Operating at CNN

[Erik Brul]

Hi all,

Mainly because i´m very interested in the American Politics, i watch us television a lot. This evening / night CNN Europe has been taken over by CNN US for the last debat. Now this program is finished and now Wolf from CNN has the aftermath program. In this program a Steadicam is in use.

I can understand that by every start and end of a programpart.. a nice tracking shot is cool... but, the sad part is in my opion that the operator is also used a bit like a tripod and sometimes tries to do little moving but then it looks like the arm is a bit springy !

 

So, i don´t really understand the use or benefits of steadicam in a program like this..

 

Best, Erik

[Mike McGowan SOC]

LOL! I was just watching and thought, why in the world is there a steadicam on this show? I'm all in favor of more work for steadicam opperators but it makes no sense to have one on this show. They have like ten thousand cameras and a show like this wants medium close-ups and table shots. And yes, with all the cameras there, they actually have to cut around the steadicam operator! Great network, great program, fantastic political anyalists but terrible use of steadicam!

 

mm.

 

P.S. Go Go Obama for the win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Robert Starling SOC]

Hey Erik, I've been filling in on a multi-cam live show the last few weeks and they have Steadicam there primarily for the opening and a few other dynamic moving shots. There's two peds, a jib and Steadicam so Steadi ends up being used as the master. Once the show starts you're trapped with very little room to move at all. But regardless, they want some movement. Sometimes rather than creep along at a snail's pace, you just boom-up and push in a little; neither are very good uses of the Steadicam but I guess it serves as a multi-purpose tool for the show and Director and justifies it in the budget for the Producers / network. For my purpose it is an okay way to fill-in days between other gigs and the checks cash just fine at the bank!

[Alfeo Dixon SOC]

it looks like the arm is a bit springy !

 

...a bit!?! I felt it was more of a distraction... especially while i'm watching the op breathe.

 

BTW... Obama made that meter top out twice last night, great finish for the 'O'

[Neel Potgieter]

Hi all,

 

Also saw that bit. I am still new, so could someone tell me what those white balls were on top of his rig. At first I thought they might just be some soft sources but it does not look like it. Sorry for my ignorance....

[Erik Brul]

Hey guys.

Enjoying election day/evening/night and yes... the steadi is back at cnn. Looks better this time i think,

 

Best, Erik

[Jon Beattie]

I know the op at the cnn studio in NY is Jeff Latonero. He has been there for 4 or 5 years. He flies a pro. Really nice guy. I know he reads the forum but doesn't post much.

[Tisha Matthews]

Hi all,

Mainly because i´m very interested in the American Politics, i watch us television a lot. This evening / night CNN Europe has been taken over by CNN US for the last debat. Now this program is finished and now Wolf from CNN has the aftermath program. In this program a Steadicam is in use.

I can understand that by every start and end of a programpart.. a nice tracking shot is cool... but, the sad part is in my opion that the operator is also used a bit like a tripod and sometimes tries to do little moving but then it looks like the arm is a bit springy !

 

So, i don´t really understand the use or benefits of steadicam in a program like this..

 

Best, Erik

 

Hi Erik,

 

I worked in news for two years and hand held and steady cam work great if you are out in the field shooting live news coverage and have to get in and out quickly, such as an emergency call covering a fire, accident, show down with cops and criminal. If CNN is shooting in Iraq out in the field it would be beneficial to shoot with a steadicam. But if you are in the studio shooting on set, it is a lot easier to use a camera on wheels and tripod.

 

Tisha

[Bob Woodhead]

If CNN is shooting in Iraq out in the field it would be beneficial to shoot with a steadicam.

 

Hmmm... maybe Tiffen could be convinced to make a bulletproof Kevlar vest? Or... between takes you could swap the sled & cam for the minigun Jesse Ventura used in Predator.... (do you need to dynamic balance a minigun?)

[chris fawcett]

As Alex just commented in another thread, how many times have we heard the 'Robocop' comment? Some guy was shot dead in the Balkans wearing a Steadicam. You can just imagine how it looks through a telescopic sight to some methed-up sniper.

 

We used to wear cricket protection gear when filming riots, because it looks so stupid people would stop to laugh at you. A shocking pink vest, maybe?

 

Chris

[Alfeo Dixon SOC]

You can just imagine how it looks through a telescopic sight to some methed-up sniper.

 

"Frackin' A Sir, I just took out their weapons specialist sir.... HOWRAAA!"

[Shane Norton]

Hi all,

 

Also saw that bit. I am still new, so could someone tell me what those white balls were on top of his rig. At first I thought they might just be some soft sources but it does not look like it. Sorry for my ignorance....

 

 

I didn't see anyone respond to this...

 

The balls are used for virtual technology. We use a lot of virtual Jib where I work so when CNN debuted this virtual steadi we were all kind of curious. The effect is much better served for a jib than steadi, however. The balls on the rig tell the equipment where the steadi operator is inside of the studio. However, it isn't very accurate and it causes the virtual graphics to float quite a bit.

[Alfeo Dixon SOC]

Hi all,

 

Also saw that bit. I am still new, so could someone tell me what those white balls were on top of his rig. At first I thought they might just be some soft sources but it does not look like it. Sorry for my ignorance....

 

 

I didn't see anyone respond to this...

 

The balls are used for virtual technology. We use a lot of virtual Jib where I work so when CNN debuted this virtual steadi we were all kind of curious. The effect is much better served for a jib than steadi, however. The balls on the rig tell the equipment where the steadi operator is inside of the studio. However, it isn't very accurate and it causes the virtual graphics to float quite a bit.

 

 

Hey Shane,

 

You say that its not very accurate, is it due to the lack of IR cameras? I did a quick test at this past NAB and one of the issues we experienced was signal drops on the tracking of the balls being obstructed by the operator and simply moving outside of the cameras viewing area (small stage) also there was a need for a higher placement of the antenna with the tracking balls. Do you have and photos or can someone find a screen grab of the rig used?

 

The placement of our antenna was close to the front of the rig near the lens. I would assume that any inaccuracies would come from the placement of the antenna in relationship to the film plain. If they have not accurately accounted for this offset, then this could also contribute to a problem.

 

Or is the floating your speaking of more due to the operators operating? They maybe able to add an some sort of averaging to the math applied to the movement of the rig, especially the markers on the horizontal axis.

 

I would love to talk more about this to you.

 

-Alfeo

[Shane Norton]

Hi all,

 

Also saw that bit. I am still new, so could someone tell me what those white balls were on top of his rig. At first I thought they might just be some soft sources but it does not look like it. Sorry for my ignorance....

 

 

I didn't see anyone respond to this...

 

The balls are used for virtual technology. We use a lot of virtual Jib where I work so when CNN debuted this virtual steadi we were all kind of curious. The effect is much better served for a jib than steadi, however. The balls on the rig tell the equipment where the steadi operator is inside of the studio. However, it isn't very accurate and it causes the virtual graphics to float quite a bit.

 

 

Hey Shane,

 

You say that its not very accurate, is it due to the lack of IR cameras? I did a quick test at this past NAB and one of the issues we experienced was signal drops on the tracking of the balls being obstructed by the operator and simply moving outside of the cameras viewing area (small stage) also there was a need for a higher placement of the antenna with the tracking balls. Do you have and photos or can someone find a screen grab of the rig used?

 

The placement of our antenna was close to the front of the rig near the lens. I would assume that any inaccuracies would come from the placement of the antenna in relationship to the film plain. If they have not accurately accounted for this offset, then this could also contribute to a problem.

 

Or is the floating your speaking of more due to the operators operating? They maybe able to add an some sort of averaging to the math applied to the movement of the rig, especially the markers on the horizontal axis.

 

I would love to talk more about this to you.

 

-Alfeo

 

 

The only picture I can find is this one:

 

http://www.fxguide.com/qt/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/p18.png

 

I have never worked with the virtual steadi. The only knowledge I really have about it comes from a man I work with. We have spent a few years diving into the virtual technology, primarily for Jib as I mentioned, but we dabbled with the steadi tech as well. At the time the company hadn't quite perfected it all so that it would look good on air. During the CNN bit, the graphics seemed to track a little funny.

 

Now that certainly doesn't mean that the CNN issues were technology problems. Although we have gotten really good at using our Virtual Jib where I work, there are operators on both ends (the jib and the person who punches up the virtual) who don't seem to quite grasp what needs to be done which causes problems on-air.

 

What you mention about obstructions can certainly be a possibility. The tech seems to be making it's way into use so of course there will be kinks like that which will eventually be worked out.

 

I'm going to see if I can't get more precise information for you about it, because I'm quite curious myself.

 

-Shane

[Alfeo Dixon SOC]

http://www.fxguide.com/qt/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/p18.png

 

What you mention about obstructions can certainly be a possibility. The tech seems to be making it's way into use so of course there will be kinks like that which will eventually be worked out.

Looking at the photo, there shouldn't be much possibilities of obstruction. That thing looks like it should be in a Mardi Gras parade.