Blog
NAB 2019
We’re relishing in the success of this year’s National Association of Broadcasters Show! Thank you to everyone who visited our booth. This was definitely the most exciting NAB Show for GSS to date.
If you didn’t attend, you missed out on some major showstoppers at our booth! It was a privilege showing off our systems alongside our talented partners and clients, including the Sony HDC-P50 4K broadcast camera, the Canon 45X 4K and Fujinon 46X 4K broadcast lenses, and the XD Motion X Fly Vertical and Tethered Drone. Of course, Incline Dynamic Outlet’s incredible Huracam camera car raced in and took everyone’s breath away.
We also had the opportunity to bring out our 2001 original Cineflex V14. Our gimbals have come a long way, and this design has truly stood the test of time. This system marked the beginning of the Cineflex legacy and still continues today in our broadcast line of products!
This year continues to look bright! What are we excited for? Expect to see low-light broadcast cameras and augmented reality overlays change the game even further for live sports and electronic news gathering market segments.
If you couldn’t make this year’s NAB Show, we know we’ll see you at NAB 2020! Stay in-the-know by signing up for our email list below!
Aerial Cine Group Showcases Corail Helicopters
Journey to the stunning island of Mauritius in the latest video from Aerial Cine Group. Flying alongside Corail Helicopters, the island-based tour guides in the Caribbean and off the coast of South Africa, Aerial Cine Group explores the lush landscape off the eastern coast of Africa.
The video in this shoot was captured by Aerial Cine Group with our GSS 516 Red Helium and Angenieux Optimo 25-250. The results are phenomenal. This was a great way to market Corail Helicopters.
Aerial Cine Group, the Emmy-winning, Belgium-based aerial filming team, has gone global. You may have seen their work from the Red Bull Air Racing in Abu Dhabi, sailing in Miami, car chasing in Amsterdam, and more.
See more of Aerial Cine Group on Instagram @aerial_cine_group!
The Clients of GSS
What does it take to create the incredible documentaries you watch on The BBC, Discovery Channel and more? It starts with the best tech, outstanding customer service and state-of-the-art designs from a dedicated team. But don’t just take our word for it. Listen to these client testimonials from the most talented crews in the aerial cinematography industry.
“They are a step above...”
It’s all about the problem-solving abilities for Aerial Photographer Christian Turner from the US Air Force and Media Fusion. Our high-quality gimbal designs and 24/7 customer service speak for themselves, allowing Christian Turner to continue to capture the fastest aircraft around.
"It just made sense."
Emmy-winning Aerial Cameraman Skip Margetts of Helimedia wanted a partnership, not a sales pitch. With the ability to interchange cameras and lenses, Helimedia has created stunning footage on the Cape Town front for movies like Chappie (2015) and District 9 (2009) for over a decade.
“GSS is a group of excellence."
For IDO Aerials Co-Owner and Director of Photography Nathan Garofalos, accountability and consistency are crucial, and we can understand why. Since 2014, Incline Dynamic Outlet has created footage for the industry's biggest filmmakers: National Geographic, Warner Bros. Pictures and more.
“GSS has definitely set the bar high.”
Aerial Photographer Chris Higgins of the Edwards Air Force Base says his relationship with the GSS team boosts productivity. That engaging customer service really counts and makes a difference when he’s taking on the skies and capturing footage at jet speed.
"They care about my success."
Just like Winged Vision Founder Bob Mikkelson said, we do what others won't. Our partnership helps him capture awesome sporting event coverage of NASCAR, NHL, NFL and more. With stable footage, he gets in on the action both from land and in the air.
"GSS is a partner who we trust, and it works."
Alexander Brozek of CAMCAT-Systems agrees. GSS takes the time to answer questions. CAMCAT takes the European market by storm, taking on the 2017 British Golf Open and more with their remote-controlled cable system designed for aerial footage captures.
“It’s cutting edge, state of the art.”
Straight from Rogue Aviation Co-Owner Matt Barnes and Creative Director and Aerial Cinematographer Cory Hill, GSS is a family. Rogue Aviation has shot aerial work for The Mint 400 race and Pacific Flight Aviation flight school, and has been featured in commercial ads for all kinds of businesses and brands, like DuPont, BMW, and even in music videos!
Our amazing clients are the reason we do what we do. The art they continue to create inspires us to consistently innovate our gimbals for the best service and quality available.
See more testimonials here.
The GSS Cinema Pro+ captures United Arab Emirates National Day
Here’s one way to celebrate! In honor of December’s United Arab Emirates National Day and the life of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, an aircraft formation flew over Dubai in a spirit of unity, captured by a GSS Cinema Pro+!
In a collaboration between Navigation Films and Blue Sky’s Peter Degerfeldt, the plane formation, complete with eleven aircraft from Emirates, Etihad, Fly Dubai, Air Arabia and the Al Fursan Air Display Team, showcased color and teamwork in a course chartered by Sheikh Zayed. From the vantage point of an L39 Jet via the Baltic Bees, the video soared over Dubai and aircraft emblazoned with “Year of Zayed.”
The video, directed by Mike Charlton and produced by Akash Kingston, contains jet footage by Peter Degerfeldt and GSS technician Vicky Degerfeldt. Thanks to the Baltic Bees team members Valery Sobolev, Anatolij LIsenkov and Artyom Soloduha, this incredible fleet came to life.
UAE National Day celebrates the joining of the seven emirates in 1971 and the first president, Sheikh Zayed, typically celebrated with fireworks and air shows.
This was an amazing capture by Blue Sky Aerials and Navigation Films. We are so proud to see our technology used in ways that continue to push and innovate the filming industry!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see more.
Award-Winning Teton Gravity Research
Last year, Teton Gravity Research created an awesome new project with their Cinema Pro+ and took home Powder’s Movie of the Year Award.
Their film Far Out goes global, from the Albanian Alps to Girdwood, Alaska. What do the world’s most wild mountain ranges have to offer? More than 30 of the most daring bike, ski and snowboard athletes find out. This epic chronicle took one of the coveted awards during Powder Magazine’s 19th Annual Powder Awards in December, an event which honors the best athletes and artists in the ski community.
Check out the trailer for Far Out below.
We are a proud sponsor of this film. As we have seen time and time again with dozens of the team’s incredible films, TGR never fails to deliver. Our client’s amazing work inspires us to push gimbal technology to new levels so they can achieve new perspectives.
A huge congrats to the TGR crew on this awesome win!
What will TGR create next? Be the first to know by following us on Instagram and Facebook!
Inter BEE 2018
GSS had a successful trip to Inter BEE 2018 last month, Japan’s annual broadcast electronic conference and exhibition. Totsu International, our sales partner for the Japanese market, shared our advanced gimbal technologies with the Japanese broadcast audience.
GSS Japan Sales & Support Partner Totsu International President Akira Ito, Koichi Ogata and Takeshi Sasadate.
Totsu International has represented Cineflex and GSS products in the law enforcement, government, broadcast and production markets for over a decade. Their experience and knowledge of the industry has allowed us to grow our presence and market share in Japan. At this year’s Inter BEE, we showcased our Cineflex Broadcast series gimbals specifically tailored for the Japanese market, the GSS Cineflex Premier and Cineflex T2.
Customers had a chance to try out our gimbal at the Totsu booth.
Inter Bee, formerly named the Broadcast Equipment Exhibition, has showcased the latest in broadcast electronics in Tokyo since 1965. It was a privilege to attend alongside some of the world’s most advanced technology. It has continued to be a great opportunity to share our systems.
Learn more about our Cineflex Broadcast systems here.
Thanksgiving with GSS
Happy Thanksgiving from the GSS family to you! 2018 has been an incredible year for us and the entire gyro-stabilized gimbal industry.
We have accomplished so much this year. After our Cineflex acquisition at the end of last year, we focused on re-branding our look, our gimbal products and sharing these top of the line systems with our community online! We had a fun and successful trip to IFC Amsterdam and also acquired Arctic Built, the best solution to rigging your gimbal to a Robinson helicopter! We are very proud of what this year has brought us and can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store.
Since we started in 2011, it’s been your passion for film and capturing the world that drives us to create the best gimbals in the industry. To all of our clients and supporters, thank you for guiding and encouraging our efforts along the way. Your support means everything to us, and we are so grateful
If you want to learn more about our GSS technologies or have any questions at all, please feel free to call us or message us and we will get back to you as soon as we can! We’re always around 24/7 to answer your gimbal needs.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving,
The GSS Team
Beyond The Helicopter: GSS Custom Design Services
Gimbals should go above and beyond the standard helicopter. When your project requires ground rigging from a ship or truck, as filmed during Deadliest Catch or a Teton Gravity Research project, a custom design should be within reach.
“We have mounted the C520 (Cinema Pro+) on cars, trucks, boats and small 4-wheel drive vehicles,” says Co-Founder, Executive Producer & Co-Director of Teton Gravity Research, Todd Jones.
“You can have it on a truck in the morning and move it onto a helicopter in under an hour.”
Decades of experience allow GSS engineers to develop gimbal systems which accommodate custom designs. We design every model with room for modifications as camera and lens technologies change and integrate systems to your needs.
After purchasing your gimbal, contact GSS who, along with companies including Paradigm SRP LLC, can develop unique systems fitted for your production, surveillance or broadcast needs.
Contact us about your custom design today!
From Old to New: A Look at Stabilized Improvements with Churchill Navigation
At GSS, we always look to evolve and improve. At our core, we are engineers that love to create, test and improve our gimbals and technologies to provide the highest quality and latest advancements that integrate with our gimbals. As we analyze old footage, we are proud to see how far our stabilized gimbals have come and are able to offer the best solution for IMU integration.
In this clip, we compared the original solution, External Novatel IMU, to the new, GSS Internal IMU. Both flights featured identical paths over Philadelphia and used Churchill Navigation’s BEAR mapping system with a GSS Cineflex series broadcast gimbal. Notice the incredible stabilization improvements; the street names no longer shake or bounce, and instead, glide smoothly.
What is IMU?
An IMU, Inertial Measurement Unit, detects linear acceleration using an accelerometer and rotational rate using gyroscopes. It reports pitch, roll and yaw status on a continual basis.
We use IMU data as part of an Inertial Navigation Systems (INS). The GSS INS uses the IMU measurements to calculate attitude, angular rates, linear velocity and position relative to a global reference frame. GSS IMU/INS reports the video’s location to Churchill for a live mapping overlay. An accurate IMU data feed results in a stable mapping overlay, as you see in this video.
Learn more about our development of our in-house INS here.
For more information on integrating GSS’s IMU with your system, contact us here.
For more information about our Cineflex Broadcast Series, click here.
The GSS Cinema Pro+
The GSS Cinema Pro+, formerly known as the C520, is the smallest and lightest gimbal in its class and supports the most popular cameras and lenses in the marketplace. This gimbal goes above and beyond competitors with fast installation time, a weather-sealed shell and the ability to house today’s most popular camera and lens configurations.
Weighing in at 85 pounds (without payload) and a width of 20 inches, this gimbal accommodates large cinema cameras and lenses for projects in all environments. The system has been used at sub-freezing temperatures above 24,000 feet in the Himalayas and in the sweltering heat in the Emirati desert. Unlike competitors, the Cinema Pro+ is completely sealed for safe operation in adverse climates.
Like all GSS gimbals, no gimbal tech is required for installation. Save time and money with our interchangeable systems, and swap between cameras like the Arri Alexa 65, Alexa SXT, Alexa LF, Sony Venice (and many others!) with hundreds of lens options within 30 minutes. This package can fly on a single pole mount, which will also save considerable time and money when compared to shipping, installing and using a dual pole mount.
With an expanded elevation of 30° to -205° from horizontal and six-axis of gyro-stabilized movement, the Cinema Pro+ has the most wide-ranging capabilities yet and may be operated in both standard and inverted mode. With VectorSteering™ look-down technology there is no gimbal lock.
Even with its large-scale capabilities, this gimbal still flies conveniently as excess baggage without ITAR or EAR export restrictions and easily breaks down to 70 lbs/32 kg per box in about one hour.
We have designed our future-proof open architecture systems to be compatible with upgrades as gimbal, camera and lens technologies evolve.
For all of the Cinema Pro+ details, check out the complete specs for more information about its expanded, interchangeable camera and lens options.
Download the complete specs here.
Aerial Camera Systems meets the Cineflex Pro +
GSS customer Aerial Camera Systems received their first GSS Cineflex Pro + this summer and inaugurated their new gimbal at this year’s Wimbledon Championships.
This system is contoured with the Grass Valley LDX-C86N Compact Camera and Canon CJ45 lens. For the first time, the Cineflex Pro + will help capture the legendary hoisted aerial shots of the All England Club in UHD/HDR. GSS’s newest customer has added to their state of the art gimbals and will now have the option of using their GSS Cineflex Pro + or Cineflex gimbals for various broadcast projects.
“We’re delighted to add the Cineflex Pro + to our inventory of stabilized gimbals. We’ve made some significant investments in equipment this year, recognizing the growing demand for 4K UHD formats.”
Operations Director Dave Whitlock
We look forward to the content ACS will release in the future with their new GSS gimbal, which will allow them to take on new payloads and revolutionize camera stability in the European market. ACS plans to use the Cineflex Pro + at upcoming sporting events this August.
Learn more about the Cineflex Pro + and all its capabilities here.
If you’re located in England, rent ACS gimbals and learn more about past projects from the Royal Wedding, Commonwealth Games and more at aerialcamerasystems.com.
The GSS Cinema Pro Gimbal
Formerly the GSS C516, the Cinema Pro handles the most popular medium-sized cinema cameras with ease. Similar to the Cinema Mini, its six-axis look-down extends filming capabilities without gimbal lock. An expanded width of 16 inches allows this gimbal to accommodate larger interchangeable lenses.
For increased precision and accessibility, the Cinema Pro features a geo-pointing option as well as GroundControl™ for wireless, bi-directional gimbal control.
Like the GSS Cinema Mini, this mid-sized, 60-pound gimbal is travel-friendly and still small enough to ship as excess baggage with no ITAR or EAR export restrictions.
Within 30 minutes, interchange lenses from the Canon Cinema Series, Zeiss Master Primes, Optimo wide zooms and more.
Interested in all of the Cinema Pro’s capabilities? Download the complete specs for more information about weight, dimensions, camera options and more.
VIEW AND DOWNLOAD THE FULL SPECS HERE
CONTACT US TODAY FOR A QUOTE
The GSS Cineflex Pro Gimbal
Optimized for broadcast use, The Cineflex Pro is the smallest and lightest system in the world, weighing 35 lbs or 15.8 kgs plus payload, that can hold today's most popular Broadcast payloads!
The GSS Cineflex Pro is the only system in the world that can hold the following payloads without having to repackage:
- Sony P43 4K with 45x-46x (No camera repacking necessary)
- GV c86n 4K with 45-46x (No camera repacking necessary)
- Ikegami HDL-F3000 with 45x-46x (No camera repacking necessary)
- Sony HDCP-1/3 with 45x-46x (No camera repacking necessary)
(Other camera and lens options are available as well - ask us about yours!)
The Cineflex Pro is just one of the GSS 5-axis gimbals from the Cineflex Broadcast Series. The Cineflex Pro beats out competitors and is ideal for major-market ENG clients and live broadcast applications. Compatible with lighter helicopters like the Bell 505, Robinson R44 and R66, it is fully upgradeable and functions with existing air and ground mounts.
Take advantage of top features including VectorSteering™ look-down with no gimbal lock, isolated electronics for eliminated video noise and optional internal IMU for Geo-pointing with a moving map interface and Virtual Reality Overlays.
Its compact size of 13.8 inches wide and 19 inches tall combined with the small platform size allows this gimbal to be transported as excess baggage without ITAR or EAR export restrictions, making shipping easily accessible.
To learn more about the Cineflex Pro, click here to download and see the complete specs and features.
If you haven’t purchased yours yet, contact us today for the best broadcast gimbal available.
GSS Used In The French Rally Championship
This past May, the GSS Cineflex gimbal was used to film the 53rd Antibes Côte d’Azur Rally of the French Rally Championship. More than 170 teams raced cars during the Antibes portion of the championship from May 18 to 20 in Juan-les-Pins.
Mikko of Mikko Aerial operated the gimbal system alongside Pilot, Manuel Benitou. The pair have previously combined efforts for documentaries, movies, advertisements and sporting events.
The team filmed with a RED Helium and a Canon 30-300mm lens, and a Sony HDC 1500 HD with the Fujinon 25-1100mm lens.
Check out the footage Mikko shot with our gimbal here.
GSS Used In Cutting Edge Technology News Helicopter, Sky 4
Sky 4 is taking news reporting to a new level of technology. Reporting out of Jacksonville, Florida, Sky 4 is owned by Graham Media and is one of their many leading and recognized stations in news media.
Sky 4 is leading the way with an Ikegami HDL-F3000 camera and a Canon 40x10 lens in their GSS Cineflex gimbal, mounted with an Arctic Pole Mount, specifically built for R44’s and R66’s.
With an R44, provided by the Heliteam, and a pilot, they are equipped with the GSS Cineflex gimbal operated directly from the news station. Yes, that’s right, there is no camera operator in the helicopter!
How do they accomplish this? By using a bi-directional downlink over the LTE. Simply put, a two-way communication channel transmits the media over the network from the helicopter and back down to the news station, and from the news station back up to the helicopter. This gives the news station the rare ability to locate the GSS hand controller from the news station!
This cutting edge technology saves the news station both time and money; not having the weight of a second person in the helicopter makes fuel last longer and flight operations cheaper.
GSS is proud to provide state of the art gimbals and play a part in innovating to make this possible for the Broadcast and ENG market.
Want your own gimbal? Contact us here!
GSS NAB Recap and Highlights
We’re back from NAB and feeling grateful and very excited from this year’s event and what the future holds for GSS and our partners!
In case we missed you, here’s a glance at what we showcased at NAB this year:
- We introduced the new Cineflex Pro camera system for the broadcast/ENG market. At 60 pounds or less with camera and zoom lens and no auxiliary box, the new system has the ability to integrate unmodified cameras from Sony, Grass Valley, Ikegami and others with focal lengths of up to 46X.
We showed the Arri Alexa 65 with Universal Lens Kit integrated into the gimbal inner axis of the Cinema Pro+. We partnered with Pat Longman from Active Camera Systems to showcase this exciting offering. Pat is excited to bring this new GSS capability to market in a much smaller and lighter gimbal package than was previously possible.
We had gimbals in our booth that included cameras from Arri, Red, Ikegami and Grass Valley, as well as, lenses from Arri, Canon and Fujinon.
We partnered with Angenieux to integrate the new Optimo Ultra 12:1 lens into the Cinema Pro+. The system is the smallest and lightest gimbal in the world to integrate this massive lens and was on display at the Angenieux booth paired with the Arri Alexa XT M camera.
We partnered with Defy to show their new 48V Dactylcam Pro cable camera system with a GSS gimbal integration.
We announced the GSS internal INS (Inertial Navigation System) and showcased test footage with Churchill Navigation. We are now able to offer the most stable moving map interface on the market. Take a look for yourself here!
It was great to connect again with some of our worldwide customer base of Cineflex products at NAB. Cineflex is in the GSS team members roots and we have known many Cineflex customers from humble beginnings. It was great to get reacquainted and connect as we continue the Cineflex legacy!
GSS is committed to providing the latest technologies to the broadcast/ENG and production gimbal markets.
Check back soon to see what else is going on with GSS.
Read other blogs and happenings here!
GSS Branding, Website & Logo Refresh
Our new branding and website were unveiled at the HAI Heli-Expo 2018 and you may be wondering why we rebranded, and the strategy behind it. (Or, you may not be wondering...and in that case, you can stop reading here and just admire our aesthetically pleasing new logo and website.)
With our acquisition of Cineflex in October 2017, we set out to approach the future of GSS by continuing the legacy that Cineflex began and expand on the technologies that were pioneered. As engineers, advancing our gimbal technology and capabilities is truly what we live for.
We also wanted our branding to match our forward vision as we grow. With that in mind, our new logo and branding is bold, clean, forward-thinking, futuristic and clearly identifies who we are as a company.
Our new website also embodies a bold, clean and modern feel. It is intuitive to navigate and is mobile-friendly! You can choose from the succinct options in our top navigation bar or click on the search icon to search exactly what you are looking for on our website.
You can conveniently message us directly from any product page if you have any questions, or wish to learn more about purchasing a product.
We look forward to the years to come of leading and developing the world’s highest quality gyro-stabilized systems.
GSS New Branding and Product Reveal at HAI Heli Expo 2018
It’s that time of year again and we’re amping up for the HAI HELI EXPO 2018. We love going to Heli-Expo each year to see the latest and greatest happenings in the helicopter community and networking with so many great people.
This year is pretty special for us because we are unveiling our new logo, website and branding at Heli Expo for the first time!
In addition, we’ll also have the following systems at Heli-Expo that you can get your hands on:
- GSS Cineflex (Broadcast Series Gimbal) with a Ikegami HDL-F3000 camera and a Fujinon 42 x 9.7 lens
- Arctic Built Pole for an R44
- A New Prototype (You’ll have to come see us to find out!)
We’ll be at booth #C3445. Please stop by, we’d love to meet you, share a conversation and show you what GSS can offer you. Whether you have needs in broadcast, production, ENG, natural history or any other project, we believe our engineers have created the highest quality gimbals on the market and would love the opportunity to share it with you.
Learn more about HAI Heli-Expo 2018 here.
#settingthestandard