In Broadcast - May 2014 - 60


I N T E R N A T I O N A L

WWW.INBROADCAST.COM | ISSUE 31 - MAY 2014

N E W S

InTECH

Miller Marks 60 Years Of Camera Support
At NAB 2014, Miller Camera Support Equipment celebrated its 60th anniversary
of supplying revolutionary high-end tripods and fluid heads...

1959: John Leake ﬁlming a commercial for QANTAS in New York

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

N E W S

By
Staff Writer

60

A

family-founded company, Miller
became a globally recognised
brand shortly after father Eric Miller
and his son, Bob, developed and
patented the ﬁrst ﬂuid action head
in 1946.
Previously the only method of
turning the camera head was to
use gear-driven systems - the
revolutionary ﬂuid head enabled
smooth pans and tilts when shooting
ﬁlm in the field.
Since its inception in 1954, Miller
has been a pioneer in camera
support technology, revolutionising
film and television by granting
operators the freedom to shoot
creatively and obtain smooth shots
once deemed unattainable.
Some ten years later, when the
New York Times reported that

the Miller Fluid Head was on the
cusp of technological innovation,
the company was exporting
worldwide. The ﬁrst ﬂuid head tripod
taken to Hollywood by Australian
cinematographer John Leake
around 1954 is widely credited as
changing the face of filmmaking.
By this time, to support the
innovative ﬂuid heads, Miller had
also begun manufacturing polished
wooden tripods, the legs of which
were constructed from a ﬁne New
Guinean hardwood known for its
strength and ﬁne grain. Renowned
for their resiliency and functionality,
some of these Miller tripods are
still around.
With the release of the first
portable video camera in the mid1970s, Miller quickly transitioned
from a company predominantly
focused in the manufacturing of
ﬁlm ﬂuid heads and tripods into one
specialising in products for ENG use.
Throughout the years, Miller has
supplied many major broadcast
networks around the world with its
Arrow system and, more recently,

Glamour on the beach circa 1965 - wooden tripod in use for a Artransa Park
Studios subhire by Grimsdale Productions

Miller's Cineline 70 professional
cinema camera support

its Skyline system - launching its
latest model the Cineline 70 at NAB,
which is aimed at the latest breed of
digital cinema camera user.
Continuously expanding its
outreach, Miller's systems are
currently in use worldwide by more
than 265 television networks across
the globe, including the BBC, CBC
Canada, CCTV China, NBC USA,
and ABC Australia.
Miller has delivered more than
100,000 tripods and ﬂuid heads,
acquired several patents, and won
numerous awards for its exceptional
quality and design.
"At Miller, we strive to continuously
improve the way in which
cameramen capture imagery
through our innovations," says Gus
Harilaou, Regional Manager for the
Americas, Miller Camera Support.
Miller will be hosting a series
of 60th anniversary celebrations
worldwide throughout the year in
major markets, including China,
France, North America, the UK
and Australia.

Mighty Miller Winner
Miller celebrated its success
by rafﬂing one of only a handful
of classic Miller 54 tripods that
have been built specially for
the occasion.
The Australian-owned
camera support equipment
company toasted its success
with champagne as British
filmmaker Philip Bloom
announced that Mighty
Chuchaisri was the winner of
the classic tripod.
Chuchaisri is now the proud
owner of a limited edition Miller
LP '54 Classic tripod, built by
hand as they were when ﬁrst
introduced, from remaining
components left after the last
production run of the Light
Professional (LP).
Bloom said: "It's an honour to
present the winner of Miller's
exclusive giveaway. The prized
Miller LP '54 Classic tripod isn't
just a rare collector's item; it's
truly beautiful.
"I have been in the business for
more than 25 years now, and,
even though the invention of
the tripod was before my time,
I happen to know someone
who ﬁrst started working in
the ﬁeld with Miller's original
1954 classic tripod!
"Education is essential in our
business, especially now with
the huge changes that we have
seen, in which traditional paths
are drying up. Companies like
Miller help to ensure that our
next generation of ﬁlmmakers
continues to push and create in
ways that we once could have
never dreamed of."
All proceeds from the rafﬂe
were donated to the NAB
Education Foundation.

Mighty Chuchaisri hefts the
handcrafted Miller LP '54
tripod on the NAB booth

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