Last Friday I attended CineGear Expo, the annual trade show that gives camera-grip-electric-types a chance to get out and see what’s new. It was a lovely day and after a multi-year absence from the Paramount lot, the event and its huge attendance did not disappoint. But instead of bringing you an in-depth report on the equipment at hand, (that’s not my bag, and there’re plenty of other places to go for that…) I’ll simply deliver a six-word review that captures the impression of what I witnessed.
There was a lot of stuff.
Most of it was the same as it’s always been, some of it was new and interesting and some of it was so ill-conceived, I have no idea what its creators were thinking. I also have no idea how so many of those suppliers manage to stay in business. When compared to other industries, the size of the worldwide film community is of negligible concern. Research, development and marketing are expensive and exist as part of a never-ending loop. Staying ahead of the wolfpack is a full-time job, yet they were all out there in that historic location, slugging away, trying to help us do our jobs more creatively and efficiently. I offer each of them the same respect that I give to post-production facilities. Keep listening to your customers, keep innovating and we – the end-users – will continue to do our best to keep you in clover.
As much as I’m fascinated by the gadgetry, I’m not obsessed or motivated by it. The really big kick for me this weekend was catching up with old friends who I haven’t seen in a long time…and making a few new ones, too.
With the arrival of AI already cresting the horizon, I hope that flesh-and-blood affinity will remain my number one priority as we’re hit with the next wave of techno-crazy.
Right on as usual Richard! The best thing about Cine Gear was the chance to catch up with friends. Then maybe learning about and seeing a new tech breakthrough or a gadget or two that makes one’s life a littler easier. I get a kick out of some manufacturers who forget that in the days that proceeded the opening of the show Hollywood if not the whole industry had figured out how to makr movies without their new devices or concepts, lol. Sometimes they come up with products that solve problems that we all know don’t exist.
Richard,
I love this post on so many levels. I was almost waiting for it. Your voice in our techno-crazy and frankly hype-crazy world brings valuable perspective and clarity. Yes! It’s about people! The people we work with, make movies for, and go home to.
Staying focused on Actual Intelligence,
Chris
In the immortal words of Don Hewitt, founder of 60 Minutes, “TELL ME A STORY” — whether your telling it from a script or from the mouth of someone who had an experience, it’s all about story and not the gear to get it to the screen.