Welcome to CineSmart.com May 01 2013
Cinesmart has been known for innovative and rugged camera accessories since 1999 when we made our first Base Plates and Matte Box system for Plus 8 Digital.
At the time we were the only camera rental house renting HD cameras for cinema style production and there were no camera and lens accessories for the new world of digital cameras. We made our line to fit the way our customers wanted to work. We also made it simple and logical so our prep techs could build a package on the fly.
In 2001 we partnered with Barry Minnerly to make a downconverter box for the analog outputs of the Sony F900. In 2003 we partnered with Brian Quandt of Rushplay to create a digital dailies system that ran on the Palm Trio smart phone. We spent many thousands on metadata R&D for Star Wars Ep. 3.
It all came to an end when we sold the company to Panavison.
Now, 7 years later, we are back. Brian Putansu my mechanical designer from Plus 8 and I have teamed up again to make the simple, solid, reliable tools that the rental company needs.
The world has changed - there are hundreds of vendors of camera accessories. While, we marvel at the breadth of the offerings, we are surprised to find how cheap most of the stuff is. After using the new stuff, we find that there are too many small pieces, levers, and rods. In an effort to be innovative, most of the new accessories are too complicated.
Most of the current offerings are only serviceable if you only configure it once. If you own a camera and use the same accessories every day, the inexpensive stuff makes sense. If you make your living renting cameras or using rented cameras, you need something that is fast, flexible and simple.
As an owner of a rental house, I know how difficult it is to have multiple preps happening on a Friday afternoon. Every crew needs something a little different. What is worse, is going to the shelf to get a last minute add, only to find that the previous user lost the set screws, the knobs are damaged, or the prep tech gave a few “spares” to the last crew, and there are none left.
CineSmart is back to make the kind of tools that eliminate the gotchas. They won’t break. There are very few parts, and they are the same parts from kit to kit. To have a deep inventory, you won’t need a thousand different inventory items, you need a few dozen.
No more sitting on the prep floor like you are assembling furniture from IKEA. Everything is intuitive. Every thing fits. A tool is required only when there is some ergonomic or safety benefit.
The parts are rugged. Throw them in a box with batteries or a big Oconnor head - they won’t crush, bend or fail. The finish resists abuse, looks better with age. Drop parts from a crane and you will easily find them in the dark and they will bolt back on.
Everything we make is about working smarter. Whatever distracts you from your craft is wrong. We aim to make our products effortlessly useful so you can do your best work.
