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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Feedback on using Scarlet (or Epic) in Helicopters for an upcoming project?

Hey Tom & Paul,
I have posted two clips for you to play around with. We rendered to H.264 straight from the original clip with no post at all. The clips were shot on a Canon 5 Mark II using a 28mm f1.4 prime on a Robinson R44 with an Aerial Exposures mount with (4) KS-8 gyros. We shot with the Tecnicolor Log-C profile for maximum dynamic range which accounts for the apparent low saturation (looks really nice with curves applied).

One clip is POV, the other a hover and both were shot in about 10-12 knots of wind. These are pretty typical of what we get using a mechanical gyro mount on an average day in South Florida. On a really low wind day, the source footage would be smoother, but this is a more real world result. If winds get to 15+ knots, we generally don't shoot. You will really be amazed at the final result, it smooths out a ton!

This is a YouSendIt link, so there are two weeks to pull them down. Enjoy and let me know what you think! Cheers....
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[TD="colspan: 2"]https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1334001344/eb43905952800d711aa3b04029bdce13 [/TD]
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Too much to talk about here with pilots doing what they need to, to provide a steady shoot against wind buffeting on any mount, but I also found that many issues are with cameraman technique while flying as well. Many camera operators are fine in their usual environment, but once in the air, they all through this period of learning to relax, and use a light technique. Same is true for newbie Steadicam guys. On the stabilizer side, I found a gimbaled mount helps to isolate the axis of the camera by inertial and gyro-enhanced inertia whereas bungee alone doesn't help keep axis stable that some vendor use and try to overcome with more KS gyros. Our rig has worked very well for us. It has two axis gimbal ring like a heavy duty steadicam and pendulum bungee support which separates the camera axis from the weight distribution issue of mounts and cameras when the helicopter is rolling, pitching etc. It does require the cameraman to follow the unit but the unit is very isolated from the ship until he puts his heavy hands transmitting vibrations back onto the unit. So more inertial weight helps somewhat in these matters.
 
What mount are you using? If your own, do you have photos? We are always looking for improvements and new ideas in this area.

I agree that very "soft" hands are necessary for the best result. The Aerial Exposures mount does a really nice job isolating vibration, but with any mechanical mount, the forces of the aircraft are going to generate camera motion. The key is not to try to "eliminate" the motion, but to gently nudge the camera to minimize it. If the subject of the shot stays in a pretty good relative position, then post production motion tools have the best opportunity to work their magic.

I am REALLY looking forward to having 4K resolution to work with. It will give us an opportunity to shoot a little wider and motion smooth in post without having to upres (assuming a 2K or 1080P final output)!

Ron Michael said:
Too much to talk about here with pilots doing what they need to, to provide a steady shoot against wind buffeting on any mount, but I also found that many issues are with cameraman technique while flying as well. Many camera operators are fine in their usual environment, but once in the air, they all through this period of learning to relax, and use a light technique. Same is true for newbie Steadicam guys. On the stabilizer side, I found a gimbaled mount helps to isolate the axis of the camera by inertial and gyro-enhanced inertia whereas bungee alone doesn't help keep axis stable that some vendor use and try to overcome with more KS gyros. Our rig has worked very well for us. It has two axis gimbal ring like a heavy duty steadicam and pendulum bungee support which separates the camera axis from the weight distribution issue of mounts and cameras when the helicopter is rolling, pitching etc. It does require the cameraman to follow the unit but the unit is very isolated from the ship until he puts his heavy hands transmitting vibrations back onto the unit. So more inertial weight helps somewhat in these matters.
Click to expand...
 
Garrett Brown figured it out years ago regarding inertial stabilization for cameras. In optics, inertial stabilization in optical benches was mainstay with active stabilization being relatively new. I don't think any thing is new even with our mount. It is important to decouple the axis of the camera and to isolate it. It is just some mounts have their strenghts and weaknesses. For example, some aircraft like ours offer more space for the cameramen and mount because it is a 1+3 seating arrangement and some like the R44 with a 2+2 seating are cramped with limited interior space for cameras. The mount needs to work with the aircraft and the cameraman. Hence, you live with those issues when shooting. Our results are unique to the overall integrated system with heli. Active mounts have a much better chance of being more universal for portable mounts but either way space will always be an important consideration because beyond ergonomics, the camera needs the space to keep its axis aligned even when the platform is rolling or tilting or accelerating, slipping etc. Some pictures of ours can be found here. http://www.altruism-media.com/tvfilm.html Carelton, hope this helps but as I indicated what works great for someone else may not be best in other situations. Good luck with your shoot.
 
Hey Guys,
Exciting news, we pulled the trigger on one of the new ATM mounts from Aerial Exposures today and will have it Thursday. With as much aerial work as we do, it will be nice to dodge the rental houses! I have spoken with a few users along with Arnie (the manufacturer) and feel on small weight cameras (like a stripped down Scarlet), that it should perform better than the LS4 mount we have been using in the past due to its low mass. I only wish we could shoot next week with the Scarlet, but no possibility as we are some time from receiving them.

I will be shooting three projects with a 5D on it next week and will post our thoughts about how it might translate to shooting with a Scarlet. At the very least, we can give an honest comparison to the Tyler Mini and the older LS4 we have used in the past. Keep you posted... Cheers!
 
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