Ithaca College’s Roy H. Park School of Communications recently selected Cartoni camera support products from North Hollywood-based Manios Digital & Film as part of a general upgrade of its studio production facilities. A total of six Cartoni P90 studio pedestals, and Omega fluid heads are part of an all-new camera package that also includes ten HD Ikegami cameras and six state-of-the-art CueScript teleprompters. The school also purchased four Gamma fluid heads for its mobile production unit. The new gear will be used for both classroom instruction and student production activity, including ICTV, the school’s award-winning, student-run television operation.
Ithaca College boasts one of the oldest and most sophisticated broadcast production programs in higher education, serving students from around the country and the world. This past year, the school implemented plans to overhaul its production facilities to bring them in line with current professional standards. “Our philosophy is to provide our students with the best and most advanced equipment, compatible with our instructional needs and budget,” said director of technical operations David Priester. “We buy infrequently, but we buy well.”
In selecting new pedestals and heads, the school considered such factors as quality, durability, precision and cost. “We were very impressed with the engineering of the Cartoni products,” Priester noted. “We also liked the pricing and the long-term cost of ownership. Their warranty program is better than those offered by most manufacturers. They were the right fit for us.”
The school’s production equipment has to stand up to heavy use. Studios are busy most weekdays with classroom instruction, while evenings and weekends are devoted to student-led productions. ICTV provides programming for local cable channel, with content including news, sports, public affairs, arts performances, comedy, drama and game shows.
The Cartoni pedestals and fluid heads perform well amid such rigorous use and also provide flexibility for varying production demands. The P90 pedestals are capable of supporting the school’s new Ikegami HDK-95C camera systems and payloads up to 55kg and 90kg, respectively. They’re also a perfect match for new CueScript Teleprompter Monitors.
“A lot of broadcast facilities are transitioning away from the heavy studio cameras and bulky support systems of the past,” noted CueScript President Michael Accardi. “Cartoni pedestals are better suited to today’s cameras, and to our prompters. They are better sized and have a better feature set.”
“We’re very happy with the whole camera package,” concluded Priester. “The Cartoni support products are well designed and can survive use by students who are just learning their craft.”
