SHIPSEY’S WORD
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by Robert Shipsey |
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Last year, six Guild members; Jamie Harcourt, Robert Carter, Joe Bullen, Bob Binnall, Craig Feather and myself attended a Steadicam Workshop organized by the Guild. It was held at Ealing Institute of Media, virtually opposite Finnegan’s Wake and almost next door to Ealing Studios. |
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The course was subsidized by Panavision and Optical Support and Course Tutors were Peter Robertson and Barney Davis. Planning and organization was co-coordinated by Dee Edwards at the Guild office who made regular appearances with various forms of sustenance. Also present throughout was Peter’s son, Calum, as stills and video cameraman, security, and subject (target)! |
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The course was run over four days and was designed to give us all an outline of the core skills required for Steadicam operation with short talks and demonstrations at each stage. This included: |
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Prep and set up |
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| On the last day we were given a practical exercise that incorporated all that we had learnt. | |
| So there we are,……. Those are the facts! The reality? | |
| Well, Day 1: A warm welcome from Dee and hand over to Peter and Barney. A break down of the Steadicam rig, sled, gimble, arm and vest. We split into two groups of three and each group has a rig to put together. |
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Day 1 and it’s not long before help is needed. A short lunch break and we have the rig on. For anyone who has never experienced it, the Steadicam vest is like a corset (whatever that might be) sitting on the shoulders. Just enough room to breathe on the chest and so tight at the hips that you soon lose any sensation of having any legs. It’s all about hip control we’re told. I’m convinced I want the camera on my right hand side, the normal place I would expect to find it but once the rig is on something is hurting so I try the left and the pain is not there any more. So left it is for the time being. A few light exercises during the afternoon. Then de-rig. Go home. At home, after years of thinking about Steadicam and finally making the decision to have a go I wonder if I have bitten off more than I can chew. I go to bed early, (no drink tonight). Not particularly hurting anywhere but quite definitely in shock. |
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Day 2 straight into it. Camera on rig, balance, vest on and away we go. Walk forward, shoot forward. Walk forward, shoot backward. Walk backward, shoot forward. Walk backward, shoot backward. Shooting sideways, walking forward and backward, doing circles and panning. Switch forward to backward. With one rig shared between three of us it is only too soon that your turn comes around again and the tendency is to rush at things, partly carried away by the sheer weight of what is attached to you and partly just to get it off you and onto the next lucky participant. De-rig. Go home. Find myself walking around the kitchen feeling like I’m floating 6 inches off the ground. Bed earlier tonight, still no major aches, but tired. |
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Day 3 the two groups switch rigs and just as you were getting happy with how your rig goes together you find yourself back at square one. We have a Pro Rig and a Tiffen Ultra. Both, though basically the same, have enough differences to be able to confuse you when trying to put them together. Today we do ‘uneven surfaces’, rising from a chair, stepping over boxes, circling and back to the chair. The afternoon sees us negotiating doorways and stairs. (I had always enjoyed negotiating up to now!) Outside and onto the rickshaw with the Garfield mount. We each take turns shooting, pulling the rickshaw and being the subject as we walk and run around the car park. De-rig. Go home. I consider sleeping under the flyover at Brent Cross. |
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Day 4 the day starts with a demonstration of Gyros and a brief Q&A session. I can’t help feeling that we are all avoiding the moment of putting the rig on today. Eventually it’s on again. Today is ‘graduation day’. Peter shows us a short scene to be shot involving various skills learnt over our short time on the course. We each have four attempts, one rehearsal and three takes or three rehearsals and one take. The choice is ours. While one group shoots this exercise the other goes outside to put together a short scene. All this only just fits into our last day and at the end we pack everything and retire to the pub across the road for the de-brief. (I had pint of ‘de-brief’ and very nice it was to!) |
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| Conclusions | |
Group size: though the group of six was only just enough to make the course break even financially, it was the perfect number for me. 4 days: Not nearly enough time. Just the right amount of time. I believe the course is there to teach the ‘core skills’ needed to operate Steadicam. What it then comes down to is practice, practice, practice…….. The best way to achieve this is beg, steal or borrow a rig and spend time with it. Course Tutors: I could not have asked for two more generous and patient people to teach us considering what they were doing was giving 6 more people an introduction into their livelihoods. Though having said that and seen us in ‘training’ I think that they are safe for some time to come! |
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Steadicam is, and should be, a specialist task within film making, however these days it seems that every man and his dog is doing it. It’s not a new argument, it’s a fact. So if you can’t beat them…………………….. Yours, Bitter and Twisted of Tunbridge Wells. |
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Bob Shipsey |
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