The Steadicam® and Its Parts

Section One the Steadicam® and its parts

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 7 111/19/081/19/08 12:22:2012:22:20 PMPM The Steadicam® Operator’s Handbook Wearing the Steadicam® for the ﬁ rst time Q: What’s it feel like?

A: Well, it’s different. Until you wear it once or twice, very little of what we’ll discuss in the book will make much sense to you.

Q: Come on. What’s it feel like? Is it heavy?

A: It’s going to be a lot less effort than you might expect.

Q: Will it hurt my back?

A: If the vest and arm are adjusted right, and you stand correctly, it will not hurt or strain your back.

Q: So, what’s it going to feel like?

A: You’re going to feel some pressure on your legs, but not much. The Steadicam is going to move around a lot more than you might expect. It’s very free to move in space and to pan, tilt, and roll. Very, very free. You’ve got to dance with the Steadicam and be in balance at all times. It helps if the sled is in balance, if you have a solid understanding of the physics, if you know what to do with each hand, how to walk, and...

Q: What are you talking about? Am I going to fall over?

A: Probably not. You’ve got to try it on, and the sooner the Steve Tiffen, at age 15, better. If you are at a workshop or demonstration, some- tries on the Model One one knowledgeable will help you get into the rig for the for the ﬁ rst time at the ﬁ rst time. If you’re on your own, then read as much as you Film 77 trade show. can, and when you feel comfortable, pick it up. It won’t kill you if everything’s not perfectly adjusted.

After wearing the Steadicam

Q: So that’s what it feels like. Amazing. Different. What’s next?

A: Go back and read some more. Keep picking it up and practicing. Learn how it all works. Watch movies. Start dreaming of making shots. You have the tool. Learn to use the Steadicam well. The more experience you have, the more you will understand the concepts and ideas in the book and the more valuable the information will be to you. It’s going to be an amazing journey. 8

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 8 111/19/081/19/08 12:22:2312:22:23 PMPM The Steadicam® and its parts Basic physics a four part solution Understanding how a Steadicam solves the problems of “shakiness” will help you learn to balance and operate the Steadicam more quickly. Garrett always broke it down into the “four part solution.”

Here’s another version of how it works:

Handheld cinematography is alive with movement and quick to respond. This is useful for a rapid-ﬁ re, inside the action feel and is implemented when appropriate for the story. Handheld has also been used as a way to visually express the point of view (POV) of a character.

However, the intimate feel achieved with handheld is often shat- tered by unwanted and unrealistic movements. No matter how rough a trail becomes, the hiker’s brain maintains a smooth, con- tinuous view of the scenery, so why should our shots shake, rattle, and roll when walking down a trail?

Handheld camerawork suffers from two kinds of unwanted movement. One is spatial, when the camera makes unwanted moves in space, such as the bounce with each step the cameraman makes. The other is angular, where the camera makes unwanted rolls, pans, or tilts during the shot. Angular solutions

The problem: Most cameras are relatively compact, and therefore an operator can pan, tilt, or roll them rather quickly. In some respects a camera is like a bowling ball, easy to spin (move angularly) on any axis. Everything is ﬁ ne when the camera is attached to a tripod, but when a living being attempts to hold this contraption, the problems begin to show up on screen. All contact with the camera is on the outside of the camera body — outside of the camera’s center of gravity (c.g.).

The cameraman’s lifting and aiming forces are rarely directed through the c.g. of the camera, so the camera will turn or twist as well as move. Trying to hold the camera still, the operator creates both spatial and angular vibrations that disturb the shot.

deﬁ nition Center of gravity (c.g.): x that point in a body around which its mass or weight is It is impossible to get your evenly distributed or balanced hands on a camera’s cen- and through which the force of ter of gravity. gravity acts. 9

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 9 111/19/081/19/08 12:22:2412:22:24 PMPM The Steadicam® Operator’s Handbook

On the other hand, when the handheld camera operator wants to impart a controlled angular motion to the camera (like a pan), the force required is very small, while the force required to lift the camera is very large. The operator must continually micro adjust the small panning forces, and he must use the same arms, hands, legs, and shoulders to do the heavy lifting.

Good handheld operators have all sorts of tricks for smoothing out unwanted motions, but very quickly the range of acceptable smooth motions runs out and the camera shakes, vibrates, rolls, or bounces in an undesirable way. So how does the Steadicam work?

First, the Steadicam adds several other masses to the camera body via a rigid structure. deﬁ nition Two things immediately happen: The ﬁ rst is that this new, heavier, and longer Inertia: n., physics object takes a lot more force to turn angularly. The second is that the new c.g. c.g. The tendency of a body can be touched by the operator. Grabbing to resist acceleration; the the object at the c.g. induces the least an- tendency of a body at rest gular change, or put another way, has the to remain at rest or of a smallest possible angular (shaky) effect body in motion to stay in on the image. motion in a straight line unless disturbed by an If we add masses to the camera in two external force. directions, it becomes more resistant to angular change in all three dimensions. We now have an object that resists turning (we can say it has greatly increased angular inertia) and we can grab it at a spot that Adding masses via a rigid structure doesn’t make it turn very much. allows the operator to touch a new c.g. of the combined structure. We still have a problem though. We are

still doing the heavy lifting (now even R O L heavier!) and aiming the camera with the L same muscles. This is the limiting factor of all shakicams. N PA

T I The gimbal L T The next part of the solution is a three- axis gimbal placed near the new structure’s c.g. If the structure is lifted by the gimbal, the lifting force will not affect the structure angularly.

This is very important: The gimbal separates the large lifting force from the small “aiming” forces that frame the shot. Also, the gimbal allows the Steadicam to be balanced — and therefore aimed — independently of the lifting force. Why is this important? Although human beings cannot exert a constant force to aim or lift the camera, we can exert an average force of zero. If we combine our own “zero force” ability with a gim- 10 bal, we can achieve great precision aiming the camera.

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 1010 111/19/081/19/08 12:22:2812:22:28 PMPM The Steadicam® and its parts

Spreading the masses and adding a gimbal gets us: • a heavier device that resists angular movement. • a device whose c.g. can be touched. • a device that can be lifted without inducing angular movements. • a device where the small forces needed to aim the camera are separated from the large forces needed to lift it. • a device that can be aimed by its balance.

Alas, with this new device, the operator can no longer put his eye to the eyepiece. Because the eyepiece is so far away from the new c.g., the slightest pressure will introduce large angular movement to the new structure. What’s needed is a high-brightness video screen mounted somewhere on the contraption for accurate framing. While we’re at it, let’s use the masses of the monitor and a battery as the extra masses we need to make our inert object. If we’re carrying the weight, we might as well make it work for us!

By the way, when the Steadicam was invented, there were no video assist cameras for fi lm work, and the fi rst “green screens” were not much larger than postage stamps. Thankfully, things have improved. defi nition Isolate and lift Momentum: n., physics The product of a body’s The Steadicam system still has to solve two more problems. We need to isolate the new mass and linear velocity. contraption from our body’s spatial movements, and we need a good way to lift this camera and all the extra masses we added to it. The solution is a mechanical arm that frees the camera from our shoulders, and a specialized vest that distributes the weight of the device onto our shoulders and hips.

The mechanical arm provides the spatial isola- tion of the camera from the operator. Horizontal movements are absorbed in the arm by a series of hinges and links that mimic our own joints: wrists, elbows, and shoulders. Vertical movements are absorbed by two links of the arms that are parallelograms with internal springs.

The arm not only absorbs movements from the operator, but it allows the sled to be moved The four part solution: within the range of the arm, both horizontally 1. add mass via rigid structure and vertically with very little effort. And again, the operator can use the “average force of zero” 2. gimbal to hold the Steadicam still when necessary. 3. monitor for framing And that’s the four part solution — that’s how 4. arm and vest to carry it the Steadicam system basically works. 11

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 1111 111/19/081/19/08 12:22:2912:22:29 PMPM The Steadicam® Operator’s Handbook Getting to know the rig name the parts The Steadicam® is a three part system: vest, arm, and sled.

The vest distributes the weight of the system evenly onto the shoulder pads chest plate/y-plate operator’s body. It must be properly sized and adjusted to shoulder clips ﬁ t the operator.

quick release handle

chest strap plate with lock y-plate extension lock

chest pads chest strap buckles

hip pads

socket block spar

hip strap buckles bridge plate

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 1212 111/19/081/19/08 12:22:3212:22:32 PMPM The Steadicam® and its parts The cross back straps are sandwiched between the shoulder pads and vest back, and secured with Velcro®. Adjust the position of the upper straps so they end as shown in the photo (fairly low). In this position, they will be easy to clip, un- clip, and adjust.

shoulder straps

quick release strap

chest straps, Velcro® for resizing

cross back straps

hip straps, Velcro® for resizing

lumbar pad

Note: These vest parts are typical, but may look or work slightly differently in other Steadicam® models or in other brands of camera stabilizers. The Steadicam® arms and sleds shown on the next few pages are also typical examples of arms and sleds. 13

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 1313 111/19/081/19/08 12:22:3212:22:32 PMPM The Steadicam® Operator’s Handbook The vest adjusts to ﬁ t just about any operator. Make sure you get the right ﬁ t.

Regular size vest adjusted for short and tall operators.

Compact vest (Master Series) Flyer SE vest

A compact vest would be the best choice for this operator, but alas, one was not available. She made this regular size, LX vest as small as possible by unclipping the chest plate from the spar, so she could slide the “Y” plate much lower. She then added some extra pads and voilà!, a great ﬁ tting vest.

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The arm is the link between the vest and the sled. The arm lifts and isolates. A clever spring arrangement imparts roughly equal force throughout the boom range making it possible to raise or lower the sled with very little effort. (The links are always in equipoise with the load, regardless of the arm’s position, and the two links are in equipoise with one another as well.) deﬁ nition The arm has sections and hinges to mimic our own wrist, foream, elbow, upper arm, and shoulder, so it can be moved though space like our own arm. Equipoise: n., balance of forces or interests; a arm post counterbalance or balanc- G-50 Arm ing force. forearm section

adjustment knobs

upper arm section titanium spring adjustment knobs Master Series/Ultra Arm double action hinge

titanium quick release pin spring

socket Flyer Arm socket

weight adjustment knob G-70 Arm rod ends

ride adjustment knob

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The sled is the camera support element which hangs via the gimbal on the mechanical arm. The sled consists of many parts.

stage (aka camera mounting platform, XY stage) dovetail lock nosebox

fore and aft and side to docking ring side adjustment knobs

gimbal gimbal handle

post monitor Power and video connectors are at the rear of the stage. monitor bracket

monitor rods electronics

battery

battery rods Clipper 2 Sled

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The stage is where the camera is locked to the Steadicam via the dovetail plate. Here you will ﬁ nd power and video connectors and speed controls for the motorized stage.

An integral tilt head makes it possible to tilt or trim the camera while keeping the main post vertical. It’s easier to operate with a vertical post, dynamic balance is preserved, and operating is more precise, especially in long modes and low mode, and when doing whip pans.

The post is a rigid structure to which all the parts of the Steadicam are attached.

Many Steadicams have telescoping posts to expand the range of lens heights and balancing options. Most Steadicams have two or more posts, which lengthen the sled for balancing heavier cameras.

A few top end Steadicams have a four section telescoping post — an integral super- post available at an instant’s notice.

The monitor can be optimally positioned for different conﬁ gurations of the Steadi- cam. The monitor bracket makes it easy to move it in or out, up or down.

The monitor also tilts so the operator can easily see the image (and it tilts on its c.g. so tilting won’t disturb the Steadicam’s critical balance!).

The monitor easily ﬂ ips upside down for low mode.

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The electronics box is at the bottom of the post. The video distribution amplifi ers, frameline generator, and artifi cial horizon circuits are inside. On the exterior you will fi nd connectors, pots, and switches.

Note: The sled — or the sled, camera, and accessories — is often called “the rig.” In some countries, it’s “the Steadi.”

The battery is attached to the electronics box by adjustable rods, so it can move in and out. The ability to move the battery over a wide range is critical for both static and dynamic balance, as well as altering the inertia of the sled.

The battery provides power for the entire system: camera, monitor, motorized stage, and any other accessory you wish to plug into the Steadicam.

All Steadicam sleds have the same basic elements, but the parts and the structures may look quite different.

Merlin Model II 2 (modiﬁ ed) Ultra

Archer 18

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 1818 111/19/081/19/08 12:22:4412:22:44 PMPM The Steadicam® and its parts Docking bracket

One end of the docking bracket holds and locks the Steadicam while not in use. On the other end is a balancing stud. Placing the gimbal onto the stud allows the operator to balance the sled without having to wear it.

Balancing the rig can only be done once all the elements (camera, battery, fol- low focus, wireless transmitter, etc.) are mounted onto the Steadicam sled. Practice cage

A practice cage is a very useful accessory. In the workshops, we use a cage — and not just a slab of weight between the dovetail and the camera — to make the c.g. 3.5 to 4 inches above the camera mounting stage. This keeps the gimbal higher, close to the stage, as it is in normal operating.

You can use a lightweight MiniDV camera with a good zoom to record your line dances and practice shots, and you can change the cage weight to simulate any camera. Make the cage so you can change batteries and tapes easily, open the camera’s video screen, etc.

The cage in the photo is 7 inches high, 4.5 inches wide, 12 inches long, and the plates are 1/2 inch thick. It weighs 20 pounds with a mounted camcorder. This is a good size and weight for most “big” Steadicams. A cage 3 inches wide and 18 inches long would weigh the same, but have more pan inertia. Another 1/2 inch plate can be added to the top to make a 30 pound practice cage.

This cage has seen years of use at the SOA workshops. We prefer to bang the cage into a wall rather than a fancy camera! Be sure the camera lens does not protrude from the structure.

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 1919 111/19/081/19/08 12:22:5012:22:50 PMPM The Steadicam® Operator’s Handbook Basic Steadicam® terms name the modes There are two basic ways to build the Steadicam: High mode

The camera is mounted on the top of the sled. The camera’s lens height can be anywhere from the operator’s hip to up over his head. High mode is most commonly used. Low mode

Here, the sled is turned upside down. The camera is mounted right side up via a special bracket. The lens height is typically between the operator’s waist and his knees. Super low mode gets the lens on the ﬂ oor.

There are two basic positions for operating the Steadicam: Missionary

When the operator is in Missionary the camera is facing the same direction as the operator. The monitor is to the operator’s front; the battery is to the rear. Missionary is an arc from the camera pointing straight ahead to looking across the operator’s body. Don Juan Note: Garrett Brown whimsically named these When the camera is pointed behind the two positions Missionary operator, we say he is in Don Juan. The and Don Juan during an monitor is to the operator’s rear; the bat- early workshop. And the tery is to the front. Don Juan includes an names stuck! arc as the camera looks to the side away from the arm and pans to the rear. 20

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 2020 111/19/081/19/08 12:22:5212:22:52 PMPM The Steadicam® and its parts Some more ways of operating: Goofy foot

The Steadicam is normally operated with the camera on the left side of the operator. Goofy foot refers to operating with the camera on the right side. The socket block is ﬂ ipped 180°; the arm and sled then mount on the opposite side.

regular goofy

Long mode

By way of the telescoping post, the rig is elongated to get lens positions farther from the gimbal, both in high or low mode.

Hard mount

The socket block is ﬁ xed to a vehicle. The vehicle carries the weight of the rig, but the operator cannot get on or off the vehicle during the shot.

Soft mount

Wearing the Steadicam while shooting from a vehicle is called soft mount. A variation of this is the sitting soft mount. Soft mount is often used when the operator wants to get on or off the vehicle during the shot, such as stepping off a crane.

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 2121 111/19/081/19/08 12:22:5312:22:53 PMPM The Steadicam® Operator’s Handbook Build the Steadicam® in high mode

Steadicam in a box. Assembly required.

Different models of Steadicams come out of the box in varying stages of assembly. Some Steadicams provide a wide range of options for conﬁ guring the rig, such as telescoping posts, monitors that can be positioned higher or lower, tilt plates, etc.

No matter the model, these are the basic steps to set up a Steadicam.

First, mount your docking bracket on a sturdy stand. Then lift the sled out of the box and slide the docking ring into the docking bracket. Make sure to lock the bracket securely.

Next, attach the battery, monitor, and any other accessories.

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Center the fore and aft and side to side adjustments of the camera mounting stage by turning the knobs on the stage.

All components should be in line, fore and aft. Make sure the stage, monitor, and battery are not askew.

On many sleds, there’s a guide line on each post to help you line up the components. A few sleds have posts that in line out of line can’t rotate relative to one another.

Now you are ready to mount the camera on the sled.

The camera mounts to the Steadicam via a dovetail plate, also known as the camera mounting plate. It is critical to mount the plate correctly to camera, and to do so, we need to fi nd the camera’s center of gravity. Your Steadicam may have a slightly different Find the camera’s c.g. stage and dovetail plate. A simple way to fi nd the camera’s c.g. is to place the camera on a rod or pencil, and roll Be sure you understand it back and forth until it balances. Don’t get too fussy with your marks; you do not need how they go together! micrometer precision. It’s good to fi nd both the fore and aft and side to side c.g.’s. Mark these positions on the bottom, side, and front (or rear) of the camera with tape.

Remember: The camera must be fully built with lens, matte box, loaded magazine, and focus motors attached.

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Place the dovetail plate on the bottom of the camera so that it is centered on the side to side mark. Center the dovetail fore and aft on its mark, and then move the dovetail plate toward the camera lens about 3/4 inch.

Find the closest set of mounting holes and attach ﬁ rmly. We don’t want the camera coming loose! Two screws, or a single screw and an anti-rotation pin, should be used.

Set the dovetail into the “dovetail grabber.” Slide the camera fore and aft until the camera c.g. is about 3/4 inch behind the centerline of the center post, and lock the camera in place. For the smaller rigs like the Flyer, 1/2 inch behind the center is a good starting point.

It may seem odd that we don’t put the camera c.g. directly over the post, but we don’t. We’ll get to the reason why on page 34.

Most sleds have a fail-safe locking system that keeps the dovetail and camera from sliding entirely off the sled. Make sure this system is working!! Ultra2 Stage

Back: stage is unlocked. Middle: camera can Forward: fully locked. slide, but won’t fall out.

You have now built the Steadicam. Do not attempt to wear the rig until you have properly balanced the system.

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 2424 111/19/081/19/08 12:23:0312:23:03 PMPM The Steadicam® and its parts Four balancing acts Three involve the rig: static, dynamic, and inertial The fourth is the balance between the operator and the machine

Initially, achieving static balance keeps the sled in an upright and level position while hanging from the gimbal.

Dynamic balance further aids in keeping the sled upright and level while the Steadi- cam is panning.

Inertial balance determines how resistant the sled is to angular changes in any axis or any combination of axes.

And lastly, the operator must learn to put on the vest, connect the arm, mount the sled, and “ﬂ y” the rig. This balance requires the operator and Steadicam to move as one. Carefully balance the Steadicam for each shot.

A poorly or inappropriately balanced sled will only make it more difﬁ cult to achieve your goals. Really good operators are constantly tweaking the balance of the sled as they rehearse and go through multiple takes of a shot.

There are often a variety of ways to position the major components in relation to one another. Some sleds have more options for positioning and adjusting components than others.

Before you start balancing, be sure you understand how all the parts of your sled ﬁ t together, how the camera mates with the sled, the types and range of adjustments that are possible, and how any and all safety mechanisms work. Let’s get started balancing the rig.

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 2525 111/19/081/19/08 12:23:1612:23:16 PMPM The Steadicam® Operator’s Handbook Static balance determines how the rig will hang from the gimbal, and how easily it will tilt or roll

First we put the rig in what we call static balance. A rig in static balance will hang by the gimbal at a particular attitude: usually upright and with the post vertical. The three components of static balance are in the three axes: fore and aft, side to side, and top to bottom.

We ﬁ ne tune fore and aft and side to side balance by moving the camera via knobs on the side and back of the camera mounting stage.

Top to bottom balance is generally achieved by sliding the gimbal up or down the central post. Extending the post is another option.

It is best to begin balancing by placing the sled’s components and the camera close to their ﬁ nal positions. This is not as crazy as it sounds.

The ﬁ rst two considerations are where to position the monitor and the weight of the camera. If the camera is heavy (but within the range of appropriate camera weights for the sled) then we place the gimbal high up on the post. If the camera is light, we drop the gimbal down several inches. Ex- perience will help, of course.

Positioning the monitor is more complicated — that is, if you have a choice of monitor positions. You might need the monitor low if the camera is heavy, or extended from the post fully if you want a slowly panning rig (see Inertial Balance, page 251).

To make this process simple, we will assume that we want to balance the sled in high mode with the post perfectly vertical (camera level), with an “average” top to bottom balance and the monitor in an “average” position. We are balancing the sled for an exercise called the line dance.

We place the gimbal about 2 inches from the top of the post, and set the monitor about two-thirds of the way out on its rods. The monitor is tilted upward about 45° for easy viewing. 26

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 2626 111/19/081/19/08 12:23:1812:23:18 PMPM The Steadicam® and its parts Hang the rig from the gimbal

It is possible to balance the Steadicam while wearing the rig. However, when the rig is wildly out of balance it can be a little tricky, and could put undue strain on your body. A better system is to use the balancing stud on the docking bracket. It’s em- barrassing to note how many years it took the Steadicam pioneers to ﬁ gure this out!

Hang the rig on the stand by sliding the gimbal handle onto the stud. Make sure the gimbal gets fully seated onto the stud. Tip: If the rig is off level, During balancing, the rig hangs far from the stand. One or two sand bags will keep ev- move the camera, battery, or erything secure. It is also helpful to have an assistant hold on to the stand. monitor up hill. We begin our balancing act by adjusting the most out of balance axis. Then we adjust the other two. As we get closer to our fi nal balance, we fi ne tune the balance in each axis until we are satisfi ed. Perfect balance is the balance that gives you the most help getting your shot.

Fore and aft balance

You initially placed the camera 3/4 inch behind the post. Don’t move the camera fore or aft at this point in the balancing process.

This is very important: We ﬁ rst try to get the post perfectly vertical fore and aft (as seen from the side) by sliding the battery in and out. At this point, we only use the fore and aft knob on the camera mounting stage to micro ﬁ ne tune the Slide the battery in or out until the rig sled’s balance. hangs vertical. Side to side balance

Position yourself or spin the sled until you are behind the camera. Use the side to side knobs on the camera mounting stage to get the sled to hang vertically. If you cannot achieve side to side balance, you will have to reposition the dovetail plate on the bottom of the camera. This is one reason why it is critical to have all accessories attached to the camera before you ﬁ nd and mark its c.g.

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 2727 111/19/081/19/08 12:23:2812:23:28 PMPM The Steadicam® Operator’s Handbook Top to bottom balance

Top to bottom balance is a bit trickier than the other two. While it’s easy for anyone to see if a rig is level, it’s much harder to say what is proper top to bottom balance. A lot depends on the operator and what he likes, and a lot depends on the shot. But to get started, the rig should hang upright.

Careful! To ﬁ nd the top to bottom c.g. of the rig, Only release the gimbal hold the rig horizontal. You may want an clamp with the post in a hori- assistant around the ﬁ rst few times you at- zontal position. tempt this. Keeping the rig horizontal, release the gimbal clamp. Slide the rig back If the post tips off horizontal, the and forth through the gimbal until the rig rig will accelerate quickly until balances horizontally. the gimbal slams into the camera stage or the electronics. Keep the rig horizontal as you perform this operation. Once you have found what we call neutral balance, move the gimbal toward the stage about 1/2 inch and clamp the gimbal to the post. Return the rig to vertical.

Now the gimbal is holding the rig above the c.g., so the sled will hang more or less right side up. The closer the gimbal is to the c.g., the more critical the fore and aft and side to side balance becomes. Readjust the fore and aft and side to side knobs to make the sled hang perfectly vertical. Drop test

Tip: Position the rig so it Now you are ready for the all important won’t hit the stand when you drop test. This drop test is a way of de- let go. scribing how bottom heavy a rig is balanced. We perform the test by holding the Don’t watch the rig swing sled horizontal, letting go, and counting back and forth. Catch it as it how long it takes for the bottom of the goes through vertical so you sled to pass through vertical. The more can make a decision, make bottom heavy a sled is, the faster it drops; adjustments, and repeat the the more neutral, the slower it drops. test quickly. To start, try to achieve a 2 to 3 second drop time. If the rig drops too fast, you need to lower the gimbal. If the rig drops too slowly, you need to raise the gimbal and make the sled more bottom heavy. Remember, always have the rig horizontal when you release the gimbal clamp! Bottom heaviness

We use the sled’s balance to help us get a shot. There is no one perfect balance, as all shots are different.

Bottom heaviness is always a compromise between getting the rig to seek a particular attitude (more bottom heavy up to a point) versus not being a pendulum when acceler- ated (less bottom heavy).

A very bottom heavy rig (say, a 1 second or less drop time on a normal length rig) will seek vertical very strongly: great for static shots. However, this rig is hard to balance to an angle other than vertical, difﬁ cult to tilt, and also very pendular when starting, stop- 28 ping, and changing speed or direction.

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A very neutrally balanced rig is very easy to tilt and is hardly infl uenced by acceleration. It will not strongly seek any one position — such as level side to side and set for proper headroom fore and aft — and therefore, is also easily infl uenced to take another position. Any minor shift (a power cable hanging differently, for instance) will cause the rig to seek a new attitude. Any fl ex anywhere in any joint, any slight misalignment, will also cause the rig to hang differently.

A 100% neutrally balanced rig has to be forced by the operator 100% of the time for all framing — i.e., the rig’s balance does not help us get the shot. This is not good for most operating; there’s too much operator inﬂ uence.

Somewhere between these extremes is a sled that seeks a particular balance fairly strongly, can be tilted without too much effort, and is not too hard to control when ac- celerated and decelerated. That’s the compromise, and some operators will favor a more bottom heavy rig, others a less bottom heavy rig.

A 4 second drop time with a typical length rig describes a rig very neutrally balanced top to bottom, but with a longer rig, a 4 second drop time describes a much more bottom heavy (normally balanced) rig. Drop time per se does not really describe how bottom heavy a rig is.

If your drop time is just too long, the rig becomes insanely sensitive to every change. With a normal length sled, we use a 2 to 3 second drop time for typical work, and, of course, we change the drop time depending on the shot.

Step by step: static balance • Place the monitor where you can comfortably see it. • Move the gimbal up or down depending on the camera weight (up for heavy, down for light). • Place the camera’s c.g. 3/4 inches behind the center of the post. • Hang the sled on the balancing stud of the docking bracket. • Move the battery in and out to achieve best fore and aft balance. • Use side to side knobs to balance. • Check drop time (2 to 3 seconds is common) and move the gimbal accordingly. • Fine tune fore and aft and side to side balance after drop time is set.

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 2929 111/19/081/19/08 12:23:3412:23:34 PMPM The Steadicam® Operator’s Handbook Fine tuning

After moving the gimbal, you may ﬁ nd the fore and aft balance and the side to side balance need some adjustment.

When ﬁ ne tuning fore and aft and side to side balance, always hold the sled vertical with your operating hand on the gimbal, just as if you were operating. Adjust the stage knobs using your arm hand, and feel the pressure on your grip disap- pear. If the rig moves when you let go, it is still out of balance.

The rig is now in balance enough for you to put it on. If you’ve never had a Steadicam on before, skip the pages on dynamic balance.

Once you have done a few exercises, come back to learn about dynamic balance. Many old time operators worked for years (decades! epochs!) without knowing a thing about dynamic balance. Dynamic balance determines how the rig will behave when rotated

A rig that is in dynamic balance will pan ﬂ at. The central post will remain vertical, regardless of the speed of rotation.

What’s the big deal about dynamic balance? A rig out of dynamic balance will wobble, drift, or precess around the vertical axis as it is panned.

Imagine ﬁ lming an actor. Headroom is carefully set, but the sled is not in dynamic balance. At some point, the actor moves, and a pan is required. Instead of the sled’s balance maintaining headroom and helping you get the shot, the rig tilts up, down, or rolls off level.

To counteract the rig’s unwanted behavior, you must add extra force at the gimbal. You can no longer rely on the sweetness of the bearings to make the pan. You must constantly intercede to keep everything level and moving, and this is not very good for precision operating. 30

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 3030 111/19/081/19/08 12:23:3412:23:34 PMPM The Steadicam® and its parts How do we achieve dynamic balance? myth-buster We bring a rig into dynamic balance by ﬁ rst balancing statically as described earlier. A “You can statically balance long drop time (3 to 4 seconds) is helpful for achieving a ﬁ ne state of static balance. The a Steadicam into dynamic monitor is where we want it, and the sled is at the right length. balance.”

A rig in dynamic balance is balanced statically so that it hangs perfectly upright, but a Not so! Static balance perfectly statically balanced rig may not be in dynamic balance. How can we tell the does not guarantee the difference? Only by spin balancing. Steadicam will pan ﬂ at. Spin balancing the Steadicam

After everything is balanced so the central post is perfectly vertical, we give the rig a spin and watch how it behaves. We don’t spin the rig very fast.

If the rig pans ﬂ at, we are in luck. But if the rig wobbles, it is out of dynamic balance, and our task is to discover the spe- ciﬁ c condition of static balance that also puts the rig in dynamic balance.

Thankfully, this is easy to do. We do not want to move the monitor — it’s where we want it. Instead, we move the battery slightly in or out, and we move the camera in the opposite direction to rebalance the rig statically. But which direction should we move the battery?

While there are ways to ﬁ gure this out by watching the sled spin, there are only two possible directions to move the battery and you always have a 50% chance of getting it right without thinking. So stop scratching your head and move the battery in or out a half inch or so. In or out; it’s your choice. But make your decision quickly and be sure to remember which direction you moved the battery.

Now you can ﬁ ne tune the static balance by moving the camera in the opposite direction. When all is perfect and level again, give the rig another spin.

Now make the judgment call. Is it better or worse? Close? If it’s better but not perfect, move the battery about one-third the distance in the same direction. If worse, move the battery in the opposite direction beyond the ﬁ rst mark. Static balance and spin test again and again until it pans ﬂ at.

If we start the static balancing process Note: Extend the docking with the camera c.g. about 3/4 inch behind bracket so the rig won’t hit the center post, we will always be close to the stand. Have an assis- dynamic balance. Three or four spin tests tant hold the stand while should get one very close to perfect dy- you spin balance. namic balance.

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 3131 111/19/081/19/08 12:23:3912:23:39 PMPM The Steadicam® Operator’s Handbook What if the battery won’t go far enough?

You may ﬁ nd that you can’t move the battery out far enough to dynamic balance the sled. If this is the case, you must either move the monitor in or add weight to the battery. If you can’t move the battery in toward the post enough, you must move the monitor out or add weight to the monitor. The design of your sled may limit your options or force you to make alterations to get your sled into dynamic balance.

One key to quick dynamic balancing: If the monitor c.g. is above the battery c.g., the camera c.g. will always be behind the centerline of the central post, usually about 3/4 inch.

x x

How much time should you spend spin balancing?

It depends, like everything else, on the shot, and a little bit on your equipment.

If there is going to be a whip pan, or sim- ply a lot of pans, it’s a good idea to get the rig into good dynamic balance.

If your sled doesn’t have a tilt head, it’s generally not productive to spend a lot of time getting the rig in perfect dynamic balance. When headroom is set by taking the rig out of perfect vertical trim — and thereby taking it out of dynamic balance Trimmed for the same headroom, the post with — the rig will not pan ﬂ at. the tilt head remains vertical. Without a tilt head, dynamic balance is lost. The more you tilt the sled, the worse the panning will be. 32

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If the sled has a tilt head, the nominal tilt for headroom can be set with the head. The post can remain vertical and the rig stays in dynamic balance, so it’s really worth the time to get your sled into dynamic balance.

However, with any rig it’s better to start close to dynamic balance and then trim a bit for headroom than it is to ignore dynamic balance altogether. The closer you are to dynamic balance to start, the better the rig behaves. Who knows, maybe the next shot has a whip pan or requires almost no trimming. Get reasonably close to dynamic balance, and move on to some other task.

Step by step: dynamic balance • Extremely critical: all elements (camera, monitor, and battery/electronics) must be lined up on the same axis. • To start, the rig must be in static balance, with a slow drop time of 3 or more seconds and the camera about 3/4 inch behind the center post. • With the rig on the balancing stud, give it a spin. If the rig pans ﬂ at, you are in dynamic balance. If it doesn’t, go to the next step. • Move the battery in or out about 1/2 inch. Adjust the camera for static balance. Spin again. • Is it worse? Then move the battery in the opposite direction, 1/2 inch from the original position. If it is better, move the battery 1/4 inch in the same direction. Adjust the camera for static balance. • Repeat these steps until the rig pans ﬂ at.

One way to think about dynamic balance

Take a big T-handle Allen wrench and spin it. Spin it with the handle horizontal, vertical, upside down, at any angle you want, and it always wants to spin on the axis of the shaft. Simple.

Early Steadicams were designed like the wrench: the monitor and battery were on the same plane, and the central post rose at 90º to that plane and at the common c.g. of those elements. (See photo of Model I at right.) We always balanced the camera with its c.g. directly over the post, adding it like a second T-handle to our wrench model.

The ﬁ rst Steadicams panned nice and ﬂ at, just like an Allen wrench in our hands.

However, the monitor was not in a great place for viewing or ﬂ ipping for low mode. Beginning with the Model II Steadicam, the monitor was raised up, and we developed a situation like the wrench angled up, but the Steadicam’s central post is vertical. 33

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When the Model II Steadicam was panned, the camera was content to pan ﬂ at, but the monitor and battery tried to rotate around an imaginary shaft at 90° to the plane and passing through the common c.g. of the monitor and battery. The result was an un- controlled, squirmy gyration rather than a nice, ﬂ at pan. Almost unbelievably, Gar- rett and other pioneers learned to compen- sate quite well for this imbalance, even when making whip pans.

The trick we need to learn: As the monitor is raised, we need to adjust the battery and the camera so that the axis the Steadicam wants to pan on is coincident with the axis of the real post. If we achieve this condition, we are in dynamic balance, and the rig will pan ﬂ at.

This might sound difﬁ cult to achieve (and the math that describes it is a bit complex), but it’s a fairly straightforward concept to grasp. Here it is, without the math

Figure 1 shows a Steadicam like the Model I, with the monitor and battery on the same horizontal plane.

Figure 2 shows a “modern” Steadicam, with the monitor raised up a bit. This is the model we want to emulate, but we’ll come back to it later.

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

Figure 3 shows an absurd arrangement of parts, with the monitor all the way up, level with the camera — just like the Allen wrench upside down. Note that the battery must be moved directly in line with the post. The whole thing is just like Figure 1 upside down, and physics is only interested in the mass of a part, not its function. When thinking about dynamic balance, forget that it’s a monitor, battery, or camera. It’s just some masses rigidly connected in different arrangements. 34

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What we can learn from these drawings is how to balance dynamically as the monitor is raised up toward the camera. As the monitor is raised, the camera must move to the rear and the battery must move toward the post.

We now know that if the monitor is raised, the camera c.g. will always be aft of the center post. From experience and from mathematical models, we’ve learned to start balancing a big Steadicam with the camera’s c.g. about 3/4 inch behind the centerline of the post. It’s somewhat less with smaller Steadicams, less if the camera is really heavy, and somewhat more if the camera is light. Then we can spin balance the sled to quickly get into dynamic balance.

We also know that the more the monitor is raised (as a percentage of the total Steadi- cam length), the more the camera must move to the rear, and the more the battery In Garrett’s prototype with an optical viewﬁ nder, must move closer to the post. This fact can the battery c.g. is directly under the camera c.g. help us when we are in dynamic balance and we change the length of the Steadicam — it gives us a clue whether to move the battery in or out to achieve dynamic balance. We move the battery farther in if we raise the monitor height, and we move the battery out if the monitor is lowered. Again, we must consider raising or lowering the monitor as a percentage of the total length of the Steadicam.

It is also possible to use a dynamic balance computer program to fi nd near perfect dynamic balance for any confi guration, or to virtually manipulate your Steadicam and fi nd out what happens when you move or add components, change cameras, etc.

Dynamic balance, another empirical method: • Start with the camera c.g. directly over the center post! • Balance with the battery. You know you are not in dynamic balance. But you know you must move the camera back and the battery in. • Move the battery in by 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch increments, and balance with the camera until it pans ﬂ at.

And another — even quicker, but requires some measurements: • Balance with the camera c.g. directly over the post. Measure the battery c.g. horizontal distance from the post. • Measure how much (percentage wise) the monitor is raised, and move the battery in by that percentage. Rebalance with the camera. Dynamic balance! ...or very close.

11CC SectionSection final.inddfinal.indd 3535 111/19/081/19/08 12:24:0012:24:00 PMPM The Steadicam® Operator’s Handbook Some other dynamic balancing tips

Make some marks! After you balance your rig a few times, you will get a better idea of where the battery generally is for your normal setup. Find a way to remember or mark this position. Every setup is slightly different, and every added accessory or change of monitor position changes dynamic balance. A few marks can make your life easier.

Don’t spin the rig very fast. Dynamic forces grow with the square of the speed of rotation. Even at 120 rpm, the dynamic forces are several orders of magnitude greater than the static forces on the rig. A fast spin test won’t indicate how the rig will pan at regular panning speeds.

Also, there are speciﬁ c speeds at which a fast panning rig that is out of dynamic balance will pan ﬂ at, but the rig will wobble at other speeds.

The camera weight is irrelevant to dynamic balance. This little fact is great news for mentally overloaded operators. It means we can change lenses, focus motors, and/or add or subtract accessories to the camera with no consequence for dynamic balance. We just rebalance statically, and we are back in dynamic balance, ready to ﬂ y.

A very detailed dynamic balance primer, with all the mathematics and formulas, as well as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet with the dynamic balance program can be found on www.steadicam.com or www.steadicam-ops.com.

Don’t stand like this (above) A word about effi ciency trying to balance the rig “no hands.” This posture is not both on the set and learning to operate how you’d operate, so you A clear understanding of how the Steadicam works, combined with time saving proce- are not properly training dures for balancing and adjusting the rig, will make your operating life easier. your muscles. See below for the proper way to stand. Assembling and balancing the rig, putting on the vest, adjusting the arm, etc., are not creative tasks. They might appear amusing or mysterious to the uninformed, but they are routine tasks. Spend the time to learn how to do all these basic things quickly and effi ciently, so you can have as much time as possible for the creative aspects of operating — which, of course, include the fi ner points of balancing for the shot.

It’s really important to understand that each time you work with the rig, you are learning something. Whether it’s muscle memory, or adjusting the rig, you learn. So don’t do things or learn habits that are bad for your operating.

Don’t swing the rig around, or make switches while standing still, or any number of crazy things you would never do for a shot.

Most Steadicams weigh a lot. Practice is limited. Have an exercise or two in mind before you pick up the rig. Wandering around the house (day after day), chasing the dog (more than a couple of times), might be fun, but you don’t learn very much, very fast. And there’s so much to learn.

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