A Steadicam is a stabilizing mount for motion picture cameras, professional video cameras used in filmmaking and video production which mechanically isolates the operator's movement from the camera, allowing a very smooth shot even when the operator is moving quickly over an uneven surface. Informally, the word may also be used to refer to the combination of the mount and camera.

The word ''Steadicam'' is a registered trademark of Tiffen, but is used generically to refer to this particular type of stabilizing mount.

History

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While these cinematic techniques are still common, the Stedicam has added another dimension to motion picture cinematography and videography.

A Steadicam essentially combines the stabilised steady footage of a conventional tripod mount with the fluid motion of a dolly shot and the flexibility of hand-held camera work. While smoothly following the operator's broad movements, the Steadicam's armature absorbs any jerks, bumps, and shakes.

The Steadicam was introduced to the industry in 1976 by inventor and cameraman Garrett Brown, who originally named the invention the "Brown Stabilizer". After completing the first working prototype, Brown shot a 10-minute demo reel of the revolutionary moves this new device could produce. This reel was seen by numerous directors, including Stanley Kubrick and John Avildsen. The Steadicam was subsequently licensed to and manufactured by Cinema Products, which later diversified the brand into a consumer line for DV cameras. The Steadicam was first used in the biopic ''Bound for Glory'', but its breakthrough movies are considered to be Avildsen's ''Rocky'' (1976), ''Marathon Man'' (1976), and Kubrick's 1980 film ''The Shining''.

A Steadicam rig was also employed during the filming of ''Return of the Jedi'' to film the background plates for the speeder bike chase. Brown walked through a redwood forest, with the camera running at a speed of approximately one frame every few seconds. The end result, when projected at 24 frames per second, gave the impression of flying through the air at perilous speeds.

In the late Michael Crichton's 1984 film ''Runaway,'' a Steadicam rig was used to simulate the POV of a "smart bullet" in flight that was capable of targeting specific individuals by their heat signatures.

Description

The operator wears a harness which is attached to an iso-elastic arm. This is connected by a gimbal to the Steadicam armature which has the camera mounted at one end and a counterbalance weight at the other. The counterbalance usually includes the battery pack and a monitor. The monitor substitutes for the camera's viewfinder, since the range of motion of the camera relative to the operator makes the camera's own viewfinder unusable. In the film industry the armature and weight are traditionally called the "sled", as they resembled a sled in an early model of the Steadicam.

The combined weight of the counterbalance and camera means that the armature bears a relatively high inertial mass which will not be easily moved by small body movements from the operator (much as it is difficult to quickly shake a bowling ball). The freely pivoting armature adds additional stabilization to the photographed image, and makes the weight of the camera-sled assembly acceptable by allowing the body harness to support it.

When the armature is correctly adjusted, the operator is able to remove his hands from the Steadicam entirely and have the camera stay in place. During operation, the operator usually rests his hand on the camera gimbal and applies force at that point to move the camera. To avoid shaking the camera when lens adjustments must be made during the shot, a wireless remote operated by the camera assistant is used to control focus and iris.

For low-angle shots, the camera/sled armature can be rotated vertically, putting the camera on the bottom, and the sled on the top. This is referred to as "low mode" operation.

The newest Generation is the MK-V AR. The most modern body-supported camera-stabilisation-system, its horizontal mechanism makes it possible to move the camera freely while staying horizontal. A Steadicam operator can change from lowmode to highmode without any alteration. Dimensions are not limited to ups and downs, but also in depth and over or through obstacles.

The smallest, lightest Steadicam which can be used with a support arm and vest is the Steadicam Merlin. It is light enough to be hand held without the arm with cameras weighing up to about 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg), and may carry cameras up to about 7 pounds (3.2 kg) when used with the arm. The Merlin may be folded up and carried in comparatively small spaces such as medium-size camera bags or its own case which measures 14.25 x 11.25 x 5.5 inches (36 x 28.6 x 14 cm). In its lightest configuration, the Merlin weighs just 12.5 ounces (0.35 kg). Photographers who shoot with HDSLR cameras that combine still and motion photography most often work with the Merlin. Since the Merlin has no facility to carry a separate monitor, cameras suitable for it must have their own built-in monitors.

See also

References

External links

Category:Film and video technology Category:Cinematography

Garrett Brown (native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) an American cinematographer, best known as the inventor of the Steadicam. Brown's invention allows cameramen to film while walking without the normal shaking and jostles of a handheld camera. The Steadicam was first used in the Hal Ashby film, ''Bound for Glory'' (1976), receiving an Academy Award (Best Cinematography) and since on such films as ''Rocky'', filming Rocky's running and training sequences, and ''Return of the Jedi'' where Garrett walked with the Steadicam shooting film at 1 frame per second to achieve the illusion of high speed motion during the speeder bike chase.

The sequence in ''Rocky'' that took the audience up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum for the triumphant moment at the top was first filmed during tests for the original Steadicam system. When shown the footage, Director John Avildson thought it would fit well into the training sequence. In the subsequent decades, tens of thousands of visitors to Philadelphia have taken the time to visit that locale and run up the steps, alone or in groups, to enjoy that unique view and share in the energy and triumphant feeling evoked in that sequence.

He was used extensively on Stanley Kubrick's 1980 classic thriller, The Shining, starring Jack Nicholson. Brown's Steadicam work can be seen in over seventy motion pictures.

Brown has also invented the SkyCam (for football games), DiveCam (following olympic divers) and MobyCam (underwater camera following olympic swimmers).

Garrett Brown is the father of Jonathan Brown, a professional cinematographer in his own right. Both worked together as Steadicam operators on the film ''Bulworth'', directed by and starring Warren Beatty. Member of the American Society of Cinematographers and the Directors Guild of America, Garrett was recipient of an Oscar for Scientific or Technical Achievement from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and an Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for his invention of the Steadicam.

External links

Category:American cinematographers Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)