2008Operating forum
Custom lightweight camera rig used for POV sequences in Strange Days film
18 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- A 35mm camera weighing only 8 pounds was mounted on a modified Steadicam to create first-person perspective shots for the film Strange Days.
- The opening shot contains hidden edits concealed during fast pans because production could not find a single location with all required elements.
- The camera rig combined handheld and Steadicam characteristics, producing motion that was too jerky for pure Steadicam work but smoother than standard handheld camera operation.
- The rig's shadow is occasionally visible in some shots, such as during a scene where a character prepares to jump through a fence.
- Similar camera rig setups were used in other productions including Any Given Sunday, where operators ran full speed among moving subjects.
Depends on
- The exact technical specifications of the modified Steadicam setup are not fully detailed in the thread.
- The identities of who designed or built the custom rig are not clearly specified.
- No complete list of which specific prototypes were used is provided.
- The exact methods used to hide the edits in the opening shot are not explained.