Filmmaker Stories
In the full-frame era, hear how the world's top filmmakers use Kinefinity tools to capture inspiration.
Interview with DP Toby Strong of "Secrets of the Elephants"
"The MAVO Edge 6K performed exceptionally well—even in extreme temperatures, sandstorms, and dust-filled conditions, there was absolutely no problem." — DP Toby Strong, "Secrets of the Elephants"
Interview with DP Yu Gang of "Star Feelings"
"Shooting with alternating lights in an extremely dark environment puts severe demands on the camera's performance. As it turned out, this was absolutely no challenge for the MAVO Edge 8K—it delivered perfect results with complete ease." — DP Yu Gang, "Star Feelings"
Interview with Minos Papas — DoP of Take Me Home
Welcome to this exclusive interview with Minos Papas, the talented Director of Photography and Producer behind the critically acclaimed short film Take Me Home, which was in competition at the 2023 Sundance and SXSW Film Festivals. Minos Papas, originally from Cyprus, has spent the last 23 years living and working in New York, from where he operates his production company Cyprian Films, New York. He also leads a sister company, Polyorama Pictures & Publishing, which is based in Cyprus. As a director, cinematographer and producer, Minos is known for crafting meaningful stories that tackle social issues from gun proliferation and war to disability and family loss, and the arts. Minos is a two-time NY EMMY Awardee and winner of Best Online Short at Tribeca Film Festival. Join us as we explore Minos Papas' creative journey and his unique vision for "Take Me Home."
Behind the Scenes of the MAVO mark2 S35 Demo Footage
"Solid yet dynamic—the high frame rate in native S35 format opens the door to a whole new world! Words can't quite describe the texture of the MAVO mark2 S35 in my mind—familiar yet completely different. I'd call it the 'Camera of Possibilities.' Looking forward to creating even more possibilities with it in the future."
Jerome Interview | A Comprehensive MAVO Edge 8K Review
The MAVO Edge 8K has been out for nearly three years, and many creators have used it to produce extraordinary images. "The MAVO Edge 8K gave me so many more choices. I started rethinking everything—throwing out all my old grading parameters—because the camera's images were simply better." — Jerome Gafpa, Dutch-born freelance cinematographer who has witnessed Kinefinity's evolution from the KineRAW S35 to today's MAVO Edge 8K.
Hanging Gardens
“KINEFINITY cameras are like huge treasures to explore, just waiting to be discovered. Every shot is a very interesting camera trip for me.”
Interview with DP Chen Xiaomeng of "Sa Sha"
"My very first impression of the MAVO Edge 8K was excellent—both the body weight and shape achieve a perfect balance with the lens and battery. You can adjust it front-to-back until it feels like a cat sitting perfectly balanced on your shoulder." — DP Chen Xiaomeng, "Sa Sha"
Interview with DP Lü Qing of "Annular Solar Eclipse"
"The environment was completely uncontrollable—the sky was about to get dark quickly, and we couldn't occupy public spaces for long. It was the MAVO Edge 6K that made it possible to capture the images I wanted." — DP Lü Qing, 16th FIRST Training Camp
2022 · 16th FIRST Training Camp: Interview for "I Still Know You, Eleven"
"What was particularly remarkable was that when I finally watched those night scenes in the cinema—the ones shot at ISO 5120—there was virtually no noise, incredibly clean. The Edge 6K's level of excellence genuinely surprised me." — DP Guo Haoran, 16th FIRST Training Camp
"Kinefinity's Exceptional High ISO Saved My Shot."
"Under such extreme conditions at the salt lake, many of our other pieces of equipment had to be sent back for repair—but the Edge 8K kept working perfectly throughout the shoot and came back virtually unscathed. That kind of reliability is truly remarkable." — DP Fang Ming
TINNITUS
The shooting site of Tinnitus crew "The Tibetan plateau has strong sunlight and variable cloud cover. So the overall control of the exposure process, I was much benefited from the MAVO Edge 6K three design: built-in ND, dual native ISO, and highlight stops. These three designs give me efficiency and
MAVO LF | Golden Rooster Cross-Strait Top Ten Short: "Three Ants"
"We were pleasantly surprised to find that the MAVO LF's images remained incredibly detailed at high ISO—no widespread noise, excellent shadow detail control, and very natural highlight rolloff."
MAVO Edge 8K Supports the Golden Rooster Youth Director Training Camp
From December 28–30, 2021, the 34th China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival held a three-day screening in Xiamen, Fujian. Five outstanding completed films by young filmmakers were presented at the premiere ceremony of the Golden Rooster Youth Director Training Camp on December 29th.
China's First 8K Rap Music Video: Behind the Scenes
"The MAVO Edge 8K now feels very solid and reliable overall—the image quality and specs are robust, and it has already satisfied all my needs for shooting." — Director Qin Shuo
A Conversation with the HKBU MFA Graduation Film "Summer Is Over"
"Some scenes were genuinely very dark—with any other camera you'd have to bring in lights or stylize the look. But the MAVO LF could do it. This really impressed my entire crew. Being that dark and still able to shoot—truly incredible." — Director Guan Zhenhai
Behind the Scenes of the FIRST Training Camp: "The Sunshower Incident"
"This was my first time using a Chinese-made camera, and Edge gave me a very big surprise. Beyond the easy-to-grade footage and excellent highlight retention, its lightness and compact size are even revolutionary—absolutely perfect." — DP Zhu Yiyao, FIRST Training Camp's "The Sunshower Incident"
A talk about Wake UP from DP Wan Bocheng
Wake Up is the first short video shot by MAVO Edge 8K since its reveal, and its excellent performance has left a great impression on everyone. Edge has brought a new meaning to the cinematographer who has a vision for their images with the newly designed body and improved technology. To help you better understand it, we interviewed the DP of Wake Up, Bochen Wan, who has been a loyal user of Kinefinity, to talk about his experiences with Edge.
A Conversation with FIRST Young Filmmakers: Behind the Scenes of "Iron Third"
"When I finished testing the camera, I was incredibly excited. The director sitting next to me asked, 'What are you excited about?' I said: 'Edge has unlocked almost every direction on the tech tree—I can freely choose whatever skill points I want.'" — DP Chen Maocui, FIRST Training Camp's "Iron Third"
MAVO LF Captures the Chinese Space Station's Lunar Transit
"We captured the entire process of the Chinese Space Station transiting the moon at 290fps. Although the actual transit lasted only one second, thanks to MAVO LF's slow-motion recording, the playback in post runs 11 seconds, and the footage is incredibly smooth."
Interview with Chief Cinematographer Yang Mingyang of "If National Treasures Could Talk"
Nymph Scroll, tri-color glazed musician camel figurine, Six Steeds of Zhaoling Mausoleum, Famen Temple underground tea set and silver-gilded ewer, gold-rimmed agate cup with beast head... The endless elegance of the Wei-Jin period, the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty. MAVO LF supports "If National Treasures Could Talk" Season 3 in presenting brilliant cultural relics and magnificent national treasures.
Interview with DP Wan Bocheng
"Wake Up" is the first short film shot after the unveiling of MAVO Edge 8K, and Edge's powerful performance fully lived up to everyone's expectations. To help you better understand how Edge's new design and improved technology impacted the film's visuals and the cinematographer's experience, we invited Wake Up's DP Wan Bocheng—a loyal Kinefinity user—to share his thoughts.
Interview with DP Lang Kuo
"River Journey East" is directed and written by Hu Zhaoxiang, produced by Huang Maochang, with cinematography by Lang Kuo. It tells the story of an aftershock from an earthquake twelve years earlier that creates a mysterious space-time connection between young Xiao Li and his childhood. The script was shortlisted as a top-ten project in the 2020 Chinese Youth Film Festival's "Falcon Plan" investment showcase, and the pilot was filmed in early October.
Director Wan Bocheng's Cinematography Notes
"From the beginning of 2019 to the present, I have used the MAVO LF to shoot 6 narrative short films. The MAVO LF has performed very stably and outstandingly. Moreover, through this process, I have developed deep friendships with the Kinefinity team—their emphasis on and support for creative work has moved me deeply. So I am very happy to share my MAVO LF experience, in hopes of being helpful to friends interested in Kinefinity cameras." — Director Wan Bocheng, Maoran's Day
Liang Minghao's Cinematographer's Notes
"Stories and You" is a student graduation feature film directed by Mo Yifeng, produced by Yizhen Studio, with Liang Minghao serving as director of photography. This article is written by DP Liang Minghao.
Interview with Award-Winning Documentary DP Toby Strong
Toby Strong is a renowned documentary cinematographer, multiple Emmy and BAFTA Award winner, who has collaborated with BBC, National Geographic, Discovery, and Netflix on legendary documentaries including Human Planet, Planet Earth II, and Blue Planet II. Gifted at capturing and sharing the beauty of the world, Toby has shot on every continent. As a Kinefinity MAVO LF owner, Toby discusses why he chose the MAVO LF and how it has helped him tackle challenges in extreme environments.
Director Raafi Rivero's Cinematography Notes
This article is the cinematography notes of Re/connections director Raafi Rivero, originally published on NoFilmSchool at Kinefinity's invitation. It describes in detail Raafi and his team's entire creative process of shooting the film with the MAVO LF, in hopes of being helpful to Kinefinity users and all friends interested in the MAVO LF.
Interview with Director Luo Xiaozhou
"Program" is a short film directed by Luo Xiaozhou and shot by cinematographer Zhou He, which won Best Film at the 12th 37 Short Film Festival. As a senior Kinefinity user, Director Luo Xiaozhou shares the behind-the-scenes story of this short film—from subject matter and production design to camera and lens selection—in hopes of being helpful to all Kinefinity users and friends interested in the MAVO LF.
Cinematographer Yang Zitao's Notes
From KineRAW-MINI, KineMAX 6K, TERRA 6K, TERRA 4K to today's MAVO S35, cinematographer Yang Zitao (KT) has always been a devoted fan of Kinefinity cameras. "I've always been fascinated by the exceptional image quality and color science that Kinefinity cameras deliver! Beyond the compact body and low power consumption, the manufacturer engages in in-depth communication with customers and continually refines their cameras based on user feedback. And of course, the lightning-fast after-sales service is another important reason I've consistently supported Kinefinity!" In this article, KT discusses equipment choices and configurations from both solo and team shooting perspectives, using a lingerie commercial as his case study.
Interview with DP Parris Steward
From KineMINI to MAVO, American DoP Parris Steward has been a longtime friend of Kinefinity—creating many outstanding projects together along the way. In 2019, Parris was invited to shoot a commercial music video for cosmetics brand E.L.F, expressing the brand's ethos through vibrant colors and an upbeat rhythm. In this interview, Parris shares behind-the-scenes details covering equipment, shooting techniques, and post-production—in hopes of being helpful to Kinefinity users and all friends interested in Kinefinity cameras.
CCTV Cinematographer Shi Wenlong's Notes
"Shaolin Three-Section Staff" is a humanistic documentary episode produced by CGTN China International Television's "1.3 Billion" program. This article is the cinematography notes of Central Television Tower cinematographer and DP Shi Wenlong, describing how the MAVO LF helped complete a high-quality shoot efficiently in challenging conditions—covering equipment selection, crew configuration, and shooting environment. It also documents a memorable incident during equipment preparation.
Interview with Director Raafi Rivero — An In-Depth MAVO LF Review
Raafi Rivero has shot more footage and logged more hands-on time with the Kinefinity MAVO LF than almost anyone else, producing a uniquely insightful review of the camera as a result. This article is a conversation between NewsShooter senior editor Matthew Allard and director Raafi Rivero—not to be missed if you want to know what makes Raafi's review stand out, and why he lost his beloved MAVO LF.
Director Zheng Jingxi's Cinematographer's Notes
Self-taught director Zheng Jingxi fell in love with film through his passion for photography. After graduating from university, he worked on documentary productions abroad. Upon returning to China, his first short film "Lin Zi" won an award at the 12th 37 Short Film Festival. This article is the director's cinematography notes covering subject matter, visual style, equipment choices, and creative experience—documenting his very first short film from start to finish. He hopes it will be helpful to Kinefinity users and friends interested in Kinefinity.