SteadiCamDan

Throughout production, Local Cinema Studios hosts workshops for crew and community to get a more intimate glance at different departments and to learn what goes into each aspect of filming. This helps create respect across different teams, and elevate what students are able to learn on set. 

Dan Willard, a seasoned Steadicam operator, gave a crowded workshop to showcase how to assemble a camera and operate a Steadicam. Although after attending his workshop, Dan may have corrected me multiple times in that sentence. First, Steadicam is a brand of camera stabilizer monitors—think like Kleenex. The generic term is a weighted gimbal. 

What’s a gimbal? The pivoted support that allows the isolated rotation of the camera, so the operator can capture smooth footage, even on the move. This is the advantage of a Steadicam—it isolates the camera movements from the operator's movements. This is critical during tracking shots where the camera follows the subject being filmed. 

Before the Steadicam was introduced in 1975, these shots would have to be done with a dolly, crane, or hand held. Each technique is still widely used with a unique set of advantages, and disadvantages—from being burdensome to having a limited range of motion. 

The Steadicam allows the operator to be nimble and move over terrain not suitable for dolly track or otherwise “not safe” in the frame, while achieving smooth footage. Scenes filmed with a Steadicam have a fluid movement that brings the moment in the film to life for viewers. By following the subject, the viewer is brought into that moment as if they were alongside the subject themself.

SteadiCamDan walks in lockstep with the camera and sound team to follow actors and get the shot

And it is not just on screen that there is a fluid movement, watching Dan work is like watching an intricate performance, from the moment he picks up the Steadicam rig to him working in lock step with the rest of the camera team to get the shot. 

Picking up the rig is a delicate dance. Dan explains that the operator is always bowing to it so as to both pick it up and “dock” it back on his stand. The operator is weighing the arm to the rig and shifting the weight to achieve dynamic balance, where the fore to aft of the rig are balanced perfectly. If this is achieved, the operator can do a complete spin and it won’t wobble, allowing the operator to hold their horizon while simultaneously holding the weight.

This is why a critical aspect of the steadicam is monitor placement. The monitor is placed low on the rig so the operator can view the monitor while moving quickly and watching their own steps, so they do not run into obstacles. Students who tried on the rig will attest that it is a challenge to maintain the horizon, watch the monitor, and understand where to move.

While Dan’s experience makes it look effortless to step into a rig and film incredible footage, his rig can hold up to 77 pounds and he must capture the footage while constantly moving with the subject. Nothing about it is effortless. However, the effort is well worth it with the footage an experienced Steadicam operator is able to capture. It brings the experience to life—see Dan’s work here.