Demand for Steadicam + Operator

[Nathan Barker]

Hey all, I was wondering how big the demand for the steadicam is these days and whether or not many of you guys have trouble finding work, especially for those of you that are new the scene.

 

thanks in advance for the responses

[Brian Dzyak]

Mine is just another tool in the arsenal that I can pull out when the appropriate situation reveals itself. Happily, I stay busy otherwise. :)

[Mike McGowan SOC]

There is definatly a demad for good steadicam operators. When you first start out (unless your doing really low or no budget jobs) you will not work as much. Camera men, directors and producers are going to hire established operators because they know what they are getting. Frequently the entire project will rest on the ability of the steadicam and with the entire job at stake they will make sure they get sombody they know can do the job. So I would say, that the better you get (and the more experience you get) the more demand there will be for your services. I would suspect that most of the top, top steadicam operators could literally work 365 days per year if they wanted to.

 

I'm going on my 11th year as a steadicam operator. I worked just over 200 days in 2007 and I would imagine I will work that many again in 2008. If i took every single job offered to me, I'd probably (in addition to getting divorced) :P work about 250 days.

 

Finally I'd say that it probably depends a bit on where you live. Even a really great operator that lived in Nebraska would probably not work all that much unless he was working out of town a lot.

[Luke Willson]

I'd also like to know what the Demand is for operators... Especially around the London, UK area. Any contribution would be appreciated.

Cheers

Luke

[Imran Naqvi]

I'd also like to know what the Demand is for operators... Especially around the London, UK area. Any contribution would be appreciated.

Cheers

Luke

 

Demand for operators in the London area is being damped by the increasingly thin budgets. As a total newbie expect to do freebies for at least a couple of years with the odd poorly paid job until you have a showreel that can attract more work.

 

Sorry this is such a downer, but it's very tough in exactly the markets you need to work in to build a career. I would STRONGLY reccomend having other regular work because unless you have contacts on projects with reasonable budgets or a tame production company, the market is very competitive, and it takes perseverance, luck and patience.

 

Good Luck

[Rob Vuona SOC]

Hey all, I was wondering how big the demand for the steadicam is these days and whether or not many of you guys have trouble finding work, especially for those of you that are new the scene.

 

thanks in advance for the responses

Hey Nathan,

all of the above, and as Mike mentioned, once you get in, be careful what you wish for you may just get it but not with out consequences, like if you work too much the wife will no longer want you around . . .LOL . . . .

 

Hence the reason we take working vacations to Italy . . .LOL . . .

 

Good Luck

 

Fly Safe

[Erik Barone]

Looks like Steadicaming has been very very good to ju......Rob.

 

Still Working for Mickey,

Erik