Archive Collections: A Record of Cameras

By: Andrew Bermudez

(Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Headquarters; June 16, 2014)

     To apologize for the delay in the release of our upcoming Extreme Vacationing Contest into July (we still have work to do for both Johnny Thunder and the Wisdom of the Ancients and The Central Florida Experience), we would now like to give out another Archive Collections! Let's get started!

     How could you ever get any film made without the proper equipment? Yes, lights and film are important, but we're talking about the most important piece of equipment on-set: the camera! Throughout the years, we've used a wide variety of cameras to get the right shot, from large analog camcorders to compact webcams, with the variety always changing to match changing technology. With that said, let's look at all of the cameras we've used over the last ten years!

Image courtesy Brick Exclusive

     First up is a certain camera that I'm sure we're all familiar with, but may not have much praise for, the LEGO Studios Webcam! Used from 2002 to 2004, it's actually not the smallest camera we've ever used (The Microsoft LifeCam, to be covered later, takes that honor), but it is probably the most iconic with its brick connectivity and its integral LEGO Studios color scheme. However, after comparing this with our other cameras, this one also had the worst quality, considering that the image was probably the grainiest that we've worked with. Regardless, this camera is still considered our starting point, so we do applaud it for that. Currently, this is the only camera that we do not have on file, so we would like to thank Brick Exclusive for this image.

     Up next is the Panasonic Palmcorder, which was in use from 2003 to 2004. Actually, this particular camera was in use long before Mustache Maniacs Film Co. was formed, but the years listed was the time we were using this camera. For an analog camera, it featured several then-surprising features, including in-video fade in and fade out, easy-to-manage zoom in and zoom out, and auto focus. Not bad for a camcorder made in 1991! However, its time was up in 2004 when a part inside was damaged, putting this camera out of commission.

     With the Palmcorder out of commission, a replacement was quickly obtained, which we now consider our legacy camera, the Samsung MiniDV Digital-cam. It was in use from 2004 to 2008 and was used to film many of our early films. Also featuring many of the features of the previous camera, this one also features a built-in light, still camera functions, an Easy Q button (which we never used), night vision, and connectivity via USB and IEEE 1394 firewire. It was a good camera, but in 2008, the video started to show lagging purely due to age. Replacing it was vital, since From Sea to Shining Sea was going to be filmed the following year.

     In the meantime, Johnny Thunder and the Secret of Marco Polo was being filmed with this camera, the Philips SPC900NC/00 Pixel Plus Webcam. Bought just for Secret of Marco Polo, it was used for filming all sorts of animated films from 2007 up through 2011. The last film to be filmed with the camera was The First Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Fan Choice Awards, at which time it became clear that this camera was behind the times. It was officially retired after the first fan choice awards wrapped up production, when plans were made to secure a replacement.

     Purchased in 2008, this seemed like the camera that we were looking for to replace the Digital-cam. Used only one year, 2008, this is the Panasonic DVD-Ram Disc Camcorder, which uses discs instead of the usual tapes to record video. It was a good idea, but at the time, we had no way to extract the video files, though we have such technology now. A new camcorder had to be purchased, but there is talk of putting this camera back into use, possibly for Project U.

     Also purchased in 2008, this is the Panasonic MiniDV HD Camcorder. In many respects, this camera is very similar to the original Digital-cam from 2004, except that its features are more up-to-date and that it is far more resilient to damage and wear, films with the same MiniDV tapes in full HD, and is very compact. That's probably why we're still using this camera to this day; there is even talk of using this camera in Project U!

     Finally, here's the Microsoft LifeCam 1080p HD, our latest camera for filming animated movies. Put into use from 2011 up until now, it was first tested with some short shots in An Afternoon at the Zoo. The first film where this camera was used for all the filming, however, was Forest of Fear. It has been used for almost all of our animated films since then, but Johnny Thunder and the Wisdom of the Ancients will be our last movie to be filmed with this camera; we will be switching to an undecided camera for Speeder and the ten Project U films.
     As time goes on, parts break, quality changes, and technology improves, meaning that some day, all of these cameras will be a thing of the past. But as we change our set of equipment to match the state of technology, it is still notable to look back at the technology that was and see where we came from and what we can improve on. With that, this concludes another Archive Collections! See you next time with some very unique, rarely-seen artifacts from our archives!

Previously:
The Evolution of Johnny Thunder 3's Plant Monster
Animation Cells Through the Years
Com 50's Gadgets
Props from our First Film
The Most Memorable Deleted Scenes