Picked a quick shot out of my practice footage today. Sorry about the boring scenery, but it helps me to evaluate the shot afterwards. Will delete in a couple of days:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF8H6Uq714I

Wow, looks great! Thanks for sharing

I find the pilot does indeed behave like a big rig. When static it also doesn't have that "floaty" look of the Merlin.

I'm still getting use to it, lately I've been having a little bounce to it when I move fast. But I love the thing for what it can do. We used it at our wedding this past weekend, hehe, and trust me, standing on a chair with a rig is a lot of fun.

Nice Nick.

Looks like someone distracted you at the end there( telltale head turn)!

I'm sure you know this from the workshop, but it's good to mention to others who are learning with their Pilots/Merlins/Glidecams etc.: when doing a walking shot like this for practice, the end is every bit as important as the moving section. Land cleanly, and HOLD--HOLD--HOLD for at least 10 seconds. It may seem boring, but the longer you practice your holds the better off you will be. At the end of the hold, smoothly pull back and reverse the move.

Why is this? Because in narrative filmmaking, it's more often than not that you will end up mimicking a tripod with a Steadicam and at some point in a shot you will sit there while dialogue plays out, so it is valuable to practice this. It's actually much more challenging than walking, and you may find to your surprise, often times more tiring. That little gnawing feeling in your back (or arms, if you are using a handheld rig) can turn into a rager mid-hold, but guess what--power through it, don't give up shuffle around, shift the rig etc. You don't get to do that in the middle of a shot, so don't do it while you are practicing.

Another little tidbit that this shot reminds me is that it takes some practice to be able to look away from the rig without it affecting the shot at all. Again, I'm assuming that Nick was checking something else out and not trying to hold the end frame but notice how when he turns his head (as seen in reflection), the frame wobbles. During a shot you may well need to take your eyeballs off the monitor to check the terrain, negotiate doorframes, ogle pretty extras etc. The trick is to separate your head movement from your hands; the tendency is for one to follow the other but you must learn to divorce the two. Shooting into a mirror or reflective surface is a good way to see if you are doing this or not. The best time to take your eyes off the monitor is when the action is in a predictable trajectory like a straightaway; the worst time is when it is about to take a turn or change heights (like camera or actors mounting stairs) because by the time you look back, you're lost the framing.

As always, excellent advice Charles, yep I was distracted by someone in the bedroom, ahem.. If I could add to what you were saying when you finish the shot make sure your posture, positioning is correct/comfortable, in case you are directed to hold it for a long time. Many found this out the hard way at the workshop with sixty pounds hanging off them!

Good addition, Nick. Yes it is true, we instructors are fond of noticing when an operator gets "caught out" with a funky foot position when they come to a stop so we specifically MAKE them hold the shot for an eternity, or until they fall down. It's all part of the fun.

Steadicam "Bootcamp" workshop -))

Good addition, Nick. Yes it is true, we instructors are fond of noticing when an operator gets "caught out" with a funky foot position when they come to a stop so we specifically MAKE them hold the shot for an eternity, or until they fall down. It's all part of the fun.

I *thought* that Sade took a paticularly long time washing his hands in the mirror during my go at the Grand-Prix test.


(lets just say, that my foot positioning wasn't exactly, how would you say.. "optimal", at that hold.)

:)

- Mikko

If I have a little bounce to my rig when walking; is bottom weight going to help? And it's just a little, not crazy.

Good addition, Nick. Yes it is true, we instructors are fond of noticing when an operator gets "caught out" with a funky foot position when they come to a stop so we specifically MAKE them hold the shot for an eternity, or until they fall down. It's all part of the fun.
OK, you got my attention.

How exactly are you supposed to hold a lock-off portion of a shot? Knees always bent? Foot position? Any tricks to make it less exausting?

Also, let's say I'm doing a moving profile shot with the sled in front pointing right, then hold, then reverse direction with the sled in front pointing left. Any advice on how to get the sled around my body? Should I just walk backwards for the reverse direction?

How exactly are you supposed to hold a lock-off portion of a shot? Knees always bent? Foot position? Any tricks to make it less exausting?

As comfortable as possible is the key here. A position with you standing normally (legs straight [but not locked]), rig as close as possible. It's best to have most of your weight on one foot, that way you can instantly take a step with the other foot to start moving, without having to shift your weight first.

Also, let's say I'm doing a moving profile shot with the sled in front pointing right, then hold, then reverse direction with the sled in front pointing left. Any advice on how to get the sled around my body? Should I just walk backwards for the reverse direction?

What you'd need to do is a "switch".
Basically you'd start the sled moving - take a step backwards with it if you need to. Once the sled is moving, take a step to the side to get out of the way of the sled. Pivot on your feet as the sled passes past you. Then step back in behind the sled as it keeps going.

Basically: move the camera however you want, and then move yourself out of the way and back into the most comfortable position.

- Mikko

This, and many other aspects of Steadicam is something you really can only get a grasp of at a workshop, with an instructor watching and commenting on your form.

Nick makes an irrefutable point.

However, a couple of things in the meantime--for holds, try to land so that your body is turned inwards towards the rig rather than facing straight ahead (i.e your feet are pointing more or less towards the lens), this is generally more comfy.

Regarding Dave's question about the switch--Mikko, I'm wary about recommending switches for those new to Steadicam without disclaimer as sometimes people become "switch-happy" and want to fling themselves around the rig arbitrarily (we see this a lot at workshops). In the instance Dave describes, chances are I would just back up unless something really compelling forced me to switch. I think my general position is that it's best to avoid switches whenever possible; when it is necessary, attempt to hide it in a pan or a close wipe with a person etc., and if it is required immediately after a hold, try to make the switch beforehlanding so that you are set up for the next section of the shot.

I did find a nice description of "the switch" (complete with Arthur Murray-like foot diagrams!) on page 31 of the Instruction manual for the Flyer at the following address:

http://www.steadicam.com/images/content/Flyer_Manual_Lo.pdf

I think it's worth a look to understand the concepts of how to execute the maneuver. However, I would be much more likely to take as "definitive" Charles' advice to avoid it unless absolutely necessary.

Yes. There are a lot of tricks that one should learn early on that then get tucked in your back pocket for later. At the workshops we create shots that purposely force students into switching sides.

Suffice to say that the majority of operators I know including myself will generally try to keep the swinging around to a minimum, and will also avoid Don Juan whenever possible. Some guys I know claim to never go into Don Juan. This means that they have mastered running up and down stairs backwards, something that makes my head hurt! I can't do that so I occasionally find myself in Don Juan. Again, something useful to practice but it's usually better to have your head pointed the same direction as the camera.

Nick,

any chance of reposting your video? I would absolutely LOVE to see your developement on the Pilot.

It's disappeared forever in cyberworld. Will post more footage soon.

Found the original tape Michael, here you go: http://www.vimeo.com/814053

Hi Nick..

Good job for uploading some footage shot with the Pilot.. does anyone know of any other Pilot footage I could see on the web?

Here you can see a first test someone did with the Steadicam Pilot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqHV7TfduoU

Still searching for more... :)

Ok then, here is my first go with the Pilot in low mode (camera upside down)
http://www.vimeo.com/815091

Looking good as always Nick.

Make sure to include lots of extended holds in your practice footage (you may have done them and then cut them out for your posted video so if so, ignore this).

Also don't forget to include tilts in both directions which are more dicey than in high-mode--try starting with a person full-frame and then push in to a tight shot looking up at them, holding headroom is pretty tricky. This was a big move in the rap videos back in the 90's--I spent three nights doing this on a video that I just rediscovered on Youtube (http://youtube.com/watch?v=vRvTbgWjbMo) for the ever-popular New Kids on the Block (!) Then I brought that style to the infamous printer-stomping scene in "Office Space"...

I'm sorry to see it's not on Steadishots but the end titles of "After Hours" are one of the most amazing low-mode shots to date--worth a rental.

Thanks for the input Charles, hey low mode is real fun!

Haha, EVERYTHING's fun on a Pilot! Low-mode with a heavy camera/rig can be a real bear though, it can be downright uncomfortable due to the lower center of gravity and the way it pulls on the body. But it generally looks great!

Yeah, I remember the hardest thing I did at the workshop was a switch with a low mode cage set up....

Ugh--low mode cage and switch, bad combo!!

Definitely check out "After Hours", several switches in that that are just astonishing (Larry McConkey of course)

Hi Nick. Would it be possible to post a photo of u doing the low shot? I have always wondered how it is possible to control the camera upside down and walk.. let alone keeping it steady. Thanks a million!

Hi Sean, there are some pictures of the Pilot in low mode here: http://www.steadicam.com/images/content/PILOT%20Manual_112607.pdf

Interesting! Need to have a lot of faith in the device to let the cam go upside down!

If anything, the weak link could be the tiedown assembly on the camera and how it is connected to the body. It's possible that it could separate given enough whipping around, but unlikely. Overtightening the 1/4-20" screw along the line could start the process and the helicoil could work it's way loose over time, I suppose. To be absolutely sure one could attach a safety link from the camera to the top stage, but it would be a pretty unusual situation for the camera to fall off.

May I request for an out of the box photo of the pilot? Like waht does it come with? Thanks!

May I request for an out of the box photo of the pilot? Like waht does it come with? Thanks!

Lot's of pre-sales questions answered here:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=115235

Nice writeup Dave! I went thru it but didnt manage to find a "out of the box" photo. We do not have the pilot in our country yet so I have to trouble the folks here. Thanks!

The Pilot manual - Page 3 bottom left - is pretty close to an "out of the box" photo:
http://www.steadicam.com/images/content/PILOT%20Manual_112607.pdf
The only thing they don't show is the 1" foam pad that goes on top of this and then the vest that goes on top of that. Other pictures in the manual show the various parts in more detail (including the vest).

Note that the Co-Pilot doesn't include the backpack/case, and has a smaller LCD monitor.

Also, the manual doesn't tell you is how many screw in weights are included:
- four 4-ounce middle weights
- four 2-ounce end weights

1.25 pounds total. This was not enough extra weight for me, so I ordered eight more of the 4-ounce middle weights at $6.25 each. I also ordered the EFP training video DVD for $18. Note that these accessories are generally ordered directly from Steadicam, not from the store that you buy your Pilot and SteadiStand. See the Q & A thread for details on ordering accessories.