According to the calendar it might be winter, but I feel like spring or almost summer inside!
In my last letter from November I promised an exiting Steadicam spring and that is exactly what we are going to get.

First of all the sales of new Steadicams is better than ever. The new models Flyer, Archer and Clipper II have hit the market just at the right time and not a second too late.
Since the introduction of Flyer end of 2004 we have sold over 6 Flyers to various companies and operators. After the official European introduction at IBC in September 2005 the rental company Euro Broadcast Hire AB (www.ebh.se) has bought 2 Archers to meet the increasing demand for quality Steadicams for rental in Stockholm, two operators from Oslo (Atle Holtan and Lars Erik Kristiansen) who bought a Archer each, as well as, Henrik Pettersson,  Intercut Media in Stockholm. Finally another operator, also from Stockholm, has bought a Clipper II.
I want to thank the customers for the trust given through the investment in this equipment and wish them good luck.

Secondly, the success of the workshop we did in Stockholm in October has given me the incentive to arrange the next earlier than planed, so it is with great pleasure that we can announce the 25th of the extremely popular Steadicam workshops arranged by Hofmann Teknik AB in Sweden since 1989.
Ultra Master will be the former President of Steadicam Operators Association (SOA) Jerry Holway from USA, who have been Master of Commander of every workshop we have arranged over the years. Jerry Holway has an impressive C.V. as operator on several major feature films. Please read more on www.jerryholway.com.

The workshop addresses working film and video camera professionals who aim to master the technology and artistic capabilities of the Steadicam, but is also a good refresher for Steadicam operators who wish to catch up on the latest technology and techniques. Through lectures, demonstrations, videos and hours of practical experience, you will become proficient at ever increasingly difficult and demanding shots. This course also deals with the potential of the Steadicam as a creative tool for storytelling. Steadicam certificates will be issued to each participant.

There is a limit of 20 participants. Jerry will be assisted by a number of experienced Steadicam operators, who will lead a group of participants (max 4) each. The spoken language will be English.

As this is the 25th workshop, we are celebrating this in several different ways.
First of all, we will, for the first time, place the workshop outside of a major city. It will be held at a picturesque location outside Göteborg on the west coast of Sweden, where participants and teachers will stay during the whole workshop. The workshop fee includes accommodation and food.
Second of all, we will arrange another event on the Saturday and Sunday May 13-14 (see further down). Jerry Holway will also head this event with none the less than the very inventor of Steadicam, Garrett Brown (www.garrettbrown.com), siding with Jerry. Garrett will do a presentation on Thursday during the workshop and will share with us his long and extensive experience within the film industry.

Thirdly we are finally doing what we have had as an ambition since 5 years back a Master Steadicam re-union weekend.
Hofmann Teknik in Sweden, which has represented Steadicam in Scandinavia since the start 1972, arranged the first workshop in its present form 1989. Since then we have arranged over 20 workshops in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden - all headed by the former President of Steadicam Operators Association (SOA) Jerry Holway (www.jerryholway.com) from USA.
In other words, Jerry has trained, and is the “father” of, the majority of the present Steadicam operators in Scandinavia.

The re-union will be held at a picturesque location outside Göteborg on the west coast of Sweden May 12-14 where everybody will stay. It will start with a dinner Friday evening, May 12, and end Sunday afternoon. Accommodation and food will be included.

Socializing, exchange of knowledge and tools of the trade will be major ingredients, and we are planning differentkind of activities, which will be announced as they are established.
Jerry Holway will, as mentioned before, be the Master of Command and, as also mentioned above, we are extremely proud to be able to announce the presence of Garrett Brown (www.garrettbrown.com), who will be siding with Jerry throughout this event.
Garrett does not need further introduction in the world of moving camera, but he is without doubt a true pioneer with a burning passion for everything remotely connected with moving camera. He is the one person who has made the most significant impact on how a moving camera is handed in modern times. This work also earned him an Oscar® for the invention of the Steadicam.

The event is mainly for the operators trained by Jerry Holway in the workshop we have arranged thru the yeas, but all other operators are more than welcome to join.  This is very much intended to be an international event (spoken language will be English), and our intension is that everybody will have the possibility of learning, exchanging ideas and know-how with operators from different areas and with different experience within the industry.

Even if you are not an active operator, I promise you a weekend “extra vaganta” (something special) that you will remember. It will give you a lot inspiration and stimulation in your daily work.
You may register to either event at www.hofmann.se depending on your history and needs.
I hope that you will have the chance to participate and, with impatience, looking forward to May.

Yours truly,

Michael Hofmann
MD of Hofmann Teknik AB, Sweden
Askim, January 16, 2006.