2010General Discussion forum
Best practices for directors and crews working with Steadicam operators on set
16 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Directors should communicate clearly and specifically about desired outcomes using multiple methods like diagrams or storyboards rather than repeating instructions or yelling
- When requesting additional takes, directors should explain what needs to improve rather than giving vague feedback like 'that sucked'
- Steadicam is not a tool that can compensate for poor planning, missed actor marks, or lack of preparation
- Crew and operators should be treated with respect, and their concerns about marks, safety, and technical needs should not be dismissed
- Full rehearsals of shots should be completed before rolling, rather than treating rehearsals as takes and breaking early when problems occur
- Directors unfamiliar with Steadicam equipment may confuse different rig types and mistakenly believe all systems with the Steadicam trademark are equivalent
- Mounting inappropriate equipment on Steadicam rigs without proper consideration of the shot requirements can lead to unnecessary work and changes
Depends on
- These are general principles from experienced crew members without controlled data
- The anecdotes provided are from individual set experiences and may not be universal
- No technical specifications are given for comparing different Steadicam rig types