Most dangerous steadicam shot you have done ?

[Peter Abraham]

Oh goodness, a few.

 

1. Offering- very very early on with my unmodified Model I- to do a shot standing on a rickety plate of wood clamped to a Fisher dolly. In the street in Washington DC, so we could start me higher, move me towards the sidewalk, crane me down and I step off. Remarkably unstable. Dumb. Didn't fall. Had a few grips holding me on.

2. Shooting a Civil War recreation movie. Near Gettysburg. I'm supposed to run past a line of soldiers as they lower their rifles into position to fire, up to the General. As we get set, I hear one mention how excited he is. Because now he finally gets to fire. There was an armorer, but poor communication. It's the one time in 27 years that I went to the dock, tossed my car keys to my assistant and said, " Go get the van. We're out of here". An unpleasant 30 minutes later, everyone was on the same page and we proceeded with the work. But Production wasn't interested in having a safety conversation until they saw me getting ready to wrap the Steadicam. Jerks.

3. I offered to start a shot in the Santa Ana, CA train station. Standing on the tracks then moving onto the platform as the train approached and stopped, following actor up to steps as he gets on. The ties area between the tracks had that very modern hard rubber panel inserted into it. I felt quite safe, because I'd worked out a visual distance bit with the key grip. His palms moving closer together as the train came head on to me. It was slowing down to boot. I cut it as close as I felt safe doing, and he helped me with my lack of distance perspective.

4. Just drove by the scene of this one last week. In Little Italy in NYC. There's an old church surrounded by a high aged brick wall. Shooting a music video- without permission to lock up traffic- I had to step off the curb into the street over and over doing 180's on the band. The supposed A.D. was to stand in the street and stop traffic. He didn't and I stepped in front of a car. Screeching brakes, car came no more than 2 feet from my legs. Quite frightening. A.D. had nothing to say.