Some Steadicam shots to check out

[Charles Papert]

Hi Terry:

Missionary--I only use Don Juan when navigating stairs or running forwards/shooting back. Most guys will do even that in Missionary, I haven't figured out how to back up or down stairs yet with any degree of comfort. Safe to say that most operators avoid Don Juan like the plague.

Yeah, the final whip pan worked out okay, but I'm going to bet that you noticed that the previous two were a bit wonky. In my blurb I mentioned that the previous take (36) had been better, and it was these whip pans that made it so. There's a real head game that one can have about whip pans (especially when they appear 3 minutes into a shot!). I was mentally preparing myself for a while for that section and on this take I probably over-thought it; and once I had blown the first one I went "oh s**t!" and didn't get my focus back in time to make the second one. And of course that's the keeper take.

Shame, as otherwise the shot is pretty solid, although I will say that it was Afton's choice, not mine to place on the Steadishots site; I do feel that it is not the most interesting shot in the world and that we were sort of stretching to fill in the distance; there are some dead spots that I think could have been fleshed out with more interesting business. It's a classic concern with long oner's; do you have enough going on in the shot to justify their length, and does the rhythm fit the rest of the show?

[Terry Thompson]

Charles,

I'll practice going backwards more. I'll also work on speed changes as they can be tricky.

If you don't hear from me for a while it's because I'm at the doctors office fixing the crash I took because I didn't get it right. Ha Ha.

Terry
Indicam

[Mikko Wilson]

*nocks on wood*

Don't even joke about that stuff man!


Some really nice looking stuff there CP! I look forward to meeting you next week.

- Mikko