July 13, 2009
Lights! Camera! Action!
Thanks to the video capabilities of seemingly the smallest, cheapest, pocket-sized digicams, everyone's a wanna-be film auteur, me included. One of the problems with these tiny cameras, though, is learning how to follow the action with anything approximating smoothness; most attempts end up inducing seasickness in the viewers.
Professionals have been using something called a Steadicam for decades, a device that uses weights, gyroscopes and a harness to make the camera seemingly float like a cloud, following the action smoothly and close up.
This is one of my favorite shots, from Das Boot, the finest submarine flick ever made. The camerawork that begins at 3:51, as the camera follows the crewmen running forward to the torpedo room, is an astonishing example of the Steadicam in action. The camera and its operator climb through the hatches, just like the crew, with the greatest of ease.
The usual tracks and dollies couldn't be used, due to the director's desire to create a set that accurately depicted the sub's cramped confines; there are no removable walls here, just a full-size submarine interior, mounted on gimbals to move like the real thing. As a result, the Steadicam was the only option for filming in the tight confines of the set.
Now, as you might surmise, the Steadicam is expensive, way too much for plain folk like you and me, but this fellow designed a brilliantly simple alternative, one you can make using parts from the local hardware store. He calls it "The $14 Steadycam." From the videos on his site, along with the comments from users, it looks like I'm going to have to give this a try.
Posted by Mike Lief at July 13, 2009 06:55 AM
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