As the owner-operator of Orlando Steadicam, Mike Germond specializes in stabilized camera shots for major sporting events commercials, films, and concerts. In addition to extensive work with Golf Channel, he and his rig are often found covering NCAA and NFL football games. 

Germond notes that staying powered up to capture all the action is his main priority. “Having worked a lot of pro and college football games, I find them to be the most demanding on my batteries,” says Germond. “My choice for the job: Anton/Bauer DIONIC batteries.

The way my sled is configured, I have three Gold Mounts so I can power 12-volt and 24-volt devices, which is what I need depending on the camera and the power requirements. On the football field, I pair two DIONICs because of the high-power needs of not just the camera, but the broadcast wireless transmitter sending the signals back to the production truck as well. One DIONIC could run it alone, because it has such a high current output, but I’ll run two to guarantee I’ve got enough current flowing and life to last me through several quarters.”

This past season, a football game between the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Penn State Nittany Lions presented exciting opportunities and some challenging conditions for Germond. “The Michigan-Penn State game in Ann Arbor was a big prime time game for ESPN.

It was a big match-up and a really cold night. When the temperature drops, batteries operate differently. That’s just across the board with Lithium-Ion batteries. And the particular transmitter that I was using on the field was very high output with really high draw. On top of that, there was a huge crowd in the stadium that night, so there was a lot of RF flying around. I can honestly say, without my DIONICs, I could not have done that shoot.

“I was living charge to charge on the battery supply that I had, to the point where the camera and the transmitter were sucking down a pair batteries every 30 minutes. I had just enough to sustain the camera system, and I never once lost the connection or shut down. As soon my last pair of charged batteries was running low, the first pair I put on the charger would be done and ready to go on the camera.”

In the end, Michigan won the game, and Germond delivered a shot that was very special to Wolverines fans watching ESPN. “There were a lot of challenges that night, but we were able to power through with Anton/Bauer, and we got a lot of great shots.

One in particular cool image was a never before seen angle of the players coming out through the iconic Michigan tunnel just before kickoff.I was allowed to run out with the players, which is typically an experience reserved only for the athletes and coaches. We had my rig right in the middle of it, and the footage was amazing.”

When Germond shoots for live television, he knows that he only has one chance to get the best shot possible. “When the tally light is on, whatever I do next is broadcast to the world,” he explains. “There's no second take with live TV. Because of that, I need to work with equipment that delivers exceptional results, not acceptable ones. The last variable I want to think about during the game winning touchdown, in an end zone full of pumped-up NFL players, is 'I hope the batteries hold up!'”