Image stabilisation for handheld video is a powerful tool for any filmmaker’s arsenal, one that can help you to capture higher-quality video.
A Steadicam is a mechanical device that is simultaneously a brand (Tiffen Steadicam), a name for a product and a term used to refer to stabilised handheld filming.
In the early days of filmmaking, if someone wanted a mobile shot, they’d either need to set up a dolly (a levelled and wheeled mount that goes along a predetermined track) or have the camera operator hold and move the camera. The Steadicam was invented to give Hollywood filmmakers a mobile, camera-stabilising option for smooth, dynamic movement that enabled the Steadicam operator to follow actors or create extended scenes without distracting shaking.
Meet the parts of a Steadicam.
Steadicams are often complex pieces of machinery, but you can break them down into several main parts:
Steadicams are expensive pieces of equipment, usually made from ultralight carbon fibre, but many intrepid filmmakers create DIY or guerrilla Steadicams that do a passable job so you don’t have to move to Hollywood or New York to get access to one. Sometimes people even make different stabilizer for phones.
Preparation is the way forward. Think like filmmaker Van Jensen: “You have to really map out not just the actors, the frame space and the camera, but how they all interact to string together several compelling frames.” Charting out camera movements in advance is key for creating dynamic shots that feel motivated by purpose and fit the type of film you’re trying to make. Handheld or dynamic movement isn’t going to be great for every shot or for every film. “People sometimes rush to shoot with a glide cam and they forget how to tell a story,” says filmmaker Dominic Duchesneau.
By planning out your shots, you’ll know if investing in Steadicam equipment might be necessary long before you have to worry about mastering incredible Steadicam shots.
Learn more in this article on aerial photography — an excellent resource for problem-solving many of the problems that show up when trying to get a stable shot.
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