Steadicam
Created on : January 9, 2024 15:49
Denotation
Cinema Products Corporation first released the Steadicam brand of camera stabilizer mounts for motion picture cameras in 1975. Garrett Brown created the first design. Its purpose was to maintain the camera motion independent and under the direction of a trained operator by isolating it from the movements of the camera operator.
Description
A steadicam is a camera stabilizing system used to capture tracking shots with motion picture cameras. It isolates the camera operator’s movement and makes the shot look smooth and controlled capturing the cinematic action without any wobbles. A steadicam combines the stability of a tripod with the fluidity of a dolly and the flexibility of a hand-held camera. A steadicam is a camera stabilizer, so it absorbs bumps and shakes, even if the camera is jostled or moves over an uneven surface, the shot will still appear smooth.
Steadicam is a portable, wearable device that frees the camera from the natural movement of the camera operator’s body. In addition to the camera, the only other things a steadicam operator needs are a steadicam vest for support, an articulated, iso-elastic arm to isolate the camera and absorb shocks and a sled that holds the camera, top stage, battery mount, monitor and gimbal stabilizer.
Operating a Steadicam rig is like doing choreography. A steadicam operator has a set path to walk which is determined during blocking. Common steadicam shots include:
Walking backward in front of the film actors, filming them from the front as they walk. Walking alongside the cinema actors, filming them from the side as they walk. Walking behind the actors, filming them from the back as they walk. Walking through space, showing the audience who and what’s there.
The Steadicam is an incredible stabilization system that helped evolved the way filmmakers tell stories. Generally, movie directors and film cinematographers use them to capture:
Tracking shots: Following a character as they move through a film scene or moving through the space to give the audience a tour of everything in their surroundings.
Pov shots: Getting inside a character’s mind and see how the world unfolds from their point of view and mental state. Shots where space is limited: getting close-up footage for a film in a fast-paced action sequence of a movie or at a location where there isn’t room for a large dolly setup, such as a narrow staircase.
Steadicam fully immerses the audience inside the story, allowing them to make more emotional connections with the characters and immersing them into a shot rather than watching the movie characters from afar, the audience feels like they’re standing next to them.
Steadicam camera operators have a lot of freedom to move around, which makes viewers feel as if they themselves are freely moving around the world of the film, watching the story unfold in person.