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Author Archives: T.J. Crume

Canon L-Series Primes and Zoom Lens Rental at SYNC

Posted on by Posted in 3. From the Grip Room

***** UPDATE*****

SYNC now has the NEW EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM available for rent! It is the latest update to the Canon L-Series lenses.

Take advantage of the following improvements:

  • reduced color blurring around the edges of the subject
  • minimized chromatic aberration in the periphery
  • reduced spherical aberration over the entire image area as well as through the full zoom range
  • equipped with a circular 9-blade diaphragm for beautiful, soft backgrounds
  • ring-type USM and high-speed CPU with optimized AF algorithms enable silent and fast autofocusing
  • zoom lock lever locks the zoom position at the wide end for safe transporting

 

 

 

Introducing SYNC’s new line of Canon L-Series lenses! We are happy to now offer the 35mm f1.4, 50mm f1.2mm, 85mm f1.2, 16-35mm f2.8 Mk II, 24-105mm f4.0 and 70-200mm f2.8 Mk II. These lenses feature wide to ultra-wide apertures for an extremely narrow depth of field and beautifully soft background blur. They are all high-performance, weather-resistant lenses that deliver suburb image resolution and contrast.

 

 

 

 

Canon 5D Mark III Now available for rent at SYNC!

Posted on by Posted in 3. From the Grip Room

SYNC is excited to make the highly anticipated EOS 5D Mark III available for rent for $250/day or $1,000/week! With supercharged EOS performance and stunning full frame, high-resolution image capture, the EOS 5D Mark III is designed to perform.

 

 

A newly designed 22.3 Megapixel full-frame Canon CMOS sensor, Canon DIGIC 5+ Image Processor, and shooting performance up to 6.0 fps provide exceptional clarity and sharpness, even when capturing rapidly-unfolding scenes.

Advanced professional-level high definition video capabilities make it possible to capture beautiful cinematic movies in EOS HD quality. Additional technological advancements include an Intelligent Viewfinder, Canon’s advanced iFCL metering system, High Dynamic Range (HDR), and Multiple Exposure mode – all of which that help make the EOS 5D Mark III the perfect multimedia tool.

Profoto B3 Now Available at SYNC!

Posted on by Posted in 3. From the Grip Room

Profoto B3 . . . the world’s fastest battery powered flash system is in stock and ready to rent! With the added benefit of Profoto’s new LiFe (Lithium) battery, you’ll get 30% more capacity, that’s 300 full power flashes per charge! All in a new battery weighing in at 6 lbs. lighter than their previous lead acid battery.

 

Check out the performance comparison below. If you are still using the 7b, you’ll loose 6 lbs. and gain a whole lot more . . . Rent one and see!

 

 

 

5 Questions With…Photographer Patrick Fraser

Posted on by Posted in 1. SYNC Spotlight


For this edition of 5 Questions With…we  caught up with one of SYNC’s longest pals, British photographer Patrick Fraser.

Let’s see what this lad had to say…

1.  Patrick, when did you make the trek over here to the US, and what made you take the plunge?

14 years ago! I was looking for adventure and a change in lifestyle.

2. How does the photography industry differ from here to England?

Production here is bigger and I would say the budgets are as well – its a much larger country after all. The creative in the UK is more risk taking – here is a bit safer in advertising.

3. It appears you have been shooting motion cameras too.  Can you see yourself completely migrating into that medium?

I have been working in motion picture the whole time I have been out here! I just directed my first commercial for Nissan but I’ve been DP on spots and music video’s for a while now. It is interesting now DSLR’s has changed the whole industry and photographers are becoming filmmakers. I will always be primarily a stills photographer but I’m definately excited by motion picture and where that will take me and where I will take it.

4. We hear you are quite the cook.  What are some favorite dishes you like to whip up?

At the moment my new favorite is Tuscan Hunter’s chicken, Pollo Alla Cacciatora in Italin! Its delicious and I found it in a recipe book from a shoot I did at a castle in Tuscany. www.vicarello.it

5. What was one of your most memorable shoots to work on?

One that comes to mind was shooting the late Dennis Hopper at his home in Venice.


Check out more of Patrick’s work here!

From the Newsstand: Adam Olszewski & Rodelio Astudillo Shoot Zooey Deschanel for TV Guide

Posted on by Posted in 2. From the Newsstand

Quirky, cute, vibrant & musically talented, this sitcom sweetheart appears to have it all.  Zooey Deschanel’s show “New Girl” proves it by being rated Fox’s highest for a sitcom in 10 years.  And 0f course it was no surprise she managed to hit just the right chord in these images for TV Guide with the help of SYNC’s Assistants and gear.

by Rodelio Astudillo

  by Adam Olszewski

 

From the Newsstand: James Fisher and SYNC Crew for Real Steel Movie Poster

Posted on by Posted in 2. From the Newsstand, 4. Behind the Scenes

The Aussies have it. That’s what this shoot was all about. Australian Photog (James Fisher), Actor (Hugh Jackman) and Producer (Kirsty Meares) all connected in Los Angeles for the shooting of the Real Steel Movie Poster.

SYNC’s owner, T.J. Crume, got involved from the start when Kirsty called looking for a studio and the SYNC team. After a short discussion with James about the concepts, he knew that Lighting Director Eric Larson would be his first call.

Luckily he was available and together with his efforts, pulled together the supporting crew:  Keith Hedgecock and Ian Grieve.  And to top it off, the support of 14-Bit was brought in to manage the digital capture. Definitely a world-class shoot with a world-class crew!

 

BTS with David Zaitz and SYNC Crew for Metro and Cirque Du Soleil

Posted on by Posted in 1. SYNC Spotlight, 4. Behind the Scenes

Remember when you were a kid… when the circus came to town? Anytime I knew the circus was coming I’d be daydreaming about the clowns with the big shoes, the trapeze artists high in the air, the elephants and tigers and lions and bears, stomping and dancing and growling. Warm peanuts and cotton candy. The jugglers, acrobats, the ringmaster… and the guy who got shot out of the canon. Puts a smile on my face as I reminisce.

Well, we are all grown up now, and so is the circus. But, a number of weeks back, when I heard that we would be shooting with David Zaitz for a campaign that Cirque Du Soleil and L.A. Metro were collaborating on, I was immediately excited and brought back to that fondness for the circus, from my youth. I had never been to a Cirque Du Soleil show, so I was naturally captivated by what might be in store.

The shoot was a logistical challenge, as you might imagine, shooting on the train platforms at Union Station, Hollywood, and North Hollywood. We also did an interior train shot with numerous Cirque performers at the Gold Line yard. We had just four shots, two per day. We kept our gear as light as possible, as we were having to bring it in from street level, adhering to many of the safety and zoning laws enforced on the trains and in the stations. The lighting proved to be more challenging than we anticipated, so we basically just lit the talent and shot plates for the backgrounds. We had time restrictions to deal with also, and this posed further challenges with moving gear and talent from location to location.

The shoot was awesome, despite some of the obvious challenges. Having the Sprinter van was definitely advantageous for our tight schedule and busy load-in/out locations. Really, I think the hardest part was pulling power on the Hollywood and Highland station. We ran 100 ft. stingers from different ends of the platform, and we still managed to blow a circuit somewhere. On-set, I kinda felt like a kid running around backstage at the circus, amongst all the performers in their costumes. It was cool to chat with them. They were awesome in helping us get some great shots! If you haven’t seen any of the ads yet, they should start popping up real soon!

Enjoy the behind the scenes shots.

And, definitely, go see Iris. It’s spectacular! I hardly missed the lions and tigers and bears.

The Cirque Du Soleil Iris show is playing at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, so why not take the Metro?