Shooting on the beach

[Dan Coplan]

I potentially have a day coming up where I'll be operating on the beach. It's shooting models so I know it's not going to be some crazy run around the beach type deal - could be very simple, but I've never operated Steadi in the sand. Any advice? Things to watch for?

 

Dan

[Rob Vuona SOC]

I potentially have a day coming up where I'll be operating on the beach. It's shooting models so I know it's not going to be some crazy run around the beach type deal - could be very simple, but I've never operated Steadi in the sand. Any advice? Things to watch for?

 

Dan

------------------

Hey Dan,

Did three months on the beach in Hawaii, FYI . . . .sand sucks . . . .But that being said, your subject matter will take away the pain. Make sure your AC is watching your back, I wore aqua shoes so that I could walk half in the water if needed and they always want them walking in the water or at least it seems that way. The wind became a big enemy so antlers come in handy and 4x4 if available. Other than that the fatigue factor comes into play slightly quicker since your working a little more to walk and run.

 

Good Luck, say hey to Miss USA and Miss Bolivia for all of us . . . .

[Daniel Stilling DFF]

Hey Dan,

 

I did a movie a couple of years ago in Costa Rica and had a lot of Steadicam in the sand. It sucks. As said before use water shoes, you will most likelly have to step in the water. Protect your gear from saltwater.

If you can, have the shooting close to the water, where the sand is firmer. Make sure you have grips with double nets for wind. If you end up in soft sand, antlers will add a lot the way you don't want it.

 

Good luck with the eye candy!

 

Dan

[David Allen Grove]

Here you go!

 

http://www.ncaonline.org/products/index.ph...each%20Surfaces

[RonBaldwin]

spent alot of time on the beach a while back on a series and a few tv movies. All the above recommedations are great. Sometimes the grips would throw down a few pieces of ply for me to walk on. I've used chicken wire for long walk/talks or running. The only good thing about shooting at the beach is the soft landing if you take a spill. The wind is always an issue.

 

rb

[Jason Torbitt]

Always use your arm rain/dust cover - keeps the sand out of all the important places! Might be a good idea to also use raincovers over the rest of the rig and monitor, just to be safe. The worst beaches are those with the shingle that can be of varying depths - one minute you're walking on it, the next you're ankle deep in the stuff. Have a grip with you or a spotter, to be on the safe side.

 

As mentioned, the wind is always an issue - the V-shaped netting or 4x4's held by the grips behind you seems to do the job better than anything.

[Chris Konash]

I'll never operate on a beach again without rain covers on everything. Because of an in experienced actor that never before worked with Steadicam I was forced into a bad situation of walking, unprepared, into the water about knee deep. He then began to run and I couldn't backup fast enough, lost my footing in the soft sand, and fell backwards. Luckily I had my regular assistant/spotter and he seamlessly took the rig off the arm as I went under. I feel I owe him my life, it all happened so fast and all I was thinking was I'm done and so is my rig, but by the time I wiped my eyes to see clearly the rig was already on the dock getting cleaned off. I probably won't be doing much beach work in the future without the proper tools and the right crew. Also wind is huge, it is constantly there with even stronger gusts, antlers or gyros would make things easier, along with the usual 4X4 doubles.

 

Good Luck,

 

Chris Konash

[jay kilroy]

Another little trick is to lay down chain link fencing then cover it with sand. It gives you the stability on the sand and you can hide it so it won't be seen by the camera.

 

Jay

[Afton Grant]

I've never operated Steadi in the sand. Any advice? Things to watch for?

 

Jawas.

[Gus Trivino]

Jay said:

 

"...Another little trick is to lay down chain link fencing then cover it with sand. It gives you the stability on the sand and you can hide it so it won't be seen by the camera..." ;)

 

Great advice

[Peter Abraham]

God that's good, Jay. I'd tried long rolls of metal screening used for screen doors, but that has the limitation of being quite narrow a strip.

 

Nice.

[Buster Arrieta]

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[geoff shotz]

ask your grips to get some mud track. it comes in 4'x8' sheets like ply, except it's made of thick plastic and is much lighter and easier to move around. just bury it like anything else and get to work. i also reccomend a lot of calf work at the gym before you start the job. they're gonna burn after a day in the sand. good luck.

 

geoff