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Single Take Steadicam Feature to be Shot on RED

Tanner Stauss

Tanner Stauss

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So, we are about to embark on an incredible and challenging cinematic endeavor. A feature I am working on in February is going to do a single take steadicam shot. We will attempt to break the current record, held by the film "Russian Ark", and take the film in around 100 minutes. The film will be shot in the Republic of Georgia in the capital, Tbilisi.

I will be doing the steadicam for this film and I am preparing now physically, mentally and technically. I am openly looking for any suggestions on steadicam equipment to use as well as light-weight and effective accessories. Also I would love to hear and see photos about some of the most bare bones, light-weight camera setups used with the RED. I have used many different steadicam rigs, and I have some ideas, but I am very open to suggestions and testimonials. Of course, I would like something as strong and light-weight as possible.

We will be shooting on the RED with an 18-70mm T2.2 Optimo accompanied by a Preston "FIZ"(focus, iris, zoom).

We understand that this is no small feat and that many many factors will play into the success of this film. I and our 1st AC are doing our part in preparing in every way we can at this point. I am looking forward to this challenge and can't wait to make history.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
 
I know you're fully aware of this, but I cannot imagine an hour+ of unbroken performance time with a steadi rig. Pleeease keep us updated, as I'm very interested in this.

You're a very brave man.
 
Dear Sir,

Good luck. Use whatever rig you like. The Artemis is ok. If I were you I would use an MK-V lite from here in England.

Most rigs nowadays are carbon fibre except the GPI-Pro sleds. No arms are carbon fibre (except maybe some show off panels). Use a G50 arm. Its the lightest and most iso-elastic so you won't need to strain muscling the arm up and down. Use Carbon Fibre sled and an LCD monitor. The modulus transmitter is not heavy.

The most important thing to do is have a Walter Klassen back mounted vest. SOME operators are not so keen however most operators like myself report huge increases in comfort and endurance.

Power the camera from the sled. I am unsure if the Artemis can handle the hefty 7amp draw from the RED. A lot of sleds can't. You will need a specialized power cable from Marell electronis or some such..

Your probably using all three channels from your preston. I would recommend a C-Motion as it is a lot lighter. Consider having 3 long motor cables made up so that you can actually put the receiver at the bottom of your sled rather than the top. This depends entirely on how many batteries you need at the bottom to power your one hour. It may not be needed. Run the cable over the front of the whole sled (old school style) so it goes from the front of your topstage to the back of your monitor. You may also want to consider a super long drive cable as well to give you the freedom to decide if its going to go top side or bottom side. On my configuration its not needed but I've done it before. On heavy AR jobs the preston is placed at the bottom of the sled regularly by operators like Will Arnot.

Get a focus puller that does not need to see the side RED LCD monitor. One that is confident pulling standard style. You are at 2.8 after all. Remove all EVF, LCD, Metalwork. except for your 19mm brackets. Use ONE carbon fibre 19mm bar to mount your 3 motors on.

Use a lightweight Chroizel video mattbox. It weighs a fraction of a Petroff etc.

Test all your lower batteries. two RED batteries will be too much weight to counterbalance. Hopfully you can do it on 2 PAG L95 s . An ideal sled would have such light batteries underneath that you have to put the follow focus receiver and the drive below to conterbalance. I would seriously consider powering my whole sled (including camera) from a block battery (again special cables) thus negating the need for any sled batteries and sending my Follow Focus and Drive to the bottom of the sled. It is for an hour after all. With this kind of lightweight setup an hour may really not be that bigger deal. I'll have a go at rigging that up tonight to check with my far heavier sled. I have operated before with a power cable going to the bottom of my sled for gyros. Its fine. Take the cable up from the bottom to the gimble where it will effect operating less. Find some really flexible cable that can handle 10 amps.

Certainly one RED battery on its own won't power everything. If the focus puller racks focus the batteries fuse will go. The RED batteries contrary to popular belief are a bit crap. Hawkwood make some similar batteries that are far superior in run time and fuse capacity. Test one of them out. The key is in your batteries and their configuration as counterweights.

If your going with onboard batteries. Use Brand new ones! You may even get away with a single brand new Hawkwood or even RED for a whole hour without it fusing or running down. I would be surprised.

Take up Pilates. Exercise religiously. Find a gym that has an abductor machine and smash those muscles ever ALTERNATE day, include core excercises and legs and dead lifts. But dead lifts go for quantity not weight. Practice in the rig all day go to the gym, smash your abductors till they cry then the next day TAKE THE WHOLE DAY OFF! do not wear the rig, do not train. Just wimper in the corner because you destroyed your legs so much. Consider Kettlebells but ONLY once or twice a week.

Get a couple of dollys in your shot for long stuff you can sit down on and rest half way through your shot.

Try and put the camera fan on HOT. See if sound object. I think it may be important that you have to.
 
On the subject of other operators. Get yourself a Magliner with a steadicam boom and bumper. Find a docking bracket or get one made that offers good (albeit compromised) operating from. let the tyres down quite a lot and every often dock it in shot and let your mate operate whilst you have a cup of tea and continue trying to chirp make-up.
 
I remember a few years ago working with a German chap who worked on "Russian Ark" - he said they stripped the camera down to an almost unbelievable extent to save on weight...every ounce counts! I'm not sure how much you could strip back the Red, but for instance if you're recording to a vibration-isolated RedDrive you won't need the CF module, so off it comes!
 
W H Y ?

W H Y ?

Let me be the first to ask WHY?

I have worked on many single-take music videos and commercials, and they always seem to compromise a great deal of quality, art, lighting, performance, sound, focus, and framing just to be able to say they shot it in a single take.

I suggest it will be very very difficult to produce good cinema when you are handcuffed by such a gimmick. And now that we are so used to seeing CGI effects and motion control, no one will believe it was a single take anyway.

I know it's not what your team probably wanted to hear, but you should really ask yourselves why.
 
I' m not going to get into the why or why nots as its probably someone hiring you for the job and its what they want to do. As a steadicam Op your there to service their imagination and not get mouthy because you think you know better. Brent does however have a very valid point. Its not your job to put it across but the DoP's if he thinks its valid.

On the lit rehearsals I would rinse the whole sequence getting cutaways for insurance too. Just for a "laugh". You might save someones kneecaps later. (not your own, you'll have trained hard enough for them to be fine).

I understand Tilman Büttner earnt himself a groin strain on the end of the last take. Don't book any work the next day.

Yeah, lose the CF card unit.
 
Brent J. Craig said:
Let me be the first to ask WHY?

I have worked on many single-take music videos and commercials, and they always seem to compromise a great deal of quality, art, lighting, performance, sound, focus, and framing just to be able to say they shot it in a single take.

I suggest it will be very very difficult to produce good cinema when you are handcuffed by such a gimmick. And now that we are so used to seeing CGI effects and motion control, no one will believe it was a single take anyway.

I know it's not what your team probably wanted to hear, but you should really ask yourselves why.
Click to expand...

Brent, I am not 100% on the motives behind the directors choice of doing this in one shot. But you made me think of an old quote from JFK, "We choose to go to the moon... not because it is easy, but because it is hard". It's kind of like that, also, I think there is a certain compelling aspect when a story can be told in such a manner.

And I agree, their is the risk of some things being compromised for the sake of the shot, but isn't it still worth? I think you're just playing devil's advocate on this and somebody had to ask. I asked myself in the beginning, but now I'm just looking forward to the feeling I get when the director calls cut after that shot.


And to everyone else, thanks for the suggestions so far, keep them coming.
 
David Wyatt said:
I remember a few years ago working with a German chap who worked on "Russian Ark" - he said they stripped the camera down to an almost unbelievable extent to save on weight...every ounce counts! I'm not sure how much you could strip back the Red, but for instance if you're recording to a vibration-isolated RedDrive you won't need the CF module, so off it comes!
Click to expand...

That's a good idea. You think the camera would run ok without the module?
 
OK. You have asked why, that's all I was going for. If I was involved with this project I would (of course) support the director's vision, but at the same time I would have the conversation before shooting about "If this gets too crazy and we are making too many compromises and shooting crap just to do a single take, let's find a smart way to break it up and just make it look like it was a single take."

Some things to consider:

-It may be a single take shoot, but there won't just be ONE take. You may ending up wearing the rig 10 hours per day for several days until the 'right' take happens.

-Can you work tethered? You should practice operating with several cables attached to your rig so on the shoot days you will be able to have someone follow you with the battery, hard drive, and whatever else you can take off of the camera.

-Are they recording sound on a separate system? You will want to minimize the number of cables and/or receivers attached to the camera.

-work out a way to lose the dovetail and baseplate underneath the camera.

-don't forget to remove unnecessary handles from the top

-Find and study Michel Gondry's video "Lucas with the lid off" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY5zaDZq0sc
 
Tanner Stauss said:
That's a good idea. You think the camera would run ok without the module?
Click to expand...

The module is really light and I would say not worth the possible complications of removing it. RAM drive vs. RAID possibly secured on top of the camera behind one top mount with short Carbon X rods if that will accommodate your top end needs with the FIZ. Lightweight monitor will probably be clutch and of course a back brace :biggrin:
 
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