Matthew Modica

Hey all So i shot Athletics for 2 weeks in Toronto for the games. I was mainly used for track events and all medal ceremonies. My job on the track was usually following the winner of each event. Overall i had a blast. I am newer at steadicam, only been operating 2 years, and learned ALOT on this gig. Probably the biggest thing was Don Juan. Running around the track (400m) with gold medal winners backwards was not an option and i would naturally fall into Don Juan position ( Thank god i practiced it a little in the past) But 1 thing i struggled with was massive gusts of wind and shooting wheelchair bound competitors for Para's. I found it incredibly hard to maintain a clean consistent shot when following wheelchairs. I counldn't get the arm low enough so i would usually tilt but than i would lose horizon alot as i jogged beside them. My droptime was like 1 sec alot of the time to counter the massive wind gusts..... which didnt help. If any Ops have any tips I would be very grateful :D Thanks Matthew

Thanks for all the input guys, I worked on my stretching and adjusted the rig slightly back and pain is gone!

Hey all I have searched and read other posts on how to run your fiber jumper from camera to vest so it wont effect the camera but am confused and struggling to find a system that works for me. I currently run the fiber out the back of the camera, immediately tucked under the plate and taped off just before reaching the post. Then i let some slack dangle and feed the rest over my right shoulder (I operate normal not goofy). Now i put the rig on, do a few tweaks in missionary and all is well. The problem is when i change my relationship with the rig in a tracking shot the side to side goes quite a bit off. The only way i seem to work around this is to have a very fast drop time so the rig ignores the subtle change in the cables new relationship with the rig. Should mention that i ensure no twists are in the jumper cable, and the rig is a clipper. Hope i made that clear! Thanks, Matthew

Thanks for the input I am going to loosen the waist band and focus on stretching my hips more often. Hoping the knee was deferred pain and not a seperate issue... Im getting a Walter Klassen back mounted vest within the week, looking forward to wearing the waistband higher on my hips!

Hey All. First off i would like to say I am new to this forum and love how much great information it has. I currently fly the clipper with a pro vest. I noticed that after a day of shooting my right hip (Socket block side) feels really tight and my right knee hurts. I cant collapse the pro vest enough for it to go over my hip bone (i have lanky legs and small upper body) Im assuming this is causing the hip discomfort and am hoping that is causing the knee to hurt. I am setting up some physio appointments but was just curious if anyone has experienced this knee/hip pain before