Anton/Bauer goes to extremes for veteran cinematographer

Anchorage, Alaska – Anton/Bauer recently announced it is the exclusive battery of choice for globetrotting outdoor cinematographer Jim Oltersdorf, owner of Jim Oltersdorf Film Productions. From hiking through the jungles of Central America, to camping in the Australian Outback and trekking through the Alaskan wilderness, Oltersdorf relies on Anton/Bauer’s Dionic 90 battery for its light weight, portability, ruggedness and reliability.

Anton/Bauer designs its products to deliver a stellar performance even in the most challenging of shooting environments. This makes the company’s batteries an ideal choice for many of the harsh environments in which Oltersdorf finds himself. “The conditions we work in are so extreme that there are times when I’m in 45-degrees-below-zero temperatures without a wind chill, and Anton/Bauer batteries perform every time. I’ve found that even in extremely cold temperatures, they just keep on going,” he said.

Oltersdorf has been shooting around the globe for over 30 years in some of the world’s most challenging climates and terrains. Most recently, he and his team shot the documentary Alaska’s Bush Pilots…The Real Deal, recently released worldwide on DVD. This one-hour presentation, which took over two years to shoot, details the challenges of modern-day pilots of the Far North. The programme showcases footage of the wild and dramatic Alaskan landscape. Oltersdorf captured everything from spewing volcanoes to the giant Alaskan brown bears fighting. Faced with ruthless weather conditions such as frigid temperatures, ice and rain, Oltersdorf said the Dionic 90 was the right choice.

Aside from its robust and portable qualities, the Dionic 90 also features a RealTime display which continually updates the operator on how much run-time remains and on the state of the current charge. During the making of Alaska’s Bush Pilots…The Real Deal, battery life played an important role in the project.

“When we’re out there in the middle of a shoot, we’re facing Mother Nature as she unfolds before our very eyes. Sometimes it takes weeks for that rare moment to come—like the eagle catching the salmon or the bears fighting—and the last thing I need is to look down at the camera and find out it’s not running because the battery is dead,” Oltersdorf said.

Oltersdorf usually carries no more than four batteries on his shoots to keep his pack light. While making Alaska’s Bush Pilots…The Real Deal, a light load was paramount. “Ounces make a difference, and there’s only so much you can fit into a small aircraft, so the Dionic 90 was the clear choice for this project,” he says.

Weighing in at only 1.7 lbs, the Dionic 90 can be transported without restriction under the IATA and DOT safety regulations. Additionally, the Dionic 90 can endure a maximum load of 90 watts, offering runtimes ranging from six hours at 15 watts to 1.75 hours at 50 watts. “With four batteries we manage quite easily. One will last us days because we’re not continually shooting,” Oltersdorf said. “If you peek inside my bag, you won’t find another battery. I can’t do a production without them”.