2008Operating forum
Operating Steadicam in elevators and moving vehicles
18 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Steadicam sleds with low-friction bearings will continue moving upward due to inertia when an elevator decelerates, potentially hitting the ceiling or floor unexpectedly.
- High-acceleration elevators pose particular challenges as the sled can be thrown violently against the floor during acceleration or ceiling during deceleration.
- Compensation techniques for elevator motion require advance planning but remain difficult to execute perfectly in real time.
- When shooting in moving vehicles like buses or limousines, the operator may need spotters to prevent loss of control during unexpected maneuvers.
- A subtle bobble during elevator stops can be masked by having an actor in the shot shift their weight slightly at that moment to distract from the equipment movement.
- Operators sometimes deliberately add a small bobble to fake elevator footage shot on a soundstage to make it appear more realistic.
Depends on
- The anecdote about the TransAmerica Pyramid incident cannot be verified and involves unnamed individuals.
- Specific techniques may vary depending on elevator speed, sled mass, and operator experience.
- The workaround of using actor movement to mask bobble works only when actors are visible in the shot.