Online Mark Roberts Motion Control Shop Now OPEN FOR BUSINESS

MRMC Shop Online Screenshot

Some users may have noticed a new addition to our website last month. www.mrmoco.com/shop is our new online shop. Its only a small taster of what’s to come, but we thought we’d start by putting on some of our popular smaller products online, for users to buy directly from the website. It includes the more standard configurations of our small pan-tilt heads and sliders for motion control and time-lapse, including various controllers. It’s only a tiny portion of what we do, and buyers are always welcome to ask about customizations for their specific applications. It also calculates UPS shipping costs although for large orders it is best to get a direct quotation for shipping. More content will be added shortly, but you will find some interesting items on there.

MRMC – Flair via Ethernet & Product Developments

Mark Roberts Motion Control are leaders in the world of Motion Control Products, and have been supplying cutting edge Rigs and equipment to the industry for nearly 50 years*. Mark Roberts Motion Control rigs are now the defacto systems used around the world for feature films, music videos and commercials, with Broadcast solutions and other related industries now also selecting MRMC Rigs and Heads as their first choice.

We are proud to be the official UK supplier
of Robotic Equipment to Nikon at the Olympics.

Famously our Rigs and Heads have been used by Aardman in their feature films and TV Hit Wallace & Grommit, as well as more recent productions such as “Pirates, in an adventure with Scientists”.

Shot from Curse of the Were Rabbit

Our Goal

Our goal is to broaden the horizons of Film and Television production by supplying Motion Control equipment which enables creative moves to be entered quickly and easily, and greatly increasing creative potentials and realizations.

To that end we are constantly seeking out and working with companies that push the envelope and are playing a major part in the shaping of Motion Control and Motion Control Techniques.

The S4 Stereoscopic Stepper with Convergence

Stop Motion Pro worked very closeley with us in developing the interfacing of the S4 and with their input the MRMC S4 stereoscopic stepper is now fully compatible with Stop Motion Pro.

Specially Modified SFH-30 for Jewellery Photography Controlled using FLAIR

Flair,The Ultimate Camera Control Software was developed in house and has been used for many years by MOCO Operators and professionals.

“Unlike most other Motion Control Software, Flair is written for film-making and is a winner from a film-makers point of view. Camera Moves are easily programmable and highly adjustable, with a variety of options to change the move’s parameters. the front end software is clear and the graphic displays are very helpful”
— Oliver Kunz, Studio Chief, Brains and Pictures, Vienna

The perfect partner to our Pan/Tilt Heads and Rigs has just been released fully enabled for Ethernet control. Thus making it more accessible to such environments as TV Broadcast and both studio based or outside filming.

Tim Richardson, a key member of the original line-up that released Flair and newly returned to our development team, recently announced:
“These days we sell Flair software ready to install on a laptop plus the head itself. It really is as simple as plug-and-play”.

For more details on this or any other recent developments please contact Mark Roberts Motion Control
T: 01342 838 000
www.mrmoco.com

*in 1966 originally the company was called mark Roberts Film Services.

Annecy 2012 – Mark Roberts Motion Control

Mark Roberts Motion Control will be returning to the annual showcase and celebration of professionalism and dedication to the world of
Stop-motion animation, Annecy 2012.

We attended for the first time only a couple of years ago, and are very proud and delighted to announce we will be returning again this year.

The MRMC Animoko Rig on Set

The Animoko Rig, will once again be making an appearance as will the S4 Stereoscopic Stepper. Both have proved to be extremely popular in the production of feature length Movies, and recently in terms of the Animoko for still life fashion shoots.

Front-on shot of the S4

We will also be bringing the Pan/Tilt Head SFH-30 with Monorail slider to the show, which has been extremely popular this year, with many heads being used on the worldwide stage in perhaps the greatest sporting event in the calendar this year being hosted by London in 2012.

Pan / Tilt Head SFH-30

SFH-30 on slider

SFH-30 with camera Mounted

You will find us together with Stop Motion Pro at the Annecy Festival 6th to 8th June. We look forward to seeing you there.

Please do get in touch if you have any questions or would like to book a demonstration at the Mark Roberts Motion Control Studios.

Contact Mark Roberts Motion Control
T: 01342 838 000
www.mrmoco.com

The MOCO Forum

MRMC for the first time at Annecy Film Festival

MRMC for the first time at Annecy Film Festival

		8-10 June 2011 Annecy, France
Join Mark Roberts Motion Control at the Annecy Film Festival this year in Annecy France. We will have some of our latest products in stop frame animation on display and available for demonstration including the Animoko Rig (seen here on the left), the S3 Steroscopic 3D stepper and new S4 Steroscopic stepper with convergence.We will also be bringing along the SFH-30 Pan Tilt Head with track system for stop frame animation.We look forward to seeing you at the show. The Animoko Rig on stop frame feature, “The Sandman and the Lost Sand of Dreams”

*** S4 Stereoscopic 3D Stepper with Convergence ***

Need Rental Advice on Motion Control Equipment?

Need Rental Advice on Motion Control Equipment?

To discuss your rental requirements and get advice on renting motion control equipment contact Mark Roberts Motion Control.  No matter where you are located in the world, we can help you with motion control.

You can always call us on +44 (0) 1342 838 000 or email info@mrmoco.com

S4 Stereoscopic 3D Stepper with Convergence

S4 Stereoscopic 3D Stepper with Convergence

Shown here in a left frame and right frame position with a change of convergence

Mark Roberts Motion Control have taken the ever popular 3D Stereoscopic stepper to new heights and are pleased to announce the release of the new S4. The S4 is an ideal unit for anyone shooting 3D Stereoscopic animation, to automatically move and trigger the camera to capture the left and right eye images. The S4 is the larger brother to the S3 released last year and includes an optional Convergence module. Some of the features of the S4 include stronger motor, gearbox and chassis for larger camera packages in any orientation, built in matte bar/focus rod holders, USB communication to animation software, control of both interocular distance (distance between left and right eye), and convergence (angle of view between left and right eye). The Convergence module clips on allowing the S4 to be used with or without it.

If you would like to have more information please email info@mrmoco.com

Front on shot of the S4

Need Rental Advice on Motion Control Equipment?

Need Rental Advice on Motion Control Equipment?

In a recent survey conducted by Mark Roberts Motion Control we found that one of the services you wanted from us was advice and options of what to rent and where to rent motion control equipment from. We are more than happy to offer this service and answer any questions relating to rentals.

You can always call us on +44 (0) 1342 838 000 or email info@mrmoco.com

MRMC’s 40th Birthday Celebrations

MRMC’s 40th Birthday Celebrations

This year sees the celebration of forty years of innovation from Mark Roberts Motion Control. The history of our company started with Mark Roberts, our founder and chairman, who was born in Western Australia in the early 30’s.  After his education in civil engineering he moved to the UK where upon he had several careers including a stint as an engineer for an American based company Oxberry who produced animation stands and optical printers and a storeman at Lotus, during their pioneering days, where as you can see here he even took the wheel himself on several occasions.
In May 1966 Mark set up Mark Roberts Film Services.

Mark in his racing days.

The company ‘Mark Roberts Film Services’ had several contracts with companies in London to service their special effects equipment at night and weekends. Mark spent the rest of his time working on designing and manufacture. In 1972 he produced one of the firstRostrum cameras controlled by an analogue computer and 1975 saw the first digital computer version. Cameramen, including the great Ken Morse, found these systems enabled accurate work to be completed quickly. Ken still works continuously in his Soho studio, still with the Mark Roberts MRC animation stand, nearly thirty years on!

A couple of the early popular motion control computers

With the release of the film ‘Star Wars’ in 1977 there was a demand for motion control in the industry. The company therefore embarked upon the design and manufacture of innovative 3D machines. Having been asked to build a full motion control system to bring freedom of camera movement to the cameraman, to replace the simple up and down and table movement that was only available with the current systems.  Mark Roberts Film Services floor mounted, overhead rigs and customised Panther dollies were to set new standards in performance especially in regard to smoothness of motion.

 Mark inspecting gears and components.

In the early 1990’s the company was renamed ‘Mark Roberts Motion Control’ to reflect its current products.  Special ‘one-offs’ led to a demand for a standard ‘off the shelf’ system so in 1993 Cyclops our studio based Motion control rig was born and before long customers were requesting a portable system of the same caliber.  Enter the Milo in 1994.  Not surprisingly Cyclops and Milo have sold extensively in London (the capital of outstanding special effects) and as far afield as Russia, Korea, Australia and Tokyo. There are now over 40 Milos worldwide – the best-selling motion control system.

    One of the many ‘custom built’ overghead rigs and Cyclops the ultimate in motion control.

In 1999 we were enormously proud to be awarded a Scientific and Technical Academy Award for the design of the Milo and the motion control software Flair. The award recognises individuals whose contributions have greatly advanced the technological aspects of film-making.

The ‘Milo design team’ receiving their Academy Awards

Following the release of Juno in 2000, a smaller motion control system and the Ulti-head, our modular pan/tilt remote head in2004 and numerous other smaller products and software during this time.  We are now looking forward to continuing to develop and manufacture innovative and market leading ideas in the motion control market and we have no doubt that the future will be equally as exciting.  Of course we will be keeping you regularly informed with our Motion Control Update Newsletter