Steadicam questions

[James McLellan]

I'm watching big budget TV stuff (Cold Case ect.) and I'm thinking about all the continuous shot steadicam work they are doing. Clearly they are using wireless follow focus but what aperture/focal length is common in these situations? Is there a lot of switching focus or are they just shooting pretty deep focus?

Are these long steadicam shots painful to do on set even for big budget shows or do they have some major advantages that make it impossible for low budget shows to use these shots/sequences.

 

[ericyoung]

Closed down iris deep focus and wide lenses do make the job of focusing and minimising wobble/maintaining horizon easier. But the top end focus pullers and Steadicam operators have the honed level of skills to allow shallower depth of field and longer lenses if the shot calls for it - but even they will prefer not to do that all the time!

It's perfectly possible to use Steadicam on low budget shows, but not so low budget that you are asking a good Steadicam operator to routinely work below his/her going rate! A good or better Steadicam operator can save time moving between setups, but a mediocre or bad Steadicam op will waste time doing too many takes to get the good takes!

If you are trying to do ER level Steadicam work, your hardest task, assuming your operator is at least good, will be choreographing the people, props, furniture you are shooting, and avoiding seeing lights and other crew! The big budget shows have the right people in all the other roles with the requisite experience to make all that happen with the minimum pain. Low budget shows may not be so fortunate.

 

[Adam Eden]

I fly an Archer 2 system with a G50 arm. I personally sit (Or try to) at no less and F5.6. This gives me enough latitude (And my focus puller) on long shots. IE Shots that go for a few minutes.

I have just purchased (And still waiting) for the new Zeiss CP2 lenses. With RED you really need the lightest rig you can get as the RED camera is so small and heavy as compared to a HDCAM F900 which is physically larger (Same weight though) but the camera is easier to balance.

I personally find RED with Zeiss ultra primes or especially Cooke S4's a bit hard to use in comparison to a normal HDCAM because of the weight distribution.

Eric is right though A good steadicam operator can save hours on set. The steadicam guy should be the one designing the shots with the director and should be the one that "drives" the day and has a good ability to make the mundane shot very interesting.

My favourite saying that I have heard on many occasions is that a good steadicam operator doesn't just polish a turd, they turn one into a diamond!

 

[Sergei Franklin]

I have shot with most film and digital (F35, genesis, D21, F900,..) cameras . For me the Red with a Cooke S4 or Master Prime is the best camera to balance for steadicam. Not too light, not too heavy.
I have done many shots wide open even with longer lenses. You need a good AC (focus puller.)

Sergei Franklin
DP/Steadicam operator
www.sergeifranklin.com

 

[Nick Gardner]

Doing long shots that cover a lot of script can be tremendously beneficial schedule wise. It may take an hour to set up and rehearse, but then you do three takes of a 4 page scene, and you just banged out 4 pages in an hour and a half. To make this work, you need a good Director and a good Steadicam op. Understanding the moving camera, and how to block for it is the main challenge. If you get it, it's a lot of fun. Watching a director struggle with whats going to happen and how it's going to work is not fun. Directors that can't visualize should not attempt. Or if they do, they should let the steadicam op design the shot.

Here is a great example of doing it right

http://www.steadishots.org/shots_detail.cfm?shotID=158

The stop is usually a function of practicality. Very few DPs are going to say, "I lit the set to a T1.4, now shoot me a 4 page oner on an 85mm", if you run across one, kick him in the balls. Usually interiors are lit in the 2.8ish range, give or take. A good focus puller is good with that. Pulling focus is harder on steadicam because everything is in flux. I have my assistants put marks down for me to hit and try to hit them for critical stuff, or difficult landings - the land on an ecu of the face, or land on the photagraph on the table kind of stuff. I make a big target on the ground, concentric circles with an x in the middle. That way you can correct up as you come in for a landing. Another way you can help out the focus puller is , surprise surprise, maintain the same distance on walk and talks. If the talent is 5' away and walking, stay 5' away. It sounds simple and logical, but you would be surprised how hard it can be when running in front of an actor shooting back over your shoulder while carrying 80 pounds ;-)

Cheers,

Nick