2013General Discussion forum
Mounting camera numbering cards on Steadicam rigs
13 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Positioning numbering cards directly above the lens can obstruct the tally light and microphone placement
- Custom brackets mounted above the lens and above any prompter can accommodate both numbering displays and shotgun microphones when the mic is positioned below the lens on the dovetail
- Camera numbering on the front of the rig is primarily useful in multi-camera studio setups where talent needs to identify which camera to address
- In non-studio environments with single camera operation, talent typically do not require front-mounted numbers and respond to verbal camera references
- When working with inexperienced talent unfamiliar with production terminology, numbering systems can improve their ability to follow directions compared to equipment names
Depends on
- The discussion references one specific commercial tally product that costs approximately one thousand dollars, which may not represent all available solutions
- Experiences shared are based on individual production environments and may not apply universally to all camera work scenarios
- The mounting solutions described are custom-built and may require fabrication skills or access to machining resources