Hi! My name’s Ollie, I’ve been working as a freelance videographer in New Zealand for the last 10 years. I have a passion for content creation and the equipment that helps us bring our ideas to life.

Through my career I’ve had the opportunity to work with and own a variety of powerful film-making tools. From DSLR videography to Red and Blackmagic cinema cameras, these tools have a huge impact not only on the end result and look of a project, but also the process and workflow in production and post-production.

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For me, there’s always been something special about Blackmagic’s camera lineup. They’re well-known for their colour science, rich feature set and competitive pricing, and have become an incredibly popular choice for many creators. Somehow though, they still feel underrated - their innovative interface, speed and reliability has made them my favourite cameras to work with by far... and there’s always been unrealised potential in the Pocket Cinema Camera platform.

Their shortcomings lie, of coarse, in their battery life and their displays. While more recent models in the lineup have added slightly larger batteries, they still only offer 1 hour of runtime, and an inconsistent battery level display that leave you guessing when it may die on you. These cameras pack some of the most powerful modern technology, and they need the industry standard V-Mount power solution.

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The problem then becomes rigging, using often expensive parts and cables to adapt V-mount batteries to the cameras, which have to be mounted at a distance from the camera’s back in order to maintain access to the screen’s controls and settings. No matter which setup or arrangment you go with - you end up with a cumbersome, hefty mess of cables, missing out on the sleek, portable and user-friendly ‘Pocket Cinema Camera’ concept.

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Mid-2023, I tore my Pocket 6K apart and began designing alternative solutions. After many iterations and 3D printed test models, I landed on a configuration which rehouses the camera’s touch screen into a new tilting enclosure on top of the camera, freeing up the back of the camera for a V-lock battery mount.

Moving the screen to the top of the camera makes accessing the menu system and viewing the display far more seemless. This solution is also no compromise to the camera’s portability; when folded, the display adds just 2cm of height to the camera, and the V-mount plate adds a mere 5mm thickness- I found no adjustment was needed for it to fit my backpack.

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I’ve been using this modified camera for my own work for the past several months, and it’s made a huge improvement to my production workflow. I’m no longer searching for the right camera and saving for the next possible solution- so as a user of a modified Pocket 6K, I couldn’t be happier with the result.

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My post about this modification on Blackmagic’s forum was met with plenty of support and interest - other users of Pocket Cinema Cameras were keen for more information on how they could modify their own cameras. The problem is production cost - in my prototypes I found that 3D printed parts are not durable enough for this mod. By utilising CNC metal machining, we can get a sleek, professional and durable finish which is also made far more affordable through manufacturing in bulk. Using a Kickstarter campaign, we can set the funding target to the minimum quantity to bring part manufacturing costs down to a reasonable per-unit value, making the modification accessible without compromising on quality.

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While this Mod Kit is my first item - there have been requests to develop a similar mod kit for the newer versions of the Pocket Cinema Camera lineup which I’m excited to explore next; as well as several more unique products that I’m currently prototyping.

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I’d also like to say a huge thanks to everyone that has supported the project. The interest that this Mod Kit has received has been amazing, and I can't wait to work on more projects and ideas. You can subscribe to the mailing list in the footer of this website for the latest news, and the same updates will be added to my instagram account which is also linked in the footer.