Blog Archives

HI-POD once again will unofficially attend the OSCARS . This year, however, HI-POD TV will webcast the event live from behind the OSCARs “concrete carpet”. This parody of the OSCARS Red Carpet coverage, will demonstrate the speed, mobility, altitude and effectiveness of HI-POD products.

Many HI-PODs will be placed behind (and above) the spectator partition, to provide multiple vantage points of the event. The goal is to place two of the 25 foot end-zone HI-PODS behind the spectator fence, to have one mobile 15 foot hi-pod moving as necessary and have one hand-held camera following our commentator as he works the crowd, parodying the OSCARS.

News crews know the advantages of the HI-POD. All disaster and crime scene investigations involve the police establishing a perimeter around the scene. This means that no civilians are allowed within that perimeter- that often includes news crews as well. This makes it very difficult for news cameramen to get the shot. That all changes with the HI-POD. Because the HI-POD extends as much as 31 feet above obstacles and barricades, you can get a clear shot of the news event.

When this house rolled down a hill during a mudslide in Los Angeles, news crews and equipment vans were prevented from getting near the scene due to dangerous conditions. The news team on foot and armed with a HI-POD got the best shot of the incident for the evening’s news broadcast.

(Jan 19-24, 2005, Los Angeles, CA) Nike tapped the Team Agency to create a series of Soccer skills clips for the new NIKE “Tiempo” website. The NIKE Skills squad, a group of talented young ball players, were recorded in different locations around Los Angeles performing imaginative and awe-inspiring soccer techniques.

The Challenge? To get great footage in multiple locations across Los Angeles in a few days. Los Angeles has some great soccer locations, but dealing with traffic to get to those locations can become quite time consuming, and destroy a production schedule.

The Problem? For the shoot, logistically speaking, setting up each location and creating a method of obtaining altitude shots , like scaffolding. That usually means time to set up, labor to assemble and tear down, and money to make it all happen- all with very little “Tiempo” to do it in.

According to Team-Agency Director Lew Baldwin, “We considered renting a scissor lift for our overhead shots of soccer fields – used for establishing shots and action cut aways. The price and insurance were a big concern. Then we discovered the HI-POD and it did all we wanted and more”.

The Solution? HI-POD, the Xtreme Camera Monopod. The HI-POD is a telescoping mast that extends from 6 to 15 feet, (or any height in between) and provides the user total touch control of pan, tilt and zoom functions. Additionally an eye-level anti-glare monitor makes it easy for the operator to see exactly what the camera sees. And at only twenty pounds, the HI-POD is light enough to pick it up and go anywhere.

“We especially liked our ability to get into the middle of the field for more stylized shots,” stated NIKE director Baldwin, ” without being too obtrusive.”

Below Producer Keeley Gould and Director Lew Baldwin pose for the HI-POD camera after completing the Los Angeles production for NIKE’s “Tiempo” Documentaries. The company plans to produce similar ads with NIKE skill squads in Miami, New York City, Dallas, and Rio.

The clips will eventually live at Nike’s website: http://www.nike.com/nikesoccer/tiempo

Check out the Team Agency at: www.team-agency.com

(1/22/05 Carson , CA) Saturday the “International Soccer Match Series in LA ” moved south of the LA Coliseum to the Home Depot Center for the next to final match in this friendly competition. The Korean national team faced the national team of Sweden. It looked like Korea finally had a solid victory to end the tournament. Earlier in the week Jo Bonfrere’s Korean team lost to Columbia (2-1) in the first game and tied Paraguay (1-1) in the second match.

The HI-POD, the Xtreme camera monopod, was placed behind the south goal eagerly awaiting the action. And at 15 feet above the goal, a generic LANC controlled prosumer camera was capturing broadcast quality images from a breathtaking perspective.

Korea’s Chung Kyung-ho drew first blood, in the 71st minute, with a beautiful long -range shot just beyond the reach of Sweden’s goalkeeper Eddie Gustafsson and into the top right corner of the net. The Korean’s continued to pressure the Swedish defense, with Chung almost adding another in the 81st minute. Both of these shots were in the goal away from the HI-POD. But with a camera with a good optical lens on top of the HI-POD, the operator was able to capture the shots perfectly.

With time running out Sweden aggressively started moving more attackers forward and in the 85th minute success came their way. Marcus Rosenberg slipped through the Korean defense placing the ball firmly in the bottom back corner of the net. This shot was directly below the HI-POD. The HI-POD’s tilt mechanism made it easy to vertically cover the game up and down the field, while the HI-POD’s foot made for easy smooth side to side panning across the field. Its zoom controller made it easy to zoom in on any part of the field and cover the action.

(1/19/2005 Los Angeles, CA) The experienced Paraguayan striker Jose Cardozo took advantage of south Korean defensive inexperience and drew a penalty to put Paraguay ahead at the half. Cardozo’s skillful manuever in the penalty box was easily captured by the HI-POD. Extended 15 feet above the field, the HI-POD was able to pan, tilt, and zoom to follow the shot- all without the obstruction of the net.

Quickly in the second half, Korea’s Kim Dong-hun headed a cross past Paraguay’s goalie Justo Villar. This shot was also in front of the HI-POD. Once again the HI-POD’S elevation above the net helped captured an unobstructed shot of the goal.