Take a tour of the ARRI factory and see how they build $80,000 Alexas

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in one of the world’s most expensive cinema camera factories? Well, now you can see for yourself in this Behind the Scenes of ARRI, the German manufacturers of some of the world’s best cameras and lenses.

In this video, the guys from Potato Jet get to visit the factory, witness how they test the cameras for quality control, and literally try to break an Alexa, ARRI’s flagship $80,000+ camera.

Everything about these cameras screams quality. They are handmade from very expensive titanium. Each apprentice at the factory spends a minimum of 6 months just using a metal file. That’s how dedicated ARRI is to maintaining its high standards.

One fascinating part of this video is seeing the rigorous testing that ARRI cameras get. Each one is shaken on each axis for 20 minutes. It’s then put in a climate chamber and tested at -20C (-4F). The temperature is gradually increased up to 45C (113F). Obviously, the camera has to work perfectly at both of these temperature extremes.

The tour continues around the rental department, which is truly enormous and full of interesting features. And, of course, it’s not just cameras; ARRI makes lights as well.

After this tour is clear why ARRI is such a powerhouse in the cinematography world. Have a watch of the video, it’s quite fascinating.