Cinematography-Theory-And-Practice

SteadicamThe Steadicam revolutionized camera movement. It can smoothlymove the camera in places where a dolly would be impractical ordifficult, such as stairs, rough ground, slopes, and sand. A skilledoperator can pull off amazing shots that can almost be an additionalcharacter in the scene. In standard mode, the film or video camera ismounted on top of the central post and the operators video monitorand batteries ride on the sled at the bottom of the rig. The onlylimitation is that since the post extends down from the camera, thatis the lower limit of travel for the camera. To go any lower than this,the entire rig must be switched to low-mode, which generally takesseveral minutes.Low-Mode PrismGetting the camera low to the ground can sometimes be difficult.Even if the camera is taken off the dolly or tripod, it is still mountedon the geared or fluid head. This means that the lens is still at leasta foot or more off the ground. The head still has to be mounted onsomething; generally the lowest thing available is a high-hat.To get even lower, a prism may be necessary. This is a prism thatfits in front of the lens and optically lowers the lens so that the shotappears to be flat on the ground (Figure 11.30).Crash CamsFor explosions, car wrecks, train crashes, and other dangerous stunts,cameras must sometimes be placed where there is great danger ofthem being destroyed (Figure 11.32). In this case, crash cams areused. These are usually Eyemos (originally a WWII combat camera)that have been fitted with crystal motors and mounts for Nikon orCanon lenses, which are a fraction of the cost of motion picturelenses.Splash BoxesIn cases where the camera doesn’t have to be actually submergedbut will be very near the water or even slightly under the surface, asplash box can be used. These combine a clear optical port for thelens with a waterproof box or plastic bag that protects the camerawithout encasing it in a full underwater casing, which can be clumsyand time consuming to use. A splash box is something that can beused quickly for a single shot.Figure 11.31. (left) An Arri D-21 ona hood mount for this film producedby Michael Gallart. (Photo courtesyof Michael Gallart.)Figure 11.32. (top) A crash cam andarmored box; in this case an Eyemois used. (Photo courtesy of KeslowCamera.)Figure 11.33. (middle) A multi-axisremote control head. (Photo courtesyof Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment,Inc.)Figure 11.34. (bottom) The MILOmotion control rig. (Photo courtesyof Mark Roberts Motion Control.)camera movement225