Matthews Studio Equipment announced “T-GO Mounting Solutions,” a camera rigging system designed for the harsh shooting environments of film production. Two versions are available: the “T-GO Ball Head Kit” and the “T-GO 5/8″ Kit,” both of which are now available through Matthews retailers. This report follows the announcement made overseas.
The new Matthews T-GO Mounting Solutions is a system designed to securely fix camera equipment in shooting environments that are difficult to handle with conventional grip equipment, such as high-speed driving, sudden changes in direction, vibrations, and large impact loads.
The camera is envisioned for installation on the hoods of stunt vehicles, the cabins of vehicles used to film crash scenes, roller coaster seats, and aircraft, among other places.
How it was developed
The T-GO system was developed by TJ Beatty of Key Grip, who has been involved in film production for many years, based on challenges he has experienced on actual film sets. Beatty commented as follows:
When filming while a process trailer is moving at high speed, or when attaching a camera to an aircraft, you need absolute certainty that the camera will not move. I created T-GO because I needed it myself, but it didn’t exist until then.
T-GO Ball Head Kit
The “T-GO Ball Head Kit” is a 3-in-1 camera mounting system designed to handle heavy loads.
The Matthews T-GO employs a modular structure combining the T-GO Ball Head Assembly, T-GO Junior Pin Bracket Assembly, and T-GO Grid Clamp Setup. Additionally, the system comes compatible with rigging using various grip equipment such as Combo Stands and 5/8-inch rails.
The system allows for configuration changes depending on shooting conditions, and enables the creation of a rigging environment for quickly and securely fixing the camera.
T-GO 5/8″ Kit
The “T-GO 5/8″ Kit” is a rigging kit based on the industry-standard 5/8-inch pin system.
In addition to the T-GO Cross, T-GO Swivel Tee, T-GO Corner, and T-GO Double Barrel, this set includes six different rod lengths. This allows for rigging in combination with Speed Rail and various gripping equipment.
The four included low-profile T-GO Corners each feature three passthroughs, allowing for the attachment of 5/8-inch rods of any length. The T-GO Double Barrel features two parallel passthroughs, supporting a linear configuration.
The T-GO Cross features mutually orthogonal passthroughs, enabling rigging that deploys rods in multiple directions simultaneously.
CNC machining and hard anodizing are employed.
Each component of the T-GO Ball Head Kit and T-GO 5/8″ Kit is manufactured using CNC machining. The surface is treated with a gray hard anodized finish for wear resistance and corrosion resistance.
Designed to be used in conjunction with existing grip equipment, the T-GO series is currently manufactured by Matthews Studio Equipment at their facility in Burbank, California, USA.
The T-GO series is available worldwide through Matthews retailers.
