Ninja Powers Every Shoot For Bali's Overcrank Media

Bali‑based production house Overcrank Media says a single piece of kit consistently ties its wide‑ranging projects together: the Atomos Ninja monitor‑recorder.

Director and DOP James D Bowen leads a slate that spans documentaries in hard‑to‑reach locations, commercials, TV, films and international shoots across Indonesia. "One week we're shooting documentary work in Kalimantan, the next we're running a commercial shoot," he says. "We handle end‑to‑end productions, but also provide production services for international teams – directors, producers, DOPs, crew, permits, logistics, locations, equipment, all the not‑so‑fun stuff that makes a production work."

Bowen keeps a core toolkit for every job, and the Ninja is a fixture. "Our on‑set workflow changes depending on the job, but the Ninja is always in the bag," he explains. On vérité shoots it typically partners with Sony's FX6 or Burano, delivering a bright, colour‑accurate view in challenging environments.

Exposure aids are central to the team's pace on location. False colour, waveform and zebras are used constantly. "They give me a quick read of the scene, which is essential for documentary work," he says. Frame guides and mattes help plan for different aspect ratios and ensure precise composition.

For commercial and narrative work, Overcrank Media frequently captures ProRes RAW to maximise latitude in post. "Not many monitors in the market can provide such a good HDR image. This makes the Ninja more than just a recorder," he says.

One surprisingly indispensable tool has been onion skin. "It's saved us so many times. If you're matching frames across takes or shoot days, or trying to get perfect match cuts, it's a genuine lifesaver for continuity." The feature proved its worth on a CLAX trolley commercial and the short film Border by Sasan Kaveh, where talent had to repeat near‑identical positions across setups.

Even on high‑end cinema bodies from Sony, RED or ARRI, Bowen prefers to monitor with what he knows. "Your monitor is like your favourite pair of jeans – you want to take it everywhere," he says, citing the Ninja's speed and reliability on fast‑moving sets.

Practicality also matters. The Ninja provides a compact, professional monitoring setup on smaller jobs, and doubles as a recorder on larger ones without disrupting existing workflows. Cost‑effective SSD media keeps storage straightforward in markets with limited options. "As a Director and DOP, it's one of the few items I'll bring to almost every shoot. Familiar tools, a reliable interface and speed on set matters – and it just works."

Its lightweight build makes rigging faster in tight or unconventional spaces, from car mounts and handheld builds to overhead shots and gimbals. "There's just less rigging drama and more shooting," James says.

HDR monitoring has reshaped decision‑making on set, too. "When you can properly view HLG or PQ on set, you make better exposure decisions, you understand your highlight roll‑off, and you can see what you're really capturing," he explains. "It builds confidence. The crew moves faster, conversations are clearer, and we spend less time second‑guessing."

Consistency across multi‑camera days is another benefit. "Having a consistent monitoring experience across the board reduces miscommunication. Camera, lighting, directing, and clients are all speaking the same visual language."

With a busy year of commercial, documentary and narrative productions ahead, Overcrank Media plans to expand its monitoring ecosystem while keeping the same priorities. "We're expanding our monitoring ecosystem for commercial and film work, building a better video village," he says. "But whatever the screen size, the goal stays the same: trustworthy monitoring, efficient collaboration and fewer compromises."

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