Akiko Baldridge

Ben, Thanks for your advice. Finding a Steadicam workshop to attend before I leave in October will be very difficult, I'm afraid. The Germans love to plan. Were I to find a workshop taking place in September, it will have been sold out months in advance. That's just the way things are here. I'm surrounded by organized, punctual planners! I did follow your Google link and called the first rental shop on the list Xinetix. I left a message on their answering machine and am awaiting a reply. I'm hoping they will let me stop by and maybe be able to make some suggestions. The Germans are usually really great at consultation. Janice, Thanks for your advice about holding off on a Steadicam for my October project. I don't want to be completely frustrated and hate the filming process or hate Steadicams, so I will hold off until I can find a Steadicam workshop to attend at some point in the future. I had a look at the Easy Rig from Sweden. Since my camera and lens and microphone weigh about 1.2 kgs (2.6 lbs) together, the smaller backpack, the "Mini" would suffice and it runs around €1000, only I can't figure out how to rent or purchase one here in Hamburg. I called Easy Rig, but only their fax machine answered, so I sent them an e-mail and am awaiting a reply. I am definitely considering something like this which could take the weight off because on Saturday, I filmed for 13 hours, mostly hand camera and I now have a pain in my neck which refuses to disappear. Multiply one day by seven days and I can only imagine what that pain would be like. The only thing I worry about with the Easy Rig is how it looks. It would make me very visible and one of the things I love doing is shooting when most people have forgotten I am there. I'm also worried my mom will not let me wear it because I will "embarrass" her. She's Japanese and really sensitive about these kinds of things. Jerry, Sunday evening, I was super happy to see that your book Steadicam Operators Handbook was available at my local library. I got there Monday morning, two hours after the library opened and it was already checked out!!! I ordered a copy from Amazon and it arrived today, so I will start reading right now. Thanks to everyone for their quick and detailed replies, Akiko

Hi Louis. Thanks for the info and thanks for the welcome! I did notice during the chase scene the shot was a bit jerky, but I also remember the opening scene in the disco being very smooth in my memory and that's why I wasn't sure if some sort of steadicam was used or not. I think the term I keep hearing for this super smooth movement is "flying"? For Victoria, during the chase scene, being able to see the operator's frantic steps in the camera's movement added to my own nervousness and I think it helped add to the suspense of the scene. Has there already been a discussion about when handheld would be more appropriate for a scene and when flying would be more appropriate the mood of a scene? For example, I know for me, I like seeing a Steadicam used in happy, romantic scenarios like when a freshly in-love couple are running through a meadow at sunset. The flying gives me the feeling as if I too am floating on cloud nine with the couple.

Two weeks ago, I saw the film Victoria (2015) in the cinemas here in Germany. It is an amazing one-shot, 140 minutes long, with the most gorgeously framed scenes. The DOP is camera operator Sturla Brandth Grøvlen from Norway. I watched some really fantastic interviews with the director and the main actress about how they rehearsed for several months in preparation, but have not stumbled across any interviews detailing the equipment used. The only information Grøvlen leaked is that his camera weighed 6 kg (just over 13 pounds). To be honest, I'm not sure if a Steadicam was used or not. The shots were not as smooth as a crane or a dolly, but they were definitely not as jumpy as they are when I film while walking without the use of a Steadicam.

Hello Everyone and Greetings from Hamburg, Germany! I joined this forum because for the last several months I've been very interested in purchasing a Steadicam. I've never used one and I'm lost with where to start. They are very expensive pieces of equipment, so I'm trying to gather as much information as possible first. A few notes about me and my upcoming project (in other words, my requirements): I am just shy of 5'-0". I am female and I am absolutely not flat-chested. It's important to mention I wear an F cup when considering vests. I've been working out at the gym three times per week for over two months (since June 2015) and though I am petite in stature, I have become quite strong within a very short time span. In the second week of October, I will be flying to Japan to film for one week and will be filming all day. It's an ethnographic documentary and thus there is no script and no detailed plan. I will be following around the main characters for one week and filming as much as I can while waiting for a story to unfold in front of the camera. So, where should I start? Throw whatever ideas and suggestions you have at me. I appreciate them.