The brainchild of an EP and award-winning cinematographer, SOLO Cinebot lets film professionals capture cinema-quality content with fully-remote, zero-touch camera setup
Despite phased re-openings across the United States, COVID-19 health and safety concerns still remain at the forefront for every industry. The film industry in particular has been grappling with how to capture cinema-quality content while keeping their talent and crews socially-distanced. Traveling to shoot locations and being on-set together has proven more difficult in the COVID era.
That’s why two L.A.-based film industry veterans have teamed up to launch SOLO Cinebot, a robotic, fully-remote camera that is helping production crews work safely and effectively during the pandemic by integrating new technologies into existing methodologies in order to create new tools for filmmakers around the world.
The brainchild of Aaron Grasso, award-winning cinematographer and CEO of boutique camera rental house Antagonist Camera, and Josh Shadid, executive producer and CEO at production studio Lord Danger, SOLO Cinebot moves the entire film production process into the virtual realm. A fully-built production studio, complete with 4K cinema cameras, lighting, and professional audio, is sent directly to talent, who simply need to “plug it in.” SOLO’s remote technicians along with creatives can then take full control of all functionalities and operations — while communicating with talent and collaborators over a secure live video chat.
“With SOLO, we’re able to offer uncompromising cinema-quality audio and video capture in a way that prioritizes the health, wellness, and privacy of high-profile talent — all while providing jobs to trained professionals anywhere in the world,” says Shadid.
While remote video capture and streaming aren’t new, most socially-distanced video content is being recorded on laptop webcams and smartphones. As the only robotic camera approved by Netflix for use in its original content, SOLO brings back the high-resolution film quality that the industry and viewers have come to expect.
But SOLO Cinebot isn’t just for filmmakers. It’s also filling a gap in the market for creative agencies, advertisers, and production companies that need to create top-notch video content for their clients. SOLO’s plug and play activation means there’s no setup or technical experience required for on-screen talent, so anyone from celebrities to CEOs can easily be recorded by creatives from anywhere in the world.
Added Grasso: “SOLO is the only no-setup remote production solution on the market, designed to provide on-screen talent with a simple, straightforward experience while giving professional filmmakers the ability to work with the precision and control we are used to having on set.”
With its ease of use and accessibility, SOLO is poised to change the way the film industry and creative talent think about virtual content creation, both during quarantine and beyond.
About SOLO Cinebot
SOLO Cinebot is a fully-remote production solution from film industry veterans Josh Shadid of Lord Danger and Aaron Grasso of Antagonist Camera. For more information, visit www.solocinebot.com or check us out on Instagram.
Simian Gets An Evolutionary Boost For Collaboration, Reveals “Teams”
Simian, the showreel-building, review & approval, and production asset management platform used globally by creative leaders, is kicking off this fall season with a substantial leap forward for collaboration and project management – with more updates on the way during the holidays!
The new feature, aptly dubbed “Teams”, makes it easier than ever for users to give project responsibilities to team members and clients alike. “You can never have too many options when it comes to permission levels,” says Jay Brooks, Simian’s Chief Technology Officer. “Teams provides a streamlined way to assign multiple users to a project at once.”
“Teams are very powerful, but creating one is effortless,” Brian Atton, Simian’s Chief Operating Officer explains. “Simply enter a Team name, add members, and then apply the newly made Team to any desired project. You can even invite temporary guests without changing settings for other projects or needing to create a new Team.”
“We love helping our clients by providing efficient tools to improve their workflow, and this has been a frequently requested feature as of late,” shares Kellie Atton, Head of Sales at Simian. “It feels great to get Teams out into the wild because I know it’s going to be tremendously helpful to everyone who uses it”.
Teams is now available exclusively to Simian’s enterprise clients. Simian plans to release more product upgrades and enhancements during Q4 2024 and 2025 for enterprise and non-enterprise users, continuing its ongoing evolution as the industry’s leading production asset management solution.
For more information on Simian upgrades and features, visit https://www.gosimian.com/
About Simian
Simian (