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BOOKS AND ARTICLES Apparatus for aces (aerobatics steadicam)
In 1989 or 1990 I happened to watch two steadicam players at a rock festival. The impression remains: healthy guys in almost knightly armor, strangely bent under the weight of the equipment, mince, shaking video cameras, in front of the musicians, on the stage and around it. Meanwhile, the producer shouts into the microphone, admonishing the audience not to shout out their comments to the musicians and not to throw all sorts of rubbish on the stage, because big money was paid for filming. At that moment, he was sure that this would ruin the picture for him, because, in his opinion, the steadicam was filming everything by itself. Such an idea is inherent in quite a lot of studio heads, directors, cameramen and other show business figures. The high cost of such a mechanism excites ambitions. For others, illusions flourish about the omnipotence of the "wonderful Hollywood handheld device." But we need to know what we can expect from steadicam, without indulging in demonization and myth-making, soberly assess the advantages and disadvantages of this device for film and video production. Here, as in all areas of human activity, preference is often given to rather fashionable, prestigious to the detriment of the reasonable, necessary. A similar fate befell our steadicam a couple of years ago. In connection with this situation, for example, imagine the situation ... A small company is engaged in air transportation. At the exhibition of aviation equipment, its leader saw a new accelerator for the aircraft. The advantages are obvious - an increase in the speed of the aircraft, a large payload, etc. Moreover, the developer is a world-famous company. Decided - bought, paid a lot of money. But it turned out that it is rather problematic to put boosters on your aircraft without the manufacturer's specialists. Still paying money is a pity. Okay, they put their mechanics (golden hands), however, they dropped them a little in the process, but that’s nothing ... And who will fly? Yes, their own pilots - a huge raid, experience. True, they did not fly faster than 700 km / h, but here the speed of 950 km / h and even higher is declared. It’s somehow not respectable to send them to training courses for flights with accelerators, they’re not young men, it seems, and again - it’s a pity for the money. “Since I paid, this should work and make a profit in itself,” the owner of our small aviation company decided. So, they took off, but the stabilizer was damaged, the plane crashed, the pilot was crippled, the customer, to whom they agreed to deliver the cargo tomorrow, was lost. Sad... With a film / video camera stabilization device, popularly referred to as steadicam, similar stories also occur. Someone defined working with a steadicam - piloting a steadicam. And I have to admit, this is very aptly said! And as for the structure itself - who will serve? After all, a full-time video engineer is far from always being a precision instrumentation mechanic. We will try to understand all these problems consistently and clearly in this article. Why and who needs it... Increasing demands for artistic expression, progress in the development of directing and staging, as well as the capriciousness of a spoiled spectator, who, on the other hand, requires quality, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the desire of producers to speed up the expensive filming period as much as possible, as well as the creative search for film equipment designers - these and many other reasons led to the appearance of the steadicam device considered here. This name has already become a household name for wearable film / video camera stabilizers. Its inventor is Jaret Brown, an American designer. It is necessary to note his merit as a merchant. Brown himself was a documentary cinematographer, and, understanding all the advantages of his stabilizer, at the same time he knew that this complex device would not just take root and repeat the fate of its forgotten predecessors. To be convinced of this, it is enough to raise numerous design patents for other stabilizers. But Brown was a persistent man. Having taken on the shooting of a feature film about a boxer ("Rocky"), being a professional cameraman, he already knew how to demonstrate the capabilities of his apparatus so that the producers would accept this innovation. And not only accepted - with his shooting, Brown managed to convince them of the indispensability of steadicam. Brown's salesmanship is proven by the instructional videotape, where he explains step by step how to use the stabilizer of the Junior series of his design and set it up for home camcorders. Where can I see the results of steadicam'a? This is the already mentioned film "Rocky", as well as "Aliens - 2", where you can see not only the work of the stabilizer, but also the device itself, which successfully fits into the outfit of a fantastic flamethrower ranger. In general, with rare exceptions, not a single modern movie (video clip, commercial, etc.) is complete without frames taken from a steadicam. This device, having proved indispensable when shooting a boxing match, immediately began to penetrate into all new areas of application. Runs through narrow stairwells, long passages with complex mise-en-scenes, and even in limited spaces, a whole area of filming from motion; from a galloping horse (rider's angle), from a moving car, on a train, on a boat and a boat, aerial photography (even modern optical stabilizers do not always allow you to keep normal, and even longer focal lengths without jitter). Often steadicam replaces the trolley in places where the "shareholder" (from the English dolly - trolley) cannot turn around, lay rails, or simply do not have time for it. Here I remember the footage of the work on the music video. There, the director's "find" - shooting on the real roof of a skyscraper - was carried out thanks to the stabilizer. A steadicam pilot ran with a 16 mm camera, with him a "magician" (the person responsible for focusing) and a "man on the aperture" past the "cool guys musicians". The roof is small, and the camera cart could just fly away. In the video, these frames looked like they were taken from the rail. High quality requirements - accordingly, the weight of the camera plus optics and various "attachments" - cannot be mastered from the hands, from the shoulder. Moreover, if there is an unjustified "staggering" in the frame, the material will be rejected, if not by the producer, then by the distributors. The recently more frequent desire to shoot like a "dangling camera" - just a stylization of "coolness", anti-commercialism and alternativeism - is nothing more than an imitation of the naivete of non-professional film and video amateurs who had the goal: "the main thing thatAnd not How"... It is pointless to argue with fans of such techniques, it passes with age. In such cases, one should remind (directors, cameramen, producers, etc.) about the physiological characteristics of the perception of a moving image and, most importantly, about spectatorabout his comfort. This is so, a lyrical digression. On whose shoulders... Steadicam operator, steadicam pilot (here - the style of the profession, temperament, strength of body and nerves), and in the credits - steadicam operator. When Brown came to the USSR in the 80s and spoke to our film specialists, it is curious to note that his daughter demonstrated steadicam. Among other questions was the following: "How can you carry such a weight, 35 kg (we were talking about the total weight of the system, including the weight of the camera), and still work?". To this he replied that for $ 300 per hour and more you will incur ... And they do! But Brown remade a movie camera for his steadicam. He made it as light as possible, placed the engine in the lower part of the suspension, changed the design of the cassette so that when rewinding the film during shooting, the center of gravity did not shift. Now, if I may say so, they will "be impudent", loading steadicam. They carry heavy, 17...35 kg cameras. And plus the own weight of the device, the inevitable increase in the mass of the counterweight ... So the total load on the pilot and the “arm” is 33 ... 50 kg. At the same time, neglecting their own health and operating the device at the limit of mechanical strength. After what was said here, many, probably, were upset: "Is it really impossible for me to shoot with steadicam?" How to solve the question? Who does not believe, he will have to realize that there is such a profession as a steadicam operator (like the profession "shareholder", crane operator, pyrotechnician, screenwriter, director, etc.). So producers should definitely keep this in mind when, delighted with the opportunity to rent a steadicam, they try to shoot a few runs with a cameraman who is a graduate of a creative university, "a laureate and owner of ...". And the presence of a steadicam kit in the studio is far from enough. Sometimes there is an accompanying or presentation video cassette, after watching it, the illusion of simplicity in training operators, managing and maintaining this device is created. Remembering the beginning of the article, it should be noted that the video course, especially promotional materials (in which the stated sometimes disagrees with reality), will not help much. Yes, the video does not lie, but do not forget about the art of editing and commentary. By the way, calm down the director watching the material taken from the steadicam. There is no need to go to extremes: very good / bad. This kind of material requires an editor who feels the movement (you can't teach it, it's from God, like an ear for music)... But back to the man with our apparatus. Abroad, in the USA, there are special courses, the cost of which, the program, the prospects of graduates can be found on the relevant Internet sites (the basic principles of the design and operation of the apparatus are also stated there): http://steadicam-ops.com, http:/ /kivifilm.com/steadfaq.html. It is advisable to take these courses and get a certificate of a steadicam operator, followed by inclusion in the steadicam guild, and this, as you know, is worth a lot there (simply without this, sometimes they can not buy a film made by a "non-union member"). Everything is much more democratic here: "whoever has a tank is a tanker." There are no courses in Russia. Guilds of steadicams, as well as associations of domestic manufacturers of these devices, unfortunately, do not exist either. Traveling abroad is expensive. The primary task is to recoup the already acquired imported apparatus, and the amount of work here is insignificant. As a rule, whoever builds steadicams in our country advises and teaches the basics of working with them. Production, sales, training, operation - everything is interconnected, and as a result, in our country, the quality of steadicam filming is at best average when compared with foreign experience. It's just painful to watch when a band, having rented a steadicam, is not able to fully use it. Some, coming back from the shoot, say: "What about the director? He saw that the operator put on a steadicam and put a camera on it, he gives the instruction that you shoot, they say, what you want - we will choose during editing. But it is understood - we will throw it away ...". Once, one operator turned to us (Pulteks) with a request to "repair the German bail that does not work" (we were talking about stabilizers of the HandyMan series). It turned out that the person simply did not know how to properly configure such a system. Our steadicam operator Viktor Zubarev walked with it, and the operator saw that it was necessary to walk with such a device in a special way. Then the operator tried to set everything up and walk himself. No one was surprised that he succeeded. Having understood the basic principles, the operator will learn how to move correctly, bypass obstacles, cover the arc or steadicam with his body from the wind, so as not to blow away, mount the pieces removed on the stabilizer in the head on the move, thereby rationally spending his strength, while getting high-quality doubles. So, for example, the operator Burov, having undertaken to use a steadicam manufactured by our company, having understood the specifics of working with this device, began to adapt it for himself. Since the shooting took place in the mountains, with a strong wind, he came up with and on the spot made stretching ropes from improvised materials, which made it possible to hold, stabilize the camera and at the same time manipulate it, building a frame in rather complex and specific conditions. In the credits of domestic films, you can see the names of Russian steadicam operators. Naturally, they have their students. The steadicam piloting training system, the organization of courses is a topic for a separate article. As a rule, having bought a steadicam (the cheapest, well, not the cheapest, but so ... but branded !!!), the operators, dressed in a vest, grumble themselves, look for information bit by bit, ruin their spines, and not suspecting it, and , in the end, they refuse the device, deceiving themselves that it works better without it ... But a rare operator will reach the end, deciding to master the profession of a steadicam operator, crushing "such is my creative vision." This requires: persistent training, "reading" steadicam's footage in film and video episodes and the ability to sometimes "step on the throat of one's own song", realizing one's own and steadicam's physical limits. As well as taking care of your own health, special gymnastics. How does it work, or "Where does it have a button?" We'll have to repeat once again that regular gyroscopes are not provided in the steadicam device, although in some cases their use is advisable, for example, when shooting from a helicopter. Here it is appropriate to give an example of designs by Ralph Kelly from Moscow. All stabilization is mainly implemented within the framework of the laws of mechanics available to a high school graduate (which, unfortunately, cannot be said about the development of this system). Imagine if you take a steel bar in the middle (approximately the center of mass) in your hand and move it up and down, left and right, it will not change its angle of inclination relative to the horizon. We move our bar by the center of mass. Now let's remember how a toy suspended on top of a windshield in a car behaves - it oscillates like a pendulum, trying to take such a position that the line passing through the center of gravity of the toy is always perpendicular to the horizon line, regardless of the bumps on the road along which the car is moving. . Basically, the operation of the device we are considering is based on these two principles. Also, a description of the basic principles of operation of the steadicam and a similar system was given in the article by S. Karmelyuk "Operator equipment ABC Products", "625", No. 4, 2001, p.10. In the "bones" there is a spring mechanism that supports the camera and at the same time compensates for perpendicular vibrations relative to the horizon line. The gimbal suspension mechanism provides three degrees of freedom and keeps the "camera-suspension" system in a given position, regardless of the movements of the operator (car, etc.) in space and the resulting shocks and vibrations. Simply put, it removes oscillations in a plane parallel to the horizon plane. The role of a counterweight is often played by: batteries, a monitor, a recorder, etc. The trick is how to make it all work, how to set it all up right! However, as in the case of a musical instrument. So: there are 5 regulators in the node of the reciprocal part, 4 in the bones, adjustable in pairs (we do not count the already installed springs, which are also designed for their own weight ranges of the cameras), the platform - there are "just" two axes, but they are rebuilt after balancing the node counterweight, then it is necessary to "catch" the center of mass on the rod, if the counterweight significantly pulls the platform with the installed camera, then our suspension will swing like a pendulum, and when moving by inertia, the heavier part will deviate, respectively, the camera will begin to "nod" or "bully up", naturally, not by the will of the operator. The whole subtlety is to master the control and tuning of this pendulum and take into account the dependence of stabilization on the statistical and dynamic balancing, which will affect dynamic evolutions. After that, the pendulum, becoming an ally, will help to stabilize this system in motion. When everything is set to "0" (meaning the setting of the system with the center of mass brought to the point of balance) - the control becomes more complicated, although it becomes possible to "rotate" the ST around the axis of attachment in the gimbal (for example, around an axis parallel to the plane of the horizon line, when the camera passes the bottom / top point "upside down"), as well as fine adjustment in the gimbal assembly - with the screws "right-left", fixed after finding the center of mass (this setting especially affects the trick described above and is performed not on the set, but during prevention at the base, at home). How much did you count? 12? 13? And one more thing: it is necessary to tune very accurately, constantly rechecking the already established positions, reconciling the entire system as a whole: the more sensitive the balancing, the more clearly the system works. It takes time, skill, understanding of the principles of the system, constant adjustment during prevention before and after filming. If everything is done in a hurry (or without preliminary training in their free time), then the material will go to waste, and the director and producer will have a prejudice: “We shot better without a steadicam, it’s just a prestigious expensive toy.” for beginners - start working with the system tuned to the weight of the counterweight, and, gradually getting used to the efforts and your new movements when piloting the ST, find "your balancing point". Ideally, the passage and control of the ST can be carried out without the intervention of the pilot's hands, balancing with his own body, driving ST. The CT operator's vest is a special song. It must be strong to withstand structural loads; convenient during operation, do not hamper the movements of the operator; belt locks should work reliably and clearly (it’s good if a quick release system is provided), have adjustments for the body of operators of different builds; easy to use - soft parts made of durable, easy to clean material. And most importantly - the vest relieves some of the load from the spine, so it must be adjusted and adjusted no less carefully than the rest of the ST. Actually, a vest for ST is an individual thing, and experienced pilots themselves choose, alter, order the design that suits them. Select the length of the belts, linings for themselves. In general, take care of your health. Let's not forget about such a device as a "seat stand" (seat stand). Mounted on a dedicated tripod or lighting stand, it allows the adjusted arm and gimbal-camera system to be suspended for the operator to rest after shooting and during breaks. On the "sieve stand" there must be clamps that protect the camera from accidental falling from it. In some designs of "stand sieves" it is possible to adjust the center of gravity of the "suspension-chamber" system. It is preferable to have a monitor on ST, b/w, increased brightness, in a shockproof and dustproof housing. Monitors with a green glow of the screen have increased brightness, do not glare and have many settings: grid, aspect ratio, brightness, contrast, negative, etc., etc. These unpretentious and reliable devices are borrowed from the military, respectively, the price of such a "TV" is 6...10 times higher than the cost of professional video monitors, approaching the price of HDTV monitors, and can be from three quarters to a third of the cost of the entire ST set. Recently, the use of LCD monitors has become more frequent. With proper operation, this is convenient, but it is difficult to work with them in the bright sun, the viewing angle is limited, and heating is required in the cold. (While the article was being worked on, new models of portable LCD monitors appeared, which have a significantly increased viewing angle, and small dimensions allow you to place a heating system, fitting into the reasonable dimensions of the protective case). Until recently, the video control system by the director of the scene filmed from the CT was carried out using a cable stretching for the pilot (which someone will definitely step on, and if it doesn’t break off, then pull the steadicam "shchik like a dog on a leash). Considering that nearby there are still assistants with the operator, controlling the focal length, zoom, aperture, the mobility of this system is questionable, especially when the director joins this group, "piloting" the ST operator. Now this task is solved by transmitting the video signal from the camera via a radio channel to the director's control monitor . More complex systems also allow you to remotely control camera parameters and give commands to the CT pilot. The dimensions of such a special transmitter for working with ST are not much larger than a conventional lighter, which allows it to be used with any type of film and video cameras. At first glance, this may not seem like an obligatory accessory, but film crews, directors, producers, cameramen, taught by bitter experience, having tried at least once to work with a “sender” (as we call the video control system), recognize its necessity for optimizing work on the set. Returning to the beginning of the chapter, it should be remembered that the ST is still a mechanism, and quite complex: the loads to which the structure is subjected at some points reach 500 ... 1000 N (with a camera weight of 17 ... 27 kg.). The smooth operation of the joints is ensured by several dozen ball bearings, springs specially designed for ST, made of special steel, a high level of precision in the manufacture of ST parts. The main material is titanium and aviation grades of duralumin. Naturally, such a complex mechanism needs proper care and prevention. It should be noted that there is no universal ST for a light DV camera weighing 3,5 kg and a heavy film camera weighing 35 kg, but within certain limits it is possible to change the "carrying capacity" of the ST by changing the springs in it, and this is already a task for a qualified fitter with engineering understanding of the meaning of adjustments. The main wish for the mechanic who monitors the operation of the CT: "Keep the steadicam clean and lubricated, and always release the springs after work (loosen the tension)!". As a rule, the ST pilot himself monitors the performance of his device, because no car service will help here. We did not have the goal of presenting instructions for setting up the ST. Just as in piloting an aircraft, it is far from enough to re-read and memorize a pilot's textbook. This article is the first step in understanding what steadicam is. Sense of proportion, or the skill of the director The designers, solving the problem of camera stabilization, also sought to make the ST compact and convenient. Therefore, it was necessary to create rather complex structures for equipment weighing 12 ... 35 kg, or even more. But heavy cameras are being replaced by no less perfect, and significantly lighter in weight, equipment. The requirements for ST are also changing. There is a process of universal miniaturization, humane service of equipment and devices. But here a paradox appears: a light camera is more difficult to stabilize and you have to load the ST. Non-mechanical stabilization systems are being improved, and the operator, getting rid of the weight of "iron with glass", acquires new prospects for solving certain creative tasks that were previously considered inaccessible. But the dynamics of the frame with optical stabilization is noticeably different from mechanical stabilization, and after a sigh of delight comes an exhalation of disappointment. And what, again, "the camera on the shoulder"? No, everything has its place. At the dawn of perestroika, a venerable domestic director who returned from Hollywood exclaimed admiringly: "They have such devices that allow them to carry a movie camera on themselves!" A naive belief in the power of Hi-Tec... They take ST, bargain, an untrained operator then controls it, without coordination with the director and actors, without a shooting plan. "Water" the camera all in a row. And the material goes into marriage. A common misfortune of domestic (and, by the way, some foreign) film crews is film production without an understanding of the interoperability of camera equipment. How will shots taken from a cart, a tripod, using zoom, be combined with shots taken from a crane, ST? Film and video artists are offended. And in vain, no one doubts their education and experience and does not teach them to create. It's just that we - "techies" - advise them how to save more effort and money, while achieving their creative goal. Just two examples of steadicam shooting made without ST. A. Hitchcock - the effect of continuous filming in the film "Rope", 1948. Shooting in parts of 10 minutes allowed not only to save the strength of the actors and the group, but also to change the light without restricting The effect of the continuity of the action "one shot" is achieved not only by technical execution, but also by the skill of the director, who remained true to his principles of dramaturgy and did not allow anyone to be led by a technical, innovative method.Some of this film is reminiscent of television performances of the 60s In the film "Frenzy", 1972 (Hitchcock's penultimate film) - again a standard long shot. Entering the house of two characters, taking them up the stairs, and after they hide behind the door (it is worth noting that the moment the camera movement stops does not coincide with the closing of the door, at this moment the camera moves!), returning back from the house, up the stairs out the door, onto a busy street, to the general plan. There are only three combined cuts, but in the cinema, when you watch this, you catch yourself thinking: "And when did the shot start?", and already there is a general plan of the street! Why are these examples from cinema antiques in a technical article? Working in a high-tech art form, one should never forget the usual means of influencing the viewer. This will make it possible to save money, manpower and health on empty costs when chasing a stunt for the sake of a stunt, and free the minds of designers and engineers to invent new devices and original scene solutions that they are always happy to offer to directors, and they, in turn, - "venerable to the public who came to see our air circus! Publication: 625-net magazine
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