Las Vegas Steadicam Workshop with Robert Starling

[Tom Daigon]

I just completed a 2 day workshop with Robert Starling in Las Vegas. After studying on my own for about 6 months from the DVD and handbook, this was the perfect experience to broaden my knowledge and technique. Roberts organization and instruction in the course rivals any of the college level video production courses I took many years ago. It covered a voluminous number of subjects and exercises in just a 2 day time period. It really addressed some issues that I needed to get comfortable with (rig building and High/Low mode)as well as correcting some bad habits I had learned on my own. A real boost was seeing how all my previous work had really paid off in helping me internalize things like switches and starts and framing. At times it felt like I was having a private session even though there were 2 other students in the class. Roberts direct yet supportive feedback was just what I needed. I really got a kick out of the final exercise when a "scene" was blocked that allowed me to implement much of what I had learned during the class and own my own. Its nice to know what I dont know and what to I need to work on in the future.

[Tom Daigon]

Oh yeah...I forgot to add that one of the highlights was rebuilding the sled so its total length (without camera) was about 2 feet long...a good foot shorter then the way I had it when I started the class. The monitor and battery were also repositioned to lie on the same horizontal plane. These adjustments added to its nimbleness and made it a breeze to get dynamic balance! And the gimbal is now about 1 inch below the stage as well.

Edited June 26, 2010 by Tom Daigon

[Tom Daigon]

And the "icing on the cake".... was a surprise birthday cake after the lunch break, since the second day of the workshop fell on my birthday. A very nice touch.