Wheelchair Production System

[James Emory]

http://www.markertek.com/Product.asp...eItem=LTM%2DM1

[Mike Rehmus]

The problem with a wheelchair is that it is a very bumpy ride. I think the quality of the video from that setup will be very poor when the chair is moving.

I find I have to cushion the camera very carefully to avoid excessive shake on normal sidewalks and parking lots. Sweep first and plan your path to avoid all cracks and small bumps.

[Jeff Donald]

Mike is 100% right. But wheelchairs work OK in controlled environments, like smooth cement and tiled floors. I've even done some work on a basketball court that worked great. The viewer really had a feeling of being on the court.

[Lloyd Choi]

I remember using an old wheelchair and it was even bumpy on smooth cement... so make sure the wheels are smooth as well

[James Emory]

Wouldn't tiled floor produce bumps because of the seams?

[Allen Brodsky]

FWIW, Stanley Kubrick used a wheelchair as a camera mount in A Clockwork Orange, and possibly other films. There are production stills showing the rig in the writer's house (different from the on-screen chair the writer was confined to later in the movie), pushed along plywood sheets for stability.

[Lloyd Choi]

is it me or does that wheelchair clamp cost $715?!?

[Jeff Donald]

I suppose the age of the wheels (rubber tires) would be a factor in the smoothness of the movements. Uneven joints in tile would certainly cause bumps, but properly tiles floors weren't a problem. We used a Bogen Magic Arm and Super clamps to secure the camera to the wheelchair, total cost was less than $200 (not counting the chair.)

[Nate Fields]

the only way that it would work is on a very smooth floor.
you could easily make something at home for a mount instead of spending alot of money

[K. Forman]

It seems to me, that you should have several options for tires. I'm sure I've seen some over sized tires that should cushion the ride some.

[Cail Young]

Originally Posted by Allen Brodsky

FWIW, Stanley Kubrick used a wheelchair as a camera mount in A Clockwork Orange, and possibly other films. There are production stills showing the rig in the writer's house (different from the on-screen chair the writer was confined to later in the movie), pushed along plywood sheets for stability.

It was a steadicam arm attached to the wheelchair directly; saving the operator from supporting the arm but still providing shock absorbence and support.

[J. Stephen McDonald]

I used a wheelchair for a rolling video rig for a couple of years. I had a lot of playback accessories and a large, deep-cycle RV battery on a bottom rack to power it all.

At first, with solid rubber tires, it was bumpy, but I got some larger, air-filled ones and that solved the problem. If I was going to shoot while dollying, I let out all but about 8 lbs. of pressure and it became much smoother. Cracks in sidewalks and tile don't present much of a problem, as the footprint of the tires is long enough to span over them. With lower pressure, the footprint is larger and any small bumps are cushioned. Even if you don't use it for moving shots, it provides a good way to haul a lot of ready-to-shoot equipment around.

I found the chair at St. Vincent's for $15. It looked beat-up, but a quick tune-up of the wheels made it roll just fine. If you can work on bicycles, you can take a derelict chair and put it in order without spending nearly as much as one in top shape would cost.

The main drawback to using a wheelchair mount, is that you tend to attract onlookers and since you usually have the camera at a low height, it may be
hard to get clear shots when you're in public places.