James Mathers Casts Power Solutions To Ride Alongside Stephen Dorff For Indie Film Brake

To meet the needs of his wide-ranging career as one of the most in-demand cinematographers in film, James Mathers is always on the lookout for dependable, long-running batteries. That's why he counts on Anton/Bauer®, part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company, and a premier global provider of batteries, chargers, lighting and other mobile power systems for the professional broadcast, video and film industries, for power solutions.
For his most recent shoot, the indie thriller Brake, Mathers once again used Anton/Bauer batteries and accessories, with great success.
Brake, starring Stephen Dorff and directed by Gabe Torres, posed unique challenges for Mathers. Dorff stars as Jeremy Reins, a Secret Service agent who is held captive in the trunk of a car and endures mental and physical torture as terrorists attempt to extract information for their plot against the U.S. president. Since the film is shot almost entirely inside what appears to be the trunk of a moving car, Mathers chose the RED ONE digital cinema camera to capture the dramatic events of the film.
"The RED ONE has a good appetite for power, especially when you're running accessories like the zoom motor and monitors," says Mathers, who equipped his two RED ONE cameras with six Anton/Bauer HyTRON 140® batteries. "The Anton/Bauer HyTRON 140 dependably powers the camera for well over an hour. Another thing about the HyTRONs in particular is that there are no air travel restrictions." The HyTRON 140 is a 140 Wh NiMH battery, designed for the power demands of today's HD gear and on-camera lighting systems. Offering excellent counterbalance for lens weight, it is ideal for a high-current draw and can be used with portable HMI lights. On Brake, Mathers took advantage of the HyTRON 140 to also power his 1'x1' Litepanels when working with water necessitated using only DC power for the safety of the actor.
Additionally, Mathers would not have been able to meet the special needs of the shoot without Anton/Bauer's signature Gold Mount® system, which ensured that the RED ONE camera was always securely locked to a battery despite the constant rough movement the camera endured during filming. "In order to get Stephen to look like he's bouncing around in the trunk, we had to hard-mount the camera onto the vehicle and then physically bounce the vehicle around," he says. "The sturdiness of the three-point Gold Mount adapter made it certain that the battery stayed on the camera even if it was violently jostled in order to get the effect of the actor doing the same inside the trunk. Other batteries probably would have flown off the camera during the violent shaking. One of the things I like best about Anton/Bauer is the fact that I can use one power solution for the many different types of cameras I use, whether it's ARRI, Panasonic, or Sony."
Providing power requirements ranging from 7.2 to 28V, the Anton/Bauer Gold Mount system is the most widely used battery mounting system by professionals in the industry. Thanks to Anton/Bauer's strong relationships with key camera manufacturers, the Gold Mount is available as factory standard equipment on many models.
"The ability to see the battery status on the camera itself was also a huge asset," Mathers adds. Anton/Bauer is the only battery manufacturer authorized by RED for communication with the RED ONE using the QR-RED Gold Mount. The battery's remaining run time is displayed directly on the camera's LCD via Anton/Bauer's proprietary InterActive® Viewfinder fuel gauge.
The Anton/Bauer QR-HOTSWAP-GM also helped Mathers meet other requirements of the Brake shoot. "The whole system gives you lots and lots of flexibility regarding how you can set up your camera and accessories to fit into the space as necessary," he adds.
In his 30 years of using Anton/Bauer products, Mathers, who also serves as the president of the Digital Cinema Society, has found the batteries have never been more indispensible than on the Brake shoot. He also holds the Anton/Bauer customer support team in high regard, citing its high level of efficiency. "Filming an indie movie like Brake is a fast-paced, sometimes chaotic experience, so when a piece of equipment needs attention, either for repair or upgrading, I need the problem solved as quickly as possible so as not to hinder production. Anton/Bauer has come through again and again in this area and they have been my go-to battery throughout my career, and will remain so for upcoming projects."
For more information, please visit www.antonbauer.com