It has been an exciting couple of weeks for the team at Freefly with the unveiling of their gyro-stabilizer MōVI, overwhelming response to Laforet's Vimeo gallery showcasing the stabilizer, and award wins at NAB this past week. It looks like things are only getting better -- not just for Freefly, but for all of you who want to get your hands on your very own MōVI. It's availability, pre-ordering details, product information, and updates on Freefly and Vincent Laforet's Twitter contest have been released.
For those of you who haven't heard about the MōVI yet, or just want a refresher on what this thing is capable of, check out this behind-the-scenes video. Be sure to jump down to get all the new information and updates concerning the MōVI.
Availability/Pre-ordering
Freefly is taking pre-orders on the M10 and MR (RC Helo) units now. The deposit is for $2,500 and is fully refundable. It ensures your place in line to purchase your item and allows Freefly to properly set their production lines and order proper quantities of parts.
Right now they have announced that the first units will start to ship in the third quarter of this year (July-September range). Here's what Vincent Laforet had to say on his website about pre-ordering:
If you were to order a MōVI today you should expect to receive yours within a reasonable period of time after the first ones ship – especially compared to general expectations of what other companies have done. (That’s as non-specific a way for me to say: put your name in line now, you can always change your mind and get your deposit back, once you do so you’ll have to wait what I would call an "industry standard" waiting period for any popular product – but if you choose to wait to put your order in you’ll obviously have to wait quite a bit longer as demand is quite strong and growing.)
MōVI: By the Numbers
Both units are selling for $14,995 and come with a remote control and batteries. The MōVI M10 supports the weight of a system that is 10 lbs, which is roughly equal to a RED Epic with Cine Primes and Follow Focus + wireless transmitters. That weight range encompasses al Canon and other brand HDSLRs with regular lenses and cine lenses. The rig itself weighs 3.5 lbs and can travel with you in the overhead compartment of an airline.
A MōVI M5 (which supports up to 5 lbs) and a MōVI M20 will be announced at a later date, but are aimed at heavier camera systems such as the Arri Alexa or an Epic Camera with a zoom lens.
Awards
This year's NAB showcased so many amazing products, and MōVI was one of them. It received 3 significant awards: the prestigious Digital Video Black Diamond Award, the Mario Award, and the InBroadcast Editor's Award. Jon Fauer of Film and Digital Times praised the MōVI saying, "If FDTimes gave awards, MōVI would probably win most innovative new product of the show."
MōVI M10 Giveaway
Hopefully you read our article about the MōVI M10 Giveaway and got on Twitter and followed @vincentlaforet and @freeflycinema at your chance to win a free MōVI M10. If you didn't, then you're probably not the first winner. The first winner was selected at the conclusion of NAB using a random number generator app based on the total number of followers.
If you didn't win this time around, don't worry. There is still a second chance to win the second MōVI M10. So, go follow @vincentlaforet and @freeflycinema on Twitter and -- wait. The winner will be picked within a month from now!
Link: Vincent Laforet Blog
