Well… here it is.     Today we got an awesome (unsolicited) compliment from one of the most technical Directors of Photography in the world, veteran Bill Bennett ASC:

The MōVI is "In my opinion the most revolutionary thing at the show." speaking of NAB 2013.

So time will tell – but I think that the MōVI has a chance of living up to the term "Game Changer."    

With an endorsement like that let’s just say that one really couldn’t ask for anything more.   Bill literally tests ALL of the newest stuff – and usually before it’s even in the prototype stage. 

On another note:  We’re still waiting to hear of anyone at NAB walking away from the Freefly booth a skeptic…  people "see the light" if you will, when they get their hands on the unit – I was an instant convert within less than a minute without exaggeration.    The interest level feels equal to "Reverie" with the video we shot with the Canon 5D MKII almost 5 years ago,  and the views have accumulated faster than Reverie did –  1.5 million views since Friday.  

Enough talking – if you’d like to be one of the first adopter of what I think has the potential to be looked back on as a new phase of camera movement history, go to the pre-order page of the the MōVI M10.   $2,500 deposit to hold your place in line.   The kit includes the MōVI, enough batteries for one day of shooting, and a remote control unit as well.

NOTE there are TWO ITEMS for sale – the MōVI M10 (handheld rig) and the MōVI MR (a multirotor 3-Axis RC Helicopter version.)

Here is the LINK TO PRE-ORDER The MōVI.

And check out more impressive work shot with the MōVI – "Passion for Motion" the morning after Tabb, Hugh and I shot with it for the first time in NYC to produce MōVI – they literally shot this piece the very next morning in Seattle – as you can imagine none of us have slept at all over the past few weeks:

Passion for Motion from Freefly on Vimeo.

And Behind The Scenes:

Passion for Motion – Behind the Scenes from Freefly on Vimeo.

 Also – here’s a review from Engadget’s Zach Honig, who was initially skeptical of the MōVI due to its price point a week ago when he was given an advance preview of the videos we produced with it.  As he admits in the article – he seems to have lost his healthy skepticism rather quickly of whether or not the MōVI deserves being associated with the term ‘Game Changer" and he also thought the learning curve was relatively quite short…   I must say there are few more gratifying things than to see someone who is initially skeptical about any product come around.    It’s safe to say the team at Freeffly and are are excited to see what we believe to be the full potential of this new technology get fully taken advantage of by our fellow creatives.  

So it’s been an amazingly fun week to see the community at large react similarly to the way I did when I first saw the MōVI in action:  Amazement.

The MōVI will be shown for the first time to the public tomorrow at NAB at booth #C9848 and Freefly will start to take orders tomorrow as well with specific details.

I’d like to answer some of the most common questions I’ve seen on the forums and the Vimeo comments in one place – I’ve been trying to keep up for a few days, but with more than a million views in under 3 days, as you can imaging it’s been a tall order.   If you don’t know what the MōVI is at this point – you can always read the introduction post here as well as see the original videos:

A few notes about the MōVI Short:

There was ZERO post stabilization applied of any kind – you’re seeing the original untouched clips.  We did shoot at 4K and had we post stabilized one can imagine how much more smooth they might have looked.

The final film was graded by Andrew Francis at C03 in NYC and he added a film grain emulation – ergo the noise.   The short was shot at 3200-4000 ISO at T 1.3 and I don’t remember seeing a hint of noise on the original – you can see for yourself by downloading the original files here.

 Here are some basics:

The MōVI M10 is meant to support up to 10 lbs of weight total.   Therefore, you’ll have absolutely no problem running with a DSLR, C300, F5/55 etc and a stabdard Cine Lens.

Tabb Firchau (one of the MōVI creators) and I shot a commercial together last week and we shot the entire spot with a RED Epic (without a side handle,) a somewhat heavy Canon Cine 24mm T 1.3 Prime, Circular ND filtration,  follow focus and wireless video.  Basically it was a dream.    The included batteries will operate the MōVI for 4 hours and a RED Epic for 30-45 minutes at a time.

The MōVI M10 will retails for approx. $15,000 and will include the MōVI, a remote control (joystick similar to what you use for piloting RC Helicopters) and enough batteries to work for a full day.  

The MōVI M10 will support two modes:  Solo operator mode or “Majestic” (Patent Pending) mode where the MōVI is able to distinguish between erratic movements and user input – i.e. you can pan and tilt your camera SOLO.

The MōVI M10 will also support the use of the included Remote control of course so that you can do the same fancy moves we did on “MōVI.”  This is a highly reliable remote that they use to control their RC Choppers at relatively long distances.

There are plans to integrate a focus/zoom/iris within the system as well, as well as joysticks on the handles.    Remember the owners of the MōVI are cinema people too – one of them (Hugh Bell) is one of the best Steadicam operators I’ve had the pleasure of working with.  So the point is that these guys know what we need…

The second model is the MōVI M5 – which as its name suggests will support 5 pounds that will retail for $7,500 and include the remote and batteries as well.  It will operate in SOLO “Majestic” mode and with dual operator mode just as with the unit above.

The third model: the MōVI M20 is intended for the Alexa M camera and for Epics and other heavier cameras with zooms.   Freefly is going to ramp up production on the first two models and then offer the M20 thereafter.

The M10 models are already under production btw…  There will be a $3,000 refundable deposit taken to ensure your place in line. (MORE INFO TO COME ON THE ORDERING PROCESS SHORTLY.)

Now to some general things you need to know about the MōVI:

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My first memories from my childhood involve the dream of flight.

I imagine that I’m far from alone when it comes to having been terribly addicted to bolting down a hall as a child, my arms spread out like wings, and feeling the rush of gravity as I accelerated around a corner as fast as my legs could propel me, my eyes closed.  The thrill of reckless abandon and the sensation of taking the tightest of turns always trumped the risk of a collision with the unknown. 

Flying is about letting go.

Many of us have in the cinema industry have never truly grown up.  We have found a way to hold onto our youth in flying cameras through scenes borne of our imaginations defying the laws of time and physics as we move through our frame.

But any filmmaker – professional or amateur – will tell you that gravity is all too often a cruel reminder of how hard taking flight can be.   Moving a camera in a steady path is one of the biggest challenges for all of us.

That is until you hold the handheld "MōVI" device in your hands and run, or drive, or fly only to see your clumsiness and bumps turned into a near perfect trajectory – thanks to insanely fascinating technology of gyro stabilization and accelerometers.  The "MōVI" produced by Freefly Systems based in Seattle WA.,  is a digital 3-axis gyro-stabilized handheld camera gimbal.

The completely silent device weighs under 3.5 pounds bare and can be operated solo, or with the help of a second "gimbal" operator with a joystick to pull off some incredible moves.

That’s just the beginning of what this thing can do (more to that below the jump) but for now, here’s a peek of the first shoot ever done with the MōVI – every shot was made with it, a Canon EOS 1DC and a Canon EFCine Prime 24mm 1.3 (at 1.3!) and a Zeiss 18mm CP.2 for the aerial footage:

MōVI from Vincent Laforet on Vimeo.

Here’s the MōVI gizmo in action:

MoVI by Freefly Systems from Vincent Laforet on Vimeo.

 And the behind the scenes video with director and inventor’s commentary explaining exactly what it does:

 So why do I think this is a game changer:

Some of you may not exactly get what this device does at first, why you might need it, or how you would use it.   That is until you get your hands on it – and then your way of thinking about camera movement and general camera support will change.  Guaranteed – everyone who’s handled the device agrees.  It’s going to be difficult not to have one of these tools on your productions going forward.

This device isn’t the end of the sticks, Steadicam, slider, dolly or jib to be sure… but it sure will make you think twice about using those tools on many of your shots when you find out how quickly this device allows you to execute a similar shot but in a fraction of the time.   It can literally take longer to explain a shot,  than it would to execute a perfect shot with the MōVI.    Heck you’ll even think twice about every using a tripod for a quick pan or tilt shot – when you realize you can do that with a "push" or a circular forward movement left (a curved dolly track…)  Except you don’t need to lay track down …

The danger of this device is that you’re going to want to shoot Scorsese’s famous Copacabana shot from Goodfellas every time you pick this unit up.  You’ll do well to remember that short takes and editing are the key to a nice flow in almost any piece.  Yet that amazing shot you’ve dreamed of accomplishing is closer to becoming a reality than it has before.   Obviously in this short my effort was to string as many long shots together as possible to show off the device – and that can be a challenge as a director.

That being said the beauty of this device is how quickly you can also make more simple shots.   A push or slide is done in seconds and near perfectly.   You can add a tilt or pan to that too to make it even fancier if you’d like with little effort.  And the speed at which you can work is hard for many producers (including a friend and long time producer I worked with on a commercial this week… until he sees the results and how quickly you can get them.)  Then you run down stairs, walk across a busy intersection, or ride in a vehicle and your head will certainly spin…

It’s unbelievably liberating.

Another big factor:  It will be affordable – the initial mid-level (in terms of weight support) MōVI M10 will sell for approx $15K and is already under production.   The second, smaller version, the M5 that will be on sale at some point in the near future (once the production capacity is in full swing) will be sold for a price point under $7,500.    If you consider how much we spend on handheld rigs, sliders, jibs (let alone Glidecams/Steadicams etc.) – the price of this device quickly becomes a no-brainer…  Another huge factor:  it takes quite a bit of time to set up a JIB, let alone weights, crew and skill to operate.  The learning curve on this unit is very very fast.

The MoVI can travel in a thin suitcase as carry luggage and weights under 4 pounds…  A steadicam is an awesome tool but takes years to master.   I was able to operate this device within minutes…   I will admit to having experience in operating Cineflex systems in Helicopters and Russian Arms on fast moving vehicles.   And I can say that the way the joystick on the two person configuration operates is nearly identical.    And the point is that the MōVI M10 is cheaper to buy with extra bells and whistles than it is to RENT a Cineflex for one day…  keep that in mind and why that leads me to consider this technology to merit the dreaded and overused term:  Game Changer.  

The first unit that is being released – the M10 – supports a camera up 10 pounds with accessories.  That equates to a DSLR with a lot of accessories or a bare Epic and prime lens.  We’ve been using the Epic and the Canon primes and Zeiss CP.2 lenses all week on a commercial without a hitch.   A future version the M20 is slated to support an Alexa or Epic package w/ zoom, price and date TBD.   The guys behind this work with Epics and Alexas on a regular basis and are cinema guys.   Tabb Firchau & Hugh Bell have worked on several productions with me (JOB, Mobius) and Hugh is one of the best steadicam operators I’ve worked with in the industry.   The point is that these are passionate cinema people who are going to cater to what we need as filmmakers.    

If you’re going to NAB you’ll want to look up Freefly Systems as they will be exhibiting these models live at their booth (#C9848) next week.                                      

Paying it forward:

 I also wanted to try something a bit different here.  At first I thought we’d put additional content up for a small charge and throw a party for the crew or pay them a bonus – but I didn’t like the precedent the former option set.   Therefore we’re also throwing up a downloadable "Pay Per View" version with the help of Vimeo – All proceeds from the sale of the video will go to a charity on behalf of the cast and crew.  The Charity is called the "Lollipo Theater Network" (http://lollipoptheater.org) and brings the magic of movies currently in theathers, to children that are confined to hospitals nationwide due to chronic or life-threatening illnesses. 

The downloadable video includes another never before seen shoot with the MōVI outdoors shot on the Panasonic GH3, along with that will be 3 full ungraded extended takes from MōVI shot with the Canon EOS 1DC in Canon C-Log, as well as a director and inventor’s commentary for the short.   The Vimeo On Demand footage is available for download for $3.  It goes to a good cause so if you’re interested click on the following Lollipop Theater Piece Link  here.

I’ll be posting tomorrow a bit more about my experience with the MōVI as well as the gear we used.  I’ll discuss more in depth what the pros and cons are of the system and what to expect.   A skilled 1st AC will become your new best friend and wireless focus devices (which are getting much more affordable by the day) will become necessary tools for fancy moves.  Keep in mind that this entire pieces was shot at T 1.3 on a 24mm…  yeah Crazy!

 I’d like to thank the incredible cast and crew not to mention those in post who made this piece happen.

For now I want to get this up ASAP – so I’ll stop writing.   More to come tomorrow!   To see what this unit looks like on one of their RC Helicopters… check out the video below….

ROAM from Freefly on Vimeo.

Read below for a press release with more technical details: