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Shaking Things Up

Jul 1, 2005 2:55 PM, By Benjamin Semanoff

Ranging from $800 to more than $80,000, new Steadicam technologies offer flexibility, reliability, and more shooting options.

On the hottest day of Summer 2004, I found myself at the bottom of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps wielding a Steadicam. The unrelenting sun reflected back at me from the light-colored stone of those famous steps as I squinted up at my mentor, Steadicam inventor Garrett Brown, who was waiting at the top. My mission: Run up 72 steps carrying more than 60lbs. of camera equipment and end on a shot of Brown, who would be taking in the site of one of history’s most famous Steadicam shots. Although not the first, Brown’s work on Rocky tends to be associated with the birth of Steadicam in cinema.

On this particular day, we were shooting a featurette called Steadicam: Then and Now to complement the 30th anniversary Rocky DVD (slated for release in 2006). At NAB 2005, Steadicam officially celebrated its own 30th anniversary.

Modern Steadicam technology ranges in price from $800 to more than $80,000, and serves myriad markets from operating rooms to weddings to television shows, in formats ranging from film to HD to DV. After 30 years, it is more widely available than ever, and development continues at all levels. So, with the future in mind, here’s a look at the state of steadicam and what new technologies are redefining the industry.

The Alien Revolution

Imagine a continuous shot that begins just a couple of inches off the ground and ends at 6ft. Imagine that this shot moves through tight quarters, seamlessly floating inches above or below objects at various heights such as tables or countertops. Imagine that this is a shot in which the horizon is always perfect.

What kind of technology can move this freely and achieve such dramatic changes in lens heights? A Steadicam can certainly be this free, but it is typically limited to a 24in. boom height.

After four years of anticipation, manufacturer MK-V broke the limits at NAB 2005. The Alien Revolution (AR) is an active stabilization add-on designed to work with the MK-V sled. The combined price tag for the MK-V sled and AR is $82,000—almost double the cost for a top-of-the-line conventional sled. So why the big price tag? The AR offers the promise of capturing shots never seen before in the world of Steadicam. Although not an AR owner myself, I have had the opportunity to train with the equipment and field test the technology for several weeks. At this time only a handful of AR units exist in the world, and there are very few operators trained to use them.

With the AR system, the camera is mounted inside a set of rings. These rings are driven by a set of motors. A computer and sensor mounted to the sled constantly identify the sled’s orientation and tell the motors to drive the rings in one direction or the other. The intended effect is to keep the camera level at all times. In addition, the monitor, which is mounted to a motor and slip rig, is driven by the computer in order to keep it level at all times. This way you can always see your image. Whether the sled is oriented in high mode, low mode, or anywhere in between, the camera stays level. This offers several benefits, including:

• A perfect horizon
• The ability to switch from high mode (camera at shoulder height) to low mode (camera at knee height) in seconds
• An expanded range of lens heights available throughout your shot.

There are several things to consider when looking at this system. First, it’s a completely foreign technology, and even those with many years of Steadicam experience should anticipate a learning curve. Between technique and technology, you should do significant testing before you can expect successful execution.

Another consideration is exertion. In order to flip the sled from high mode to low mode, or anywhere in between, the operator needs to keep the rig significantly far away from the body. This increases the effort required around four times that of conventional Steadicam operation.

Mounting cameras inside the AR is not something that should be taken lightly. Do not expect to show up on a job and try to mount a camera that you’ve never mounted in the AR before. This would be a recipe for disaster. Mounting the camera and balancing it properly can take several hours and might even require you to machine special parts to make the camera fit right.

The first issue to deal with is camera size. Most video cameras will require that their handles be removed. If you can avoid using the camera’s quick release plate, do so. This will save an inch or two.

The next issue to deal with is balancing the camera inside of the rings. With a conventional Steadicam all masses are fixed. Therefore, the relationship between the masses, the gimbals’ position, and the center of gravity (CG) of the sled remain fixed. With the AR, two of the masses are constantly in motion—the camera and the monitor. Both masses should be configured to rotate around their CG; otherwise, the distance from the gimbal to the CG of those masses will change constantly. This is not a desired effect.

MK-V has just designed a side-to-side adjustment plate for inside the rings which helps deal with this problem. However, if the camera is just big enough to fit inside the rings, there is no room for adjustment. In order to deal with this problem, I created a steel weight set that could be mounted to the rings in order to shift the CG of the camera to dead center. This adds more weight to the system, but operating the system when the camera is unbalanced is a nightmare.

MK-V refers to its first few owners as “pioneers,” and that’s very appropriate. There are many unknowns, and lots of field testing is needed to work out any bugs. As a pioneer, you can’t expect that the solution to a problem can be found online; you have to make your own solutions. Early Steadicam operators were faced with the same challenge, and look where we are 30 years later.

The Back-Mounted Harness

Don’t ask Walter Klassen FX for pricing on its vests because it doesn’t sell vests; it sells harnesses. Originally only available in an expensive custom design, Walter’s carbon fiber harnesses are now available in universal sizes.

Walter’s harness is a solid piece of carbon fiber that is formed to your back. It has a carbon fiber door, padding, and an air bladder for lumbar support. A carbon fiber armature mounts to the back of the harness and terminates with a socket block on either the left or right side of the operator. Much of the strain is transferred from your back to your legs, where your muscles are strongest. And since there are only two straps across your chest, and they are only 20 percent load bearing, you have much more freedom to breathe. The end result is more comfort, more endurance, and greater consideration for the health of your back.

Prices range from $4,500 to $8,500 for the fully customized deluxe harness. As an owner of one, I can tell you it’s worth every penny.

G-Series Arm

At NAB 2005, Garrett Brown and Tiffen released the G-Series arms, opening up a world of new possibilities to the Steadicam operator for less than $10,000.

The G-50 offers several unique features. First, it’s extremely light—about 10lbs. This was achieved using extruded aluminum to build the articulating sections.

The arm boasts a 32in. boom range, without any added length. This is 8in. more than the Ultra/Master series arm. When you get in the rig you immediately notice the difference; it’s quite liberating. And the arm has an operating load of 10lbs. to 50lbs., which means no more cages for lightweight cameras.

However, probably the most impressive feature is the ability to adjust its iso-elastic properties. Basically, you can tune the ride of the arm based upon the type of shot you are executing. So if you need silky smooth isolation, you got it. Or if you are executing a running shot and need the ride to be hard, you got it.

Finally, the arm buffers you to a stop as you reach its extremes. This is a great feature. The arm tells you that you are about to reach the end by increasing the tension in the arm, buffering you to a stop. No more slamming at the top or bottom of your boom range.

A Professional-Grade Handheld Steadicam

In the prosumer market, Garrett Brown has designed a new handheld Steadicam called the Merlin. This product is intended to replace the existing Steadicam JR, and has some great features. It’s expected to ship next month with a price tag of $849. There are several amazing new features that current JR owners will be thrilled about.

First is the all-metal design. This means that no matter whether you are mounting a 1lb. camera or a 5lb. camera, there won’t be any vibrations in your shot. This tended to be a problem with the JR when mounting heavier cameras.

The Merlin comes with a quick-release system that allows for quickly moving the camera from the Merlin to a tripod and back. A dovetail plate is included for the camera, and an accessory quick-release plate for the tripod. As a current JR owner, I am thrilled to see this addition.

Other advancements include a folding caliper hinge. This provides a fine tuned adjustment for bottom heaviness, as opposed to the gross adjustment achieved by stop blocks. In addition, no matter how big or how small you make the profile, the Merlin always folds up to the same size—which is tiny. When Brown first showed me the prototype, he removed it from a small laptop bag, and the camera was already mounted to it. My jaw dropped.

Whether you are an avid videographer shooting home movies or a professional videogrpaher shooting weddings or events, this is a tool you’ll want to have in your arsenal. You might find that you never remove your camera from it again. But if you have to, it will be fast and easy.

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Benjamin Semanoff, a longtime Steadicam operator, is president of Top Hat Productions (top-hat.com), the worldwide provider of SuperFlyCam (superflycam.com).

© 2008 Penton Media, Inc.