I've been shooting with Sachtler equipment for many years now and have always enjoyed their simple and thoughtful design. Sachtler was what I used when I first started in documentaries, where there was often little setup time. I was sold on the ease of use and never looked back.

When I was doing Survivor in the wild, Sachtler went everywhere with me. Now that I'm in town on The Office, Sachtler's Video 25 fluid head and tripod system is an important part of the package. To keep the documentary style of the series, the Sony F900 CineAlta camera with Fujinon long lenses must always be reactionary. The shots must not look premeditated in any way.

The show is scripted, but there needs to be an element of surprise, and the camera has to appear to be chasing its tail at times, jockeying for position to get the shot. Part of the show's comedy is in watching how the camera reacts to certain situations. Sometimes it stays voyeuristic—in scenes where intimate moments between two of the lead characters who have an attraction to each other are shot on long lenses. This enables the camera to stay back and let the characters have their space.

We always feel the presence of the camera and have, in fact, made it a character in the story.

All the Best Features
I use Sachtler gear for the stability of the platform and its quick and efficient setup for these kinds of situations. Everything just makes sense on these fluid heads and tripods. They require minimal setup time, which is key to documentary work and our documentary series. The ergonomics are great. Sachtler seems to have really thought about the design with the end user in mind.

The Office isn't always stage-bound. When we do go on location, the production still has to have the same feeling that has been established on stage. We scout every new set, whether it's Hooters, Chili's, a hospital or in a minivan driving down the road.

Setup Speed Makes the Difference
In shooting the exteriors, Sachtler gear has often been my savior. I can recall plenty of times that the sun was going down and we were running around trying to get that last bit of light in a scene. The quick setup provided by Sachtler has saved such an opportunity many times. The same functionality is also great for quick repositions, and it gives us the ability to do many setups in a short amount of time. Early on I was sold on Sachtler and still am.

Randall Einhorn is a two-time Emmy Award-nominated cinematographer. In addition to shooting The Office, he has directed several episodes of the hit series Einhorn.