AFC Micro Salon Show

a complete successful

La Lettre AFC n°142

[ English ] [ français ]

This year, no more cries of “the Micro’s becoming Macro”, or “Little show will become big”, etc. No, this year, everything is clear, this show is cosily fit in its setting, and no wildcat transport strike could prevent the fête (only 200 fewer visitors) ; looking at the numbers, certain categories of visitors went up, cinematographers and gaffers, for example.

On the “camera rental” level, some new kids in town like Propulsion, completely in the spirit of AFC Micro Show customized tools, exhibited tailor-made inventions side by side with ambitious industrial products.
The Panavision-Technovision fusion was visible, with a common booth that presented the new Panavision XL2 and a strange device called Hylen which allows for highlighting a person or an object in the image, by means of targeted focussing.
The new Arri 235, presented in Technovision’s space, arrived the day before the show, with a brand new 17-80mm Angénieux Optimo zoom. Actually, this little 235 was exhibited on three stands, Technovision, Techni Cine Phot and, big surprise, Bogard. Here’s the scoop : Didier Bogard revealed to us that he was showing the entire range of Arri gear because he has become the Arri representative in France (except for sales). In fact we also saw the D-20 as well as a demo shot two days beforehand in Paris by Jean-Marie Dreujou, all supported by a team from Arri Media.
But let us go down to the basement level.

Thanks to the Femis, the big central stage was available for lighting. With this extra space, one was more comfortable. The ambiance, as in the past, was friendly. The legendary conviviality of Sparks led to frequent champagne toasts, and this despite the complaints of the grumpy ones ( ?) who, last year, had bemoaned the abundance of this divine brew. I went on to meet Claude-Marie at Bellefaye where the ambiance was sunny (a meeting place appreciated by many).

The Alpha 18 kW and Marc Galerne (K 5600 Lighting)
The Alpha 18 kW and Marc Galerne (K 5600 Lighting)

I didn’t have time to see the screenings this year, but I did get the opportunity before the show to see the new Fuji and Kokak stocks, whose great finesse of grain is compatible with the new image technologies.
Looking at the evolution of digital cameras, the tests quickly shot at IDIFF show with the Genesis reveal a very gentle gamma and a very substantial improvement in resolution. As for the D-20, between the IDIFF and the Micro Salon, we noticed an improvement in gamma, which lowered the contrast significantly.

Going outside we discovered Car Grip’s Space Crane, built with alloys, a new approach to the tool using technological innovation. I’m sure we’ll see this on many sets soon.
And I now come to the « veteran » of the show : the Louma crane. Finally blessed this year by a superb Oscar which had been refused it up to now (a member of the committee voted against, every year). This person’s absence (death ?) opened up the way. Bravo, therefore to Jean-Marie, Alain, Nicolas and Hervé, with a thought for Albert Viguier who worked so much for the birth of the Louma.

Jean-Marie Lavalou and the Louma Crane Oscar Statuette
Jean-Marie Lavalou and the Louma Crane Oscar Statuette

Okay ! And now I leave you, for I have a booth to pack. See you next year ! A hearty thanks to the team from the Femis for their help and to Eric Vaucher, our guardian angel, and, more generally to the AFC Board, Nathalie d’Outreligne, Martine Bernath, Jean-Noël Ferragut, Jean-Jacques Bouhon. Without them, the show would not exist.

(Translated from French by Benjamin Bergery)