Interesting new rig

[James Palanza II]

Quite interesting. Question though, how does this work with isolating up and down vertical movement such as steps when running, or are they relying on their arms? Seems like a big plus for steadicam.

[David M. Aronson]

Quite interesting. Question though, how does this work with isolating up and down vertical movement such as steps when running, or are they relying on their arms? Seems like a big plus for steadicam.

Simple answer, it doesn't. Admittedly, human arms aren't bad isolators, but it takes a lot of effort and still isn't perfect. With something like an Epic, or even a decently rigged DSLR, it won't be isolated for very long.

Most of the images I've seen of the Movi rigged on Steadicam arms or Easyrigs still have a cable between it and the support, so you'll get some side to side and up and down with both. Steadicams have no such play in them. With a full Steadi sled, you have at least twice the weight too, even on the lightest rigs and weight that's spread farther apart, so you'll have physics on your side with inertia too.

[Sam Morgan Moore]

[Sam Morgan Moore]

BTS of above..

[RonBaldwin]

that video is really fun! The bts was great too -- thanks Sam

[AndreasKielb]

Great video! In the meantime I made a short video with footage from first tests and projects with the Porta Head 2 and 5 prototypes. The footage is not stabilized in post to show the actual results of the gimbal. More footage will follow soon and also a test with the gimbal combined with the steadicam.

Best regards
Andreas

[Charles Papert]

Regarding the BTS of the Burton video:

 

Probably the most irritating thing about the hype surrounding the gimbal rigs is the repeated suggestion that making long complicated shots is "easy" and can be done with little to no rehearsal and just a few takes. What every good Steadicam operator learns the hard way is that it takes a certain amount of time and mental energy to work through the details of a long one'r and only a percentage of that has to do with the physical aspect of operating the shot. The Movi may (arguably) simplify some of the operating challenges but nothing about designing a long shot has magically become easier.

 

Case in point is the window fly-through in this video. Critically, there are issues throughout with the operating--the gent in the hardhat has his feet cut off as he enters the room, the framing in the roundy-round is Ok at times but not all the way through, but the real problem comes towards the end where the operator drops down to hand the rig off above his head. At that point, the lens arbitrarily drops with the operator, giving us a fine view of the actor's hindquarters, and then as it pulls back through the window the framing on the group is way off. To make things worse, the two Litepanels mounted up in the ceiling are clearly visible, due to too much headroom in the shot.

 

None of that is unsurprising for a third take of a shot this complex--but what is rankling is that the production apparently moved on, and the V/O explains "after we nailed down the window drive-thru move... (etc)". Seemed hardly "nailed down" to me, with all of the framing issues. Wouldn't be acceptable on a Steadicam shot, why should it be OK on a Movi shot.

 

I posted about this on the comment section of the Vimeo clip and it was removed--apparently constructive criticism is not appreciated there.

[Wolfgang Troescher]

Charles is absolutely right, but it's not a MoVi-problem, but a sloppiness-problem. Everything has to be cheap and fast, quality falls by the wayside.

[Charles Papert]

Exactly right. It's got nothing to do with the tool and how it works, but it does have to do with the marketing and enforced public perception. Since the first Movi video, they have been stressing how you can get through complicated shots in very few takes. Even the issues I detailed above could have been managed if the talent had been directed around in the frame to help hide the awkward transitions.

 

As I have often said: if it had been a lesser mind than Larry who did the Goodfellas shot, it could have been a pretty boring three minutes following the back of two people's heads.

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

We'll said Charles, maybe what Movi meant to say is that it's faster and easier to do half-assed shots with a Movi?

[Jens Piotrowski SOC]

plus you see a lot of steps even though they are using a very wide lens, 17/21? don't want to see anything on a 75mm...btw, nice "behind" framing up the stairs at the end...

 

that brings me back to "I am Cuba" 1964, handheld, not gyros, lots of thought and rehearsals, amazing to watch...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvwLZOpxAFQ

[Wolfgang Troescher]

I suppose MoVi and similar products will replace Steadicam in one or another situation, e.g. action shots, Segway shots etc. Probably tools like Alien Revolution will be replaced. But if you need a really precise, well composed shot, Steadicam is first choice.

[Sam Morgan Moore]

..But if you need a really precise, well composed shot, Steadicam is first choice.

 

Maybe one needs a good operator(s) and it is not really the tool... and of course those with a SC background done all the groundwork 10X over!

 

As a side note my home-build (electronic) gimbal seems to have some judder issues and also loses horizon when pointed sideways and accelerated (in a car)

 

I think these things are going to be issue ridden!

[Lars Erik]

Can someone please explain to me how a 10 hr day will affect my back, and specially my muscles behind my shoulder blades will hold out carrying this piece of metal around with no support like a vest or a arm. I don't get it.

 

This kinda reminds me of the first time DSLR and Panasonic 100 came on the video market. With no good way of supporting the unit, even though it only weighed in at 5 kilos, my back was bitchin' after just half an hour.

 

What happens when the DP wants a an Alexa? And why the shiznit are there only wide angle shots with this unit?

 

I think Job said it best. Movi can kiss my ass.

[Charles Papert]

One of the things that I find very interesting about these gimbals is that at the moment, they offer much more sophisticated operating options in two-person mode even as they are being pitched as needing less rehearsal than legacy gear. We all know that Steadicam is an efficient machine because the same brain is pushing the camera through space and operating pan and tilt, and thus is able to react to actors and make spontaneous changes on the fly without having to communicate to others. It's extremely rare that one can achieve that same level of efficiency on the dolly or Technocrane without a certain amount of rehearsal and discussion and there's no reason to think otherwise about the gimbal rigs since it represents the same two-minds workflow.

 

Once the single-operator mode becomes more responsive, it will be fascinating to see what the experienced Steadicam operators will do with it.