Steadicam

[JT Thurlow]

Hello,

I shoot most of my projects solo and am thinking about investing in a Steadicam system and learning how to use it.

I am interested in knowing:
What model/price range is suitable for RED cameras? (and is second-hand an option?)
How long does it take to get great results and do you need to go on a paid training course or similar, or can you just learn at home with books/videos etc.?

Many thanks

 

[Phil Holland]

Strongly recommend taking a training course or tutorage/mentorship/ training from a seasoned industry professional. If you're sharp and a quick learner, you'll learn more in a day from either of those routes than going on your own. There's a great deal of touch, feel, and experience that comes with this particular style of camera operation. There's also been some pretty interesting new technologies in the field like the Volt and Trinity for instance.

Much like all stabilizing platforms you need to know what the payload range is you plan to carry and RED makes a variety of cameras now that mean different things. i.e. Komodo being so small and lightweight may not need what you'll require for Raptor or DSMC2, and then there's Ranger or XL. Generally a Steadicam Zephyr will get you going, but there are cheaper and more expensive options depending on where you want to go with things. If going Aero, pay special attention to those payloads.

I don't main Steadicam, but I did study it early on and practiced my footwork and balance for a very, very long time as well as various styles of operation. Got to the point that it could be my main gig really. This process was greatly accelerated by the patience and time of industry veterans.

This is a deep rabbit hole to explore even as a solo operator. It's all about what you want to be able to do, how big, how fast, and how flexible you want to do it.

 

[James Darren]

As someone who makes a living as union camera/steadicam operator, I'll chime in.....

First question, where are you based? Being in Los Angeles makes the Steadicam learning path much easier as there are good teachers based here. Outside of LA usually means you have to wait for classes to happen or travel to LA for decent instruction, or find someone locally who's willing to teach you which isn't always easy.

Yes there are new technologies like the Volt but they're not good to learn with. I have one and they're a great tool in the arsenal when you're experienced, but all the good operators I know don't rely on it all the time. There are many situations I have to turn it off, especially when looking at the horizon or lines on an angle, and there are also occasional times where it doesn't want to work.
A good analogy is, would you trust an airline pilot who can only fly the aircraft with autopilot? Yes the autopilot is a great tool in cockpit resource management, but you still want the pilot to know operations beyond that. Same thing with the Volt on Steadicam. Also, it adds about $8000 in cost to your rig, and it's somewhat limited as to which rig posts it works on.

When you say shooting your projects solo, do you actually mean completely on your own? If you don't have a good dolly grip & 1st AC, it's very very difficult to use Steadicam effectively and more importantly, safely. 90% of the time we're walking backwards with the rig and if there isn't a grip to spot and support you, you will almost certainly get hurt.
Yes there are broadcast "solo" Steadicam operators for live sports, but that is a different beast.

I would say if you're truly shooting solo, you're better off using a smaller handheld stabilizer or learning really good handheld movement.
Good handheld is better than bad to average Steadicam...

 

[JT Thurlow]

As someone who makes a living as union camera/steadicam operator, I'll chime in.....

First question, where are you based? Being in Los Angeles makes the Steadicam learning path much easier as there are good teachers based here. Outside of LA usually means you have to wait for classes to happen or travel to LA for decent instruction, or find someone locally who's willing to teach you which isn't always easy.

Yes there are new technologies like the Volt but they're not good to learn with. I have one and they're a great tool in the arsenal when you're experienced, but all the good operators I know don't rely on it all the time. There are many situations I have to turn it off, especially when looking at the horizon or lines on an angle, and there are also occasional times where it doesn't want to work.
A good analogy is, would you trust an airline pilot who can only fly the aircraft with autopilot? Yes the autopilot is a great tool in cockpit resource management, but you still want the pilot to know operations beyond that. Same thing with the Volt on Steadicam. Also, it adds about $8000 in cost to your rig, and it's somewhat limited as to which rig posts it works on.

When you say shooting your projects solo, do you actually mean completely on your own? If you don't have a good dolly grip & 1st AC, it's very very difficult to use Steadicam effectively and more importantly, safely. 90% of the time we're walking backwards with the rig and if there isn't a grip to spot and support you, you will almost certainly get hurt.
Yes there are broadcast "solo" Steadicam operators for live sports, but that is a different beast.

I would say if you're truly shooting solo, you're better off using a smaller handheld stabilizer or learning really good handheld movement.
Good handheld is better than bad to average Steadicam...

Thanks very much for the responses.

I'm based in the UK.

I made my first feature (a documentary) pretty much single-handedly, and am intending to do as much as possible myself on future projects to bring costs down. I am currently developing two projects (both documentaries) that will require some Steadicam-style shots, and since this is something that I will likely need on most of the projects that I have lined up I thought that it could make sense to invest in the gear and learn it myself rather than the costs of hiring (with the added issue of shooting in numerous countries).

My experience with it is nil (I managed to get usable results, and I have very high standards, with a Glidecam on my Scarlet, after fixing short segments in post); from the sounds of it my idea may not even be possible.

I'm open to looking into alternatives, like smaller handheld stabilizers as mentioned, if the results are comparable, though I haven't seen anything that is of the same standard

 

[James Darren]

I think your best option is to hire someone in each country you go to. There are generally operators who may not be the A-cam feature guys but have at least a couple years experience who will probably operate for you within your budget, and get great results.

There are also great Ronin 2/Movi Pro operators out there who will get you good results, depending on the style of what you're shooting.

Which countries are you shooting in?