicest lenses our budgets will support.

I’m happy to know that our SBP and LBP plates work well with the rig and its size; however, I’ve already heard of a design-oriented issue with  regards to matte boxes: if its a fixed height mattebox, you may run into issues with your camera plate’s height running on 15mm rails. From what I hear and have read, ikan isn’t the only company facing this design flaw, either. It seems that the camera needs to be nearly flush with the rails, a creative feat considering its base height. If you have your own story or know of an example of this becoming a problem (esp. with pictures!) feel free to share below. Note that this is only for fixed height matte boxes.

Granted, that was January. As March ends, my experiences with the Sony FS100 have just begun. Stephen Wolfe’s Doll Factory, a Horror/Comedy set in “Goober County” with all its zany baby-doll-faced demons killing kids and neighbors alike, makes for a really long run on sentence but for some GREAT laughs. The gain and light sensitivity on the FS100 really assisted our (typically) minimal lighting setups, from giant dark warehouses to small homes in suburbia–we shot across the city and were well-received by our local community as we moved from location to location. More pictures on that later, though you can head over to their facebook page which is growing, slowly but surely. Considering the age of the director and producer, both, it’s really an achievement to come this far with a viable project and TONS of marketing material that (i believe) will make its return back. Makes me happy.

The funniest part? after our DP’s Atomos Ninja craps out, and then the marshall dies (yes, he had a marshall) we ran the majority of our setups, both tripod and handheld, with the mighty ikan v5600, the little tank that it is. I’ll dig around and see if I can come up with a photo and I’ll post it come next update.

Stay tuned for part 2. it might actually happen this time instead of hellcious delays and then some new topic coming up

Missed your ikan tip of the week at all? I actually did.

I believe it’s still a great creative outlet for applying ikan gear in various, effective ways, considering the innumerable configurations available to you via the ELEMENTS line, esp with the EV2 series now available.

This week, I’m going to don this product the “Universal Rim Light”–not because it shines on the entire universe (though it’s darn bright)–but because it’s so light (couldn’t help it) you can clamp it securely to nearly any platform or medium. With the spot or flood option, you can get a focused rim light or more diffuse hairlight, varying from gentle to blindingly bright.

This configuration includes (read: you win all this if you participate in our little giveaway at #GVEXPO:

1 x LED ONE – (spot or flood bulb)

1 x MA210 10″Articulating Arm

1 x ELE-PN Pinch Clamp

1 x ELE-CHSR Senior Cheese Stick

1 x Panasonic DV battery & AC107 Battery Plate (which includes screws)

Let us know if you’ve done this before, or choose to do so, and how it works for you! Otherwise, if you come up with any neat tips of your own, send ‘em over to me (ryan@ikancorp.com) or post an image to our twitter, and maybe you’ll get featured.

November is a funny time for many, as it marks the end of fall with the cooler weather rolling in with many of the first real snows. The impending winter means spending time indoors, seeking refuge from the cold and experiencing that slow-down and stillness to life, where leaving the bed is akin to blasphemy. For us in Houston, though, it’s really the first full month where we won’t see temperatures in the 90’s (finally). For ikan, it means we start looking forward to the spring releases for NAB. It’s a time for industry–scheduling production of new products and putting the final pieces together.

Today, there were several last-minute meetings with the software division where we finalized the features of new products. Last year @NABShow, we demoed a product suite concept designed to aid the production community’s workflow. Since all these apps work together (they talk), it has been a challenge to develop them concurrently; fortunately, we are finally nearing the release of the first of the suite! One key thing changed since then–based on customer feedback, we switched the priority of release from android apps to iOS apps. Over the next few months, you’ll notice several new apps rolling out. Since last week’s concept meeting, they’ve put the finishing touches on them–all i can say is WOW! They have really put some innovative usage and tools in the software –stuff I haven’t seen in any other apps like them in the market. I can’t wait for the other application to mature. We really think you’re going to like the way the pieces fit together (literally and figuratively)!

Ikan works hard about innovating new products and sometimes its easy for us to forget around here some of the things we have innovated in the last few years. We were the first to come out with a high quality 5.6 LCD with HDMI. at NAB 2009 (before the 5D MkII and D90 were released) we introduced the V5600 because we anticipated that HDMI would become an attractive alternative to SDI, that cameras were shrinking, and a HDMI LCD field monitor smaller than 7’  would be a great addition in the market place. Now every LCD company has a 5″ in their lineup. It’s hard to believe this monitor is 4 years old now and still is a favorite for many shooters.

Our ID500 light was the first high powered LED light to have a wireless remote control.  For the Event and ENG users the remote feature and battery power have given them truly mobile solutions. Event videographers can turn a light on an off from their camera position on one side of a ball room as needed. ENG crews can sit and wait for their air time and turn the light on and off without leaving their cameras. A solo shooter who acts as talent and camera operators can now adjust the light intensity while looking into their monitors.

Our EV2 Stealth was the first 15mm rod configuration developed for ENG shooters. We worked with Canon to help their customers as they migrate from traditional shoulder mount cameras ENG to more economical midsized cameras.

The Stealth was designed as a ENG rig–not a stripped down cinema shoulder rig–to better match the needs of news shooters. Its adaptability allows the user to see the eye piece in bright sun light. The adjustable shoulder pads allows for different users to tweak it for their comfort. Its Heavy duty shoulder mount is beefed up to withstand use 24/7. Replaceable pads give it a longer lifespan, while plenty of mounting points (for battery systems and accessories) allow it to conform to any work flow or requirements. We even designed mounting points for a traditional ENG VL14 style quick release to simplify run and gun demands of the ENG environment

One of our first products introduced in our first year of business PT-1000 pioneered the low-cost above the lens Teleprompters.

Once again several other teleprompter companies have a similar solution in their line up. This year we added a single handed adjustment riser to our PT3100 and PT4100 to make it easier to adjust for the different heights of cameras.

Simply turn the knob and adjust the height no tools or disassembly necessary. The next generation of teleprompters and software is under development and will also include several new and innovative features.

This year, ikan acquired the Cinemage monitor line to provide top tier LCD monitors adding additional choices for our customers. This acquisition also put new technologies and contacts in our reach. Soon you should see innovative new features and products as a result.

So this winter, keep your eye on ikan to see what new products are going to come from us here in Houston. I know some of the things we are planning will be new and innovative.  Just wait and see. To make it easier, check back here or follow us on Facebook or twitter to keep up with the latest news.

The Elements from ikan.

For many, they signify a series of kits that are made up of various parts from a larger ikan catalog, not really meant to be considered as individual parts, but rather as kits to choose from.

Coming out of a production background in which customizing your rig to suit your exact needs is a way of life, the Elements have appealed to me for quite some time.  With their continued evolution, the ability to mix and match parts is invaluable for one seeking a their own ‘perfect rig.’

As I continued to build up my own rig, I found myself needing a few parts that I could not find anywhere else, at a budget range to quality ratio that made me comfortable.  Of course, one can always spend $400 a find a beautiful bracket for their needs, but who wants to spend that much just to attach a piece to 15mm rods?  Instead, I found the following solution to be extremely helpful:

Taking an ikan Quick Release Rod Adaptor (ELE-15QRA) and attaching a standard ikan Cheeseplate (ELE-PT) gave me a stable, quickly removeable platform for an accessory I had purchased a while back, but not yet found a way – to my liking – to attach to my rig.  My Sewell-Direct HDMI Splitter and the small custom battery pack ($1.95 at an electronic parts outlet in town) mounted via Velcro tabs fit nicely to the Cheesplate.  Popping off the top of the Sewell splitter and inserting two rivets through the body was no problem and within minutes, the HDMI splitter itself was permanently fastened to the Cheeseplate.  This gave me a flexible piece that could securely lock onto my rod system, but still be removed with minimal fuss, if need be.

This “accessory platform” can be underslung as well, providing for multiple ones to take up less space, if need be.  This is especially useful for those using on-board audio solutions.  A wireless lav or H4n Zoom can be attached and ride up top while an HDMI splitter or other accessory rides below.

This solution seems to be pretty solid.  The dual outlets of the Splitter have some overlap on their side, to allow me to fasten down each connection, hopefully preventing any snags or jerks that could hurt the outputs on the splitter.

All in all, the Elements accessory platform, with HDMI splitter, seems to be pretty solid.  I am looking forward to testing it out on a shoot next week, and that should – hopefully – provide some notes.  My own application aside, there are a lot of possibilities with the Elements line, apart from the standard kits.  In my eyes, the growing collection of kits are just a starting point… a springboard, if you will.  From there, the  various combo’s one can create are literally endless.