EAZY HANDLE Follow-cam At its finest words
Frank Daniello
Daniel Shimizu - nose bonk with Jason Hernandez filming Photo: Aaron Smith
JASON HERNANDEZ [vimeo.com/jayfilms/videos] is an L.A.-based filmer who knows a thing or two about quality. From 2003 to 2007 he worked alongside Jon Holland on numerous Transworld video projects, including Free Your Mind, Subtleties, First Love, A Time To Shine and Let’s Do This! Since 2008 Nike SB has kept the 31-year-old busy with a multifaceted role: “I’m the filmer, den mother, psychiatrist, friend, taxi driver, shoulder to cry on, and sometimes-TM,” he says of the gig. In a mere 10 months Jason filmed, directed and edited 2009’s Debacle, which was the first high-profile skate-production shot entirely in high-definition. “I had no real love for the VX,” he boldly states about skateboarding’s well-designed, albeit outdated squareformat camera of choice. “I was getting really bored with SD footage.” Armed with two Canon D-SLRs (5D Mark II and 60D), a selection of lenses, a RØDE VideoMic Pro and a steady stream of missions, Jason’s foray into developing specialized peripheral accessories for filming started by approaching his father about building a sensible dolly-track system. After six prototypes, Eazy Dolly was born in 2008 and comes complete with a U.S. patent. JCL Custom Products became the Hernandez family business, with Jason taking part in consultation, design and fielding technical camera-related questions from customers. His father Carlos co-designs, builds, assembles 24
Concrete skateboarding
and boxes everything from his custom metal shop, while his mother Lorraine handles customer service and keeps the business wellorganized. “We’re not in competition with the big companies,” she says. “Our niche is the indie filmer and we know how important it is to have quality equipment that you can count on. We enjoy working with Jason and stand behind our products.” As a true fan of the HD format and the coveted depth-of-field control that comes with using a D-SLR to film, Jason wanted to create a handle that was practical and provided stability. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that SLRs don’t feel like video cameras,” he explains, leading into one the main design motives behind developing JCL’s Eazy Handle in 2010. “Ergonomically it feels more like a video camera body, and it secures in two places,” he adds, referring to the fact that along with the standard bottom-mount system most other D-SLR handles use, Eazy Handle also secures the camera with a hotshoe mount up top that can fully adjust to accommodate different camera body heights. One of the most important features of the handle addresses the odd shapes of D-SLRs. There are two vertical rods at the back of the Eazy Handle that are different sizes in order to compensate for
the unbalanced weight distribution of the camera bodies. Left and right thumb-pads at the top of the handle help further balance the loaded unit by applying subtle pressure-manipulation while filming. There are two quarterinch threaded taps underneath the unit for a tripod quick-release plate, and six more taps all around the handle allow the user to securely attach peripherals like a microphone, light and external LCD screen. As for weight, the handle itself is three pounds and breaks down to a mere two-and-a-half inches in height for transport. The patent-pending Eazy Handle is made from water-jet cut and machined 6061-grade aluminum. The entire unit is finished with a professional paintpowder coating and it’s fully manufactured in the U.S. “The quality is amazing because my dad is a perfectionist,” Jason mentions. “Everything is checked and re-checked before it goes out.” When asked how durable the handle is during those dreaded follow-film snags, he says: “I’ve gone down with it a few times while filming Justin Brock and Grant Taylor at skateparks. The handle was fine, but I wasn’t [laughs].”
eazyhandle.com
Eazy Handle is available in Canada for $413 (express shipping included) plus customs charges. Learn more about how you can win one of your own on p.116, and also by visiting concreteskateboarding.com