2007Operating forum
Safety when operating Steadicam, particularly checking terrain before shooting and not rushing shots
19 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Falling while operating a Steadicam without checking terrain in advance can result in injury to both the operator and damage to expensive equipment
- Rehearsing a route on foot multiple times before operating with the Steadicam rig helps identify hazards like depressions, rocks, or obstacles that could cause a fall
- Obstacles in yards and shooting locations can shift or appear during production, requiring continued vigilance even in small areas
- Pressure from production schedules and directors to rush shots increases the risk of accidents because terrain checking is skipped or done hastily
- Refusing to rush a shot when safety concerns exist, such as communicating with pyrotechnics departments to confirm load status and location, can prevent serious injury or death
- Multiple experienced operators have been forced into early retirement due to injuries sustained from falls while operating Steadicam
Depends on
- Most incidents described involve television episodic production where improvisation and time pressure are common
- The original video evidence from the pilot episode is no longer available at the NBC URL provided
- The specific show 'Raines' is from 2007 and production practices may have changed since then
- Some cautionary examples mention specific operators but names have been withheld from this summary