Ross Handling Supports Oscar Winning Production Company
World leading motion control camera specialist, Mark Roberts Motion Control, has perfected the operations of their high-speed ‘cinebot’, Bolt, with help from everyone here at Ross Handling.
World leading motion control camera specialist, Mark Roberts Motion Control, has perfected the operations of their high-speed ‘cinebot’, Bolt, with help from everyone here at Ross Handling.
Mark Roberts Motion Control develop robotic solutions for the film industry, predominantly used in special effects and high-speed motion control. Their advanced camera work has seen the company awarded a number of accolades, including an Academy Award for technical excellence and engineering innovation, and the Queen’s Award for Enterprise and International Trade.
The Bolt cinebot is the go-to solution for shooting in super-slow motion and provides the precision, stability and accuracy needed to capture awe inspiring footage such as a bullet piercing an apple or heroine escaping an explosion. The unique footage produced by Bolt can be seen in feature films including Avengers: Age of Ultron, Skyfall and Ant-Man.
Each high-tech Bolt robot weighs in at roughly 800kg, which in the motion picture industry still classifies as ‘mobile recording equipment’ and so means the ability to be agile and nimble on set is crucial. With strict deadlines and potentially tight budgets, the Surrey-based manufacturer needed a simple way to move the Bolt cinebot on set, and that’s when they discovered the jacking castors solution from Ross Handling.
Mark Roberts’ Chief Production Officer, James Biggs, explains:
“Initially we considered getting a forklift or crane to move the robot, but realised this would prove too time consuming and not cost-efficient. The jacking castors from Ross Handling are exactly the answer we were looking for.”
The unique jacking castor is a lift-and-move solution enabling the user to raise and lower equipment, machinery and theatre staging vertically, as well as manoeuvre over a variety of floor surfaces horizontally.
James Biggs explained why jacking castors were the right choice for them: “The joy of the jacking castors is you can put them on quickly, jack the robot up and then wheel it onto a track or rail ready to start filming. The wheels work for all locations and studios and the set-up is a lot quicker than before – saving time and money.”
Biggs continued: “Ross Handling’s customer service is extremely good, their lead times short and their prices competitive. Ross are also willing and able to hold stock for us, and the ability to call up and receive the items the very next day is a great benefit to us.”
See below a video of Bolt in action!
