Latest News
and Innovations
Filter by topic
MRMC Release BOLT Hi-speed Cinebot rig in the UK
On the 20th of June Mr Moco Rentals in collaboration with Love High Speed and Park Royal studios released the Bolt high speed cinebot rig in the UK. For those of you who couldn’t make it here is a taste of what you missed. [vimeo clip_id=”69887138″] For more information on Bolt High Speed Cinebot rig. […]
Bolt – High Speed Motion Control Rig
Mark Roberts Motion Control, world leaders in customized motion control and robotic automation for the film and television industries, present the Bolt rig, for high-speed, shoot-friendly and broadcast applications. Compatible with almost any high-speed camera, Bolt is a new MRMC innovation in High Speed Motion Control, and is fully controllable using FLAIR Motion Control software. For more information, […]
MRMC creates bespoke High speed rotate Rig
We often get asked to go around a subject at high speed. This month we were asked to create a high speed rig for a client wanting to go at over 5m/s (16’/sec) around a subject while filming with a high speed Olympus i-Speed camera. Additionally they wanted to be able to go around and […]
**NEW** Robo Head – Don’t miss out Register Today
Mark Roberts Motion Control New “Robo Head” has a special pre-order price of just £2999. Don’t miss out on your chance to Pre-order at this special price. Register Today! The Robo-head has the following advantages: LOW-COST high-end, quality, pan tilt head. Light-weight aluminium construction with a 4kg/9lb payload. Ethernet controlled, which can include wi-fi or […]
High Speed Motion Control
Mark Roberts Motion Control have supplied industrial robots running from user and film-industry-friendly software for high speed shooting for many years. These have become very popular recently. These robots can be used for different applications but they are excellent for high speed table top shoots with cameras like Phantoms or as model movers. Some of the advantges […]
Lighting up the V&A for the 2012 London Design Festival
Mark Roberts Motion Control was recently involved with Cinimod studios and their interactive lighting design project “Walk the Light”. Commissioned as part of London Design Festival 2012 the entrance walkway to the V&A Museum was bathed in colour that reacted to the movements of the people walking through the tunnel of light. The whole effect relied […]
Motion Control Tutorial
Motion Control Tutorial from Mark Roberts Motion Control on Vimeo. This motion control tutorial is the most comprehensive, simple to understand explanation of what motion control is and how it is used in the TV and film industry. Over 25 mins you will be introduced to the Milo Motion Control rig, the most widely known […]
Titan Telescopic Arm
Titan Telescopic Arm Worlds largest telescopic motion control arm successfully used in productions. Called the Titan Arm and with an extended length of 9 metres (30 feet), it allows numerous shots to be created with motion control that would normally be impossible. DON’T FORGET THE MOCO FORUM Remember everyone is welcome to become a member […]
The 7 Uses of Motion Control
The 7 Uses of Motion Control (This is the full article previously published in parts) Did we say 7 uses? – Well that’s not quite true. There are in fact countless. To many to list in a newsletter in detail, but there are generally 7 main reasons for using motion control. These categories are listed below and we will be covering […]
SFH-30: The Creative’s Mini-Head
SFH-30: The Creative’s Mini-Head The SFH-30 pan tilt head has been designed to provide precision, accuracy and versatility not found in similar sized heads, making it suitable for a wide range of applications including live action, events, sports broadcasting, stop-frame animation and time-lapse photography. click here to view the new flier. SFH-30_handout_LR
The RED Epic on the SFH-30 pan tilt head
The RED Epic on the SFH-30 pan tilt head The highly anticipated release of the RED Epic has begun rolling out with production versions now quickly making their way on to film sets and motion control rigs. We gave a new Epic, supplied by RED Europe based at Pinewood Studios, a test with one of […]
Milo shoots “splashing” 3D Stereoscopic Spot for Fuji
Milo shoots “splashing” 3D Stereoscopic Spot for Fuji When Fuji wanted a commercial that really communicated the 3D Stereoscopic capabilities of their new camera, they turned to director Tim Stoffel to bring across the message about their Fuji Finepix Real 3dw3. The camera takes pictures in perfect stereo and even shoots 720p HD video in stereoscopic. With […]
Oscar Winning Techniques for the Golden Compass
Oscar Winning Techniques for the Golden Compass In the last newsletter we told you about the success of The Golden Compass with its Oscar winning special effects. As part of creating Iorek the polar bear, Framestore CFC commissioned Ian Menzies from Motion Control Cameras to build a mechanical structure which would move with similar motion to a walking or galloping bear when mounted […]
*** Dulux Let’s Colour Project ***
Dulux Let’s Colour Project Working with Stink UK and Director Adam Berg (well known in the moco world as the Director of “Carousel” for Phillips, shot using the Milo by the VFX Co.) Let’s Colour was shot over five weeks and took us to four continents. The shoot started in Lapa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and ended in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India with a couple of […]
*** 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 offer the new S4. The S4 is an ideal unit for anyone shooting […]
Animoko making of, Sandman and the Lost Sand of Dreams
Animoko making of, Sandman and the Lost Sand of Dreams Julian Hermannsen from Visual Distractions Ltd. worked as the Motion Control and Visual Effects Supervisor on the recently released German stop-motion feature, The Sandman and the Lost Sand of Dreams produced by Scopas Medien. From the outset it was clear that the five-month principal photography was going to be […]
S3 3D Stereoscopic Animation Unit
S3 3D Stereoscopic Animation Unit It is now 12 months since the S3 3D Stereoscopic Stepper/Slider unit was released and in that time it has gone from strength to strength being used in everything from commercials, to feature films and TV series and in all corners of the globe. Being compatible with MACs and PCs and all […]
Syndicate Milo – just add water
Syndicate Milo – just add water Syndicate Entertainment AB – a VFX/moco facility based in Stockholm, Sweden – recently produced a promotional film for the release of Autodesk REVIT, a new architectural software. The production was driven from an animatic that was done in collaboration with the creative team from the agency. The challenge was to […]
Cheryl Cole, Three Words Music Video
Cheryl Cole, Three Words Music Video Cheryl Cole’s “Three Words” music video had the concept of one camera move for the duration of the video with a second camera breaking off to film an alternative camera path then rejoining the existing camera. It would have been extremely hard to achieve this programming a motion control […]
Samsung 3D TV commercial, A New Dimension
Samsung 3D TV commercial, A New Dimension Rogue Films approached Ian Menzies with the project of shooting a commercial for Samsung’s first LED 3D TV. The aim was to create a 3D feel to a 2D image. The Director, Sam Brown and DP, Damien Morisot wanted to have a handheld look to all of the camera moves shot with the motion control […]
Stop frame commercial – Minimalism, making of
Stop frame commercial – Minimalism, making of Weirdoughmationfilms, a Stop-Motion-Animation-Studio based in Germany (Rhein-Main Area near Frankfurt) recently handled the production of all Stop-Frame footage as well as all Motion-Control-Shots for the production of Minimalism, a web Viral / online spot produced by Living Room Pictures for MINI /BMW. Agency: Webguerillias, directed by Jochen Hirschfeld. Having worked with a Locomoco- and Kuper-systems […]
Milo on the set of Max Payne
Milo on the set of Max Payne In our May 2008 newsletter we mentioned Operator Jerry Andrews and Technician Craig Perrin from Kinetic Camera in Toronto had been working with a Milo on the feature film Max Payne. At the time we couldn’t say or show a whole lot. With the film now released here are some photos and details of how the […]
The extremely versatile SFH-30
The extremely versatile SFH-30 From basketball and football broadcast events, stop frame animation, remote head camera work for commercials to crowd timelapse photography, the SFH-30 seems to be everywhere making that perfect shot attainable. Due to its small light-weight build, low cost, high precision and its ability to handle the RED and other small HD cameras, the […]
Losito International Films welcome the arrival of their Milo
Losito International Films welcome the arrival of their Milo Based in Italy, Losito International Films, one of the leaders in the film and TV industry High speed and Table-top/special effects are now the proud owners of their very own Milo Motion Control Rig. Now combining Motion Control with High speed special effects, the Losito crew are […]
Welcome to Motion Control 3D!
Welcome to Motion Control 3D! Note – this product is now released and available to order. See S3 Stereosopic Stepper Unit The Academy Award winning team at Mark Roberts Motion Control are pleased to announce the up-coming release of a vital tool for any stop-frame animators looking to produce in 3D Stereoscopic. The field of 3D […]
Milo Shoot, Natasha Bedingfield, “Angel”
Milo Shoot, Natasha Bedingfield, “Angel” Camera Control Inc recently operated the Milo on Natasha Bendingfield’s “Angel” music video. The Milo motion control rig was used to achieve multiple passes of Natasha in the various sets and in a variety of costumes. Flair motion control software was used to program the panning off speed, then matched to the panning on […]
The first Milo in Lebanon
The first Milo in Lebanon Third Eye FX is now the hub of motion control in Lebanon and surrounding regions having just bought their very own Milo Motion Control Rig! This is the first Milo to be placed and operated in the Middle East. As well as offering rental of the Milo in all regions of the Middle […]
Recent Credits
Recent Credits Here are a few of the recent Feature Films that Mark Roberts Motion Control equipment has been used on: James Bond: Quantum of Solace You Don’t Mess with the Zohan Avatar Max Payne The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Bond no Match For Motion Control
Bond no Match For Motion Control Motion Control Operator Ben Goldschmied from Motion Control Cameras Ltd. recently did a MILO shoot with James Bond (Daniel Craig) that tested him to his limits. Here’s what he had to say about it: THE MILO ON SET “Motion Control Cameras were approached to film this commercial with a short brief […]
Milo on set for the feature film Max Payne
Milo on set for the feature film Max Payne Kinetic Camera in Toronto recently completed shots for the feature film Max Payne, due to be released in October this year. We can’t give you any images at this time, but we can tell you that one of the scenes was an establishing shot of Max, played […]
The Ulti-Head – Head to head with a Gorilla
The Ulti-Head – Head to head with a Gorilla Camera Control Inc. in Santa Monica have over the past several months shot several commercials using their Ulti-Head including this one below for AMP. The Ulti-Head was used on numerous shots allowing the stunt sequences of a gorilla crashing through a glass window to be combined with extras and actors […]
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 […]
What has the Talos been up to since its release?
What has the Talos been up to since its release? At last year’s IBC you saw the release of the Talos. So what has it been up to since? The Talos has been in use right across Europe. It is extremely popular due to it’s light weight, simplicity and speed of set up and it’s […]
Motion Control helps The Golden Compass to the Best Visual Effects Academy Award this year
Motion Control helps The Golden Compass to the Best Visual Effects Academy Award this year It was good news for The Golden Compass at the Academy Awards when they beat off stiff competition from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Transformers to take Hollywood’s highest accolade in best visual effects. Framestore CFC, who were honoured in Hollywood last week, provided key […]
Motion Control in Colleges and Universities
Motion Control in Colleges and Universities An increasing number of media, film and computer graphics degree courses are including motion control as a major part of their curriculum. While motion control has been a standard part of filming and special FX for many years, it has rarely been given as much importance at higher education […]
SIGGRAPH 2007 Best of Show Award for ARK
SIGGRAPH 2007 Best of Show Award for ARK The new short animated film “Ark” by Grzegorz ‘Greg’ Jonkajtys (director, producer) and Marcin Kobylecki (producer), has received a number of awards this year including the Best of Show award at SIGGRAPH 07. Shot using the Milo from Platige Image mounted (as you can see in the […]
Makina Creative Post premiers Milo in Turkey
Makina Creative Post premiers Milo in Turkey Turkish company Makina Creative Post started their motion control journey with an extraordinary shoot. Having taken delivery of a brand new Milo they were challenged with shooting “Dream in Efes” which was the first big budget international commercial for Efes, a leading Turkish beer brand. The commercial illustrates the taste of Efes in […]
COMPANY PROFILE – MOTION CONTROL CAMERAS
MOTION CONTROL CAMERAS Ian Menzies of Motion Control Cameras speaks to us about how his close association with our team here at Mark Roberts Motion Control has enabled them to be pioneers in the field of Motion Control filming. Ian, a highly experienced motion control operator and in the business for the last 15 years, was the very first operator to […]
MRMC Maquette System
MRMC Maquette System A few months ago MRMC delivered an interface to the VFX Co to provide them with a 6-degrees of freedom model-mover system for special effects. The motion base platform is capable of moving a 1-ton load in any direction or rotation and is currently being used for a feature film to simulate […]
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 […]
Ikea in a spin
Ikea in a spin Having taken delivery of their Milo this summer, Syndicate Technologies based in Sweden immediately got their Milo into action filming the most quintessentially of Swedish exports…IKEA This was Ikea’s first web only commercial. The campaign is called “Dreamkitchens for everyone” and shows six kitchens in a time slice format which turn […]
Aardman Animates Another Hit!
Aardman Animates Another Hit! The cheese-loving Wallace and his ever faithful dog Gromit—the much-loved duo from Aardman’s Oscar®-winning clay-animated “Wallace & Gromit” shorts—star in an all new comedy adventure, ‘Wallace & Gromit – The Curse of the Were-Rabbit’. The acclaimed latest feature from the award winning team was shot extensively with motion control equipment (twenty […]
Motion Magic for Paheli – Courtesy of Asia Image Magazine
Motion Magic for Paheli – Courtesy of Asia Image Magazine Paheli, the latest Indian blockbuster by acclaimed director Amol Palekar and producer-actor Shah Rukh Khan, shows how motion control can solve the most difficult of visual effects shots. Romance, drama, betrayal. The dilemma of lovers, a symphony emotions, an encounter with the supernatural. A mix of […]
Cloning Around – by Chris Waitt
Cloning Around – by Chris Waitt The challenge of the movie Dupe was that the script called for several identical people. Award-Winning Director Chris Waitt describes how motion control was the answer. Dupe is a short film, funded by the UK Film Council as part of their Digital Shorts scheme. It tells the story of […]
NETZERO Shoot at CCI
NETZERO Shoot at CCI In a recent commercial for Net Zero, an Internet provider, production company Patriot Pictures and Riot used Camera Control Inc with their Milo long arm and Slimline Fries camera to shoot a series of pre-visualised moves of a Net Zero customer enjoying his Hyper Fast Internet experience. The concept called […]
British Airways Shoot for “Knucklehead”
British Airways Shoot for “Knucklehead” The latest BA commercial, directed by award winner Daniel Barber from Knucklehead , used extensive motion control techniques supplied by the Visual Effects Company based in London. The commercial begins outside the window of a flat looking at a man inside. With the hero character staying centre frame, the camera […]
The Life Aquatic For Milo
The Life Aquatic For Milo A recent Disney Picture starring Bill Murray and Cate Blanchett featured several shots created with a couple of Milo motion control systems, supplied and operated by Motion Control Cameras, UK. The Life Aquatic is Wes Anderson’s (The Royal Tannenbaums, Rushmore) latest creation. The film which was shot in Italy in […]