I
recently received more than $6500 worth of equipment from you, including your
8-12' HD crane kit (with K-Pod and Hercules 2.0), a Cineslider with all of the
trimmings, an Oracle/Revolution pairing, some Electras and a bit of support
gear for everything.
We,
Imagos Films LLC, are an independent film studio in Chicago. We had a
tough decision with our startup money: Put it whole hog into a film budget
(with rentals for equipment) or invest a chunk of it on equipment we know we'll
need no matter the film and go from there.
It
was Kessler's line of product that answered our questions for us. For the same
amount as some single items on our list cost via a traditional "pro"
supplier/manufacturer, we were able to get a massive amount of equipment from
Kessler with absolutely NO concern as to whether or not it would be
professional grade powerful gear. Using the K-Pod alone gives an immediate
sense of professionalism and industrial strength utility.
We
have not shot with the crane yet, but the work we have done already, in the
week we have had the gear (it came in 2 batches, both WELL under the 10-14 day
warning on your site - in fact, I think it was delivered 2 days after order) we
have shot enough, and made a big enough impression with our wise investment in gear,
that our investors have offered us a budget for our first feature film.
It
is with no amount of exaggeration that I say that this will be a film made
possible only with Kessler's low cost, super-high quality equipment.
We
have decided to support Kessler equipment with a fervor because of this, and
will be Kessler loyalists as long as your product maintains the amazing build
quality and striking affordability for the new age of digital filmmakers.
My name is Sylvan Grimm, Tech dept head for
Authentic Entertainment. In virtually all our shows that Authentic has produced
over the last few years have incorporated the use of Kessler products. We have
used the K-pod system to get the most challenging camera angles and unique
shots on Food Networks: Ace of Cakes, History Channels: Cities of the
Underworld, Science Channels: Science of Movies, and many more. Its versatility
as a crane, dolly and tripod have allowed Authentic to increase its production
values ten fold and it is all with the help of Eric and his team.
Most recently we have been using Eric’s newly designed Cineslider for Discovery
channels Howe&Howe Tech with enormous success. Its smooth gliding movement
and ease of portability has made it a favorite among our DP’s and one of the
most often requested pieces of equipment that we own. Kessler crane lives in a
competitive market place in which there is a fine balance between build
quality, ease of use, and price point. Kessler manages that equilibrium
with aplomb and is an innovator in unique crane, jib, and dolly solutions.
Keep innovating Kessler!
Kevin Bradley
Eric,
I just want to take the opportunity to thank you for the great customer service that you've provided to me personally. I used the new KC-8 on set for the first time last night and I've just got to say (and excuse my english and/or french) ROCK FU#&$ING SOLID!! I used a lot of cranes in the last few years of my career (and of course I've owned the original Kessler Crane since 2005) and this thing is just great for what it is. I'd even say that it's right up there with the Matthews Intelijib, and that thing costs about seven grand. For the price that you're offering with these systems, I would not be surprised if you really did start eating into that market. BTW, just for reference, last night we were shooting S16mm film with an ARRI that weighed about 40 pounds! It took the weight with no evidence of bowing or anything like that.
Again thanks so much for remaining loyal to a loyal customer, you've got me for life.
Thanks,
Kevin Bradley
Cinematographer
Dan A. R. Kelly
As a regular participant in the 48 Hour Film Project in Greensboro, I had
the good fortune of being the 1st Runner Up Best Picture last year and being
awarded a Kessler Crane. I cannot begin to tell you what a blessing it was! The
next short film we made, we shot extensively on the Kessler Crane, and we won
Runner Up Best Picture with NBC/Universal's Chiller TV "Dare 2 Direct"
Contest. The Kessler Crane is so light-weight and versatile, we often just keep
the camera on it for entire scenes. Thanks for an invaluable tool! And
thanks for your support of the 48 Hour Film Project!
I just unpacked the K-Pod,
and I only have one thing to say (and please excuse my
French)....HOLY
SH*T!!!
This thing is
AMAZING! I can't believe the level of engineering, I've never seen
anything that would even come close to this puppy! I can't wait to put this
all together and use it (this weekend). Like you said... it was WELL worth the
wait.
Again... my hat's off to
you and your team for developing such a great product. It's really nice to
see quality these days as it is lacking in most aspects of life
anymore.
I will be contacting you
for some other products soon...and you can bet I'll be talking this up anywhere
& everywhere I can.
I just want to say thank you for making such a great product. I've only
used it once so far, but I'm completely in love, and actually, I'm talking my
school's production crew into ordering one for themselves. The Jib is so
smooth with flawless movement. I
just ordered the AXIS system because I
know that it can only add greater value to the shots. I had been so afraid
to buy a jib because I knew how much I was spending and I was afraid I'd get
negative results. But Kessler Crane made it affordable and actually happen.
Thank you for bringing my company to a whole new level, and even more
competitive in the market!
You all are wonderful! Thank you very much for all your help in making this purchase. Even though you did not have a booth at NAB, I was able to look at most of your competitors. After all my homework, I am confident in my Kessler purchase. Your level of service confirms my choice; thank you.
Isaac Porter
Paradigm Shift Video LLC.
DPC Films
I’m David Cervenka the founder of DPC Films and we’ve been using the Kessler crane for the past 2 years to film extreme action sports. Majority of our time is spent on the water filming wakeboarding/wakeskating and thanks to your crane we’ve been able to capture unique angles never seen in the sport before. In 2006 we used the Kessler crane during a 10 day film session on the California Delta while shooting for The Chick Flick - an all female wakeboard video that I co-produced with Joe Umali. The setup included the 12’ Kessler on a Bogen/Manfrotto 316 head and 3191 sticks strapped to the bow of the boat while chasing the riders at 24+ mph. The camera of choice was the Panasonic DVX100a and to compose the shots we used the Varizoom 7” TFT monitor. After reviewing the footage we aptly nicknamed the setup “the poor-mans helicopter” because of the striking similarity to a heli-shot, but at a HUGE fraction of the cost. ;-)
Just recently we shot another on-water production for EPIC WakeBoats using the Kessler and the Panasonic HVX-200. We spent 4 days filming with their teams riders which included several wakeboarders, a wakeskater, and a wakesurfer. Each sport presented a new opportunity for more new angles thanks to the versatility of the crane. For the wakeskater and wakesurfer we were able to start the crane down low and then move it above the rider to get a full range of motion never experienced before. We were extremely happy and the riders were stoked on the new angles, so it was yet another very positive Kessler experience.
No matter the session or the sport the Kessler crane has always been rock-solid and exceed our expectations!
We owe a great deal to the Kessler Crane. We received a $16,000 grant from
the Canada Council of the Arts to shoot a twelve-minute short film. The film
required numerous setups over a limited three day shoot. The most demanding
involved working with two stallions (one being the original Black Stallion!).
We only had the horses for four hours, during which time we needed to
complete eight setups. The Kessler Crane allowed us to move quickly, avoided the
need to lay track (a "no go" for horses), and insured professional results at an
incredible price point.
We've just started the film festival circuit and we have already won two
awards. The Kessler is an indispensable tool for the emerging filmmaker.
Now with the upgraded control rods and extended weight bar, there is
nothing under $2,000 that can beat it. I give the Kessler Crane my highest
endorsement.
Bruce
Marchfelder | Film
History, Directing
Vancouver Film
School
www.vfs.com
Steve Hart
Eric,
I just wanted to drop you a letter of thanks for the quality product that you and your company produce.
I have a production company in Los Angeles and as an individual have been in the television and film industry as a 2nd
unit Director (DGA) and a Stunt Coordinator for over 22 years. That
means that I have worked on some pretty large projects. Most recently Fast and Furious 3, Tokyo Drift, and Mission Impossible 3. That
also means that I have seen and used some pretty nice equipment.
Your
equipment, the Kessler 12/8 Crane with the motorized camera turret,
video assist and dvx controller ranks right up there with anything that
Hollywood has to offer. We just shot two national commercials for
QuikDrop International and they turned out just great. We used your
crane on both commercials, but one, “The Drill Sergeant” was shot
entirely with your crane. The winning combination of your crane and my
dp, Igor Meglic was literally a homerun for my clients and my company.
We raised the bar for any other production companies of our size and
many that are larger than we are.
I cannot thank you enough
for time, effort, quality product, and service that we got from Kessler
Crane. Your equipment will be used in all of our productions from this
point on.
Thank you,
Steve Hart
Maverick Productions/Post
Los Angeles, CA.
Clint Lealos
My name is Clint Lealos
and I have been meaning to write you for some time now. I just
returned from shooting for three months around Europe for a new History
Channel series called "Cities of the Underworld". Our host explores
all sorts of underground sites like, ancient ruins, 2,000 year old sewers,
WWII bunkers, and even tombs. At each one of these locations we were
determined to get smooth, well composed jib shots, no matter how cramped,
dirty, or difficult it was. I can say with confidence that we could
not have achieved this without the use of your fabulous Kessler
Crane. It was easy to set up (even in a sewer) and performed
flawlessly every time. We even stripped down one of our Panasonic
Varicams and slapped it on the 8' crane. No problem! I can't
stress enough how much production value this crane added to our show, and
with a reasonable price tag too. Thank you for developing a well
designed, well made, and affordable crane. You have a life long
customer.
Testimonials 
