Steadicam in progress

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Steadicam ... oh what fun

So I started playing with my homemade steadicam. (Yes folks for $40 dollars you too can make a wonderful treat.) On my first go round I notice that my camera is off balance. I notice this because I could still see me walking in the video. Normally a properly balance steadicam will have a glide feel to it but mine didn't. So I did some research and notice a few people suggested that you would need about 5 pounds of bottom weight to counter the top weight. So I went to the store and bought some plates. Side note the lady at the register didn't have a smile on her face until I mention the steadicam. I think I made her day. Later, I had to film a dancer. I was originally going to just tripod the event, but when I arrived at the proper location, I notice I only had the steadicam.

Oh no, what do I do

It's that awkward moment that you realize this could go very bad. I mean I had only practice with the steadicam once, that morning, and had not finish fixing it. Well, I did what any madman will do. I slapped another 2.5 pounds on the bottom and pray to God that this works. So we get to our first destination and decide to shoot at a bridge.  I find out that the camera is not going to move and I will be getting a long shot of the dancer. Well here is the problem. The steadicam is meant to move, not to stand still. So I prop my knee up and sit the camera on it. My knee acts as the ground and this takes away all the shakes in the camera. The whole routine is only 5 minutes so I can easily hold this position until he is done. Now on our second video, which is only a one minute long is in an empty parking lot. The problem is I have nowhere to prop my knee. This shot will have to be done... steadicam style. So I pony up and made this work. Since this was not a long shot I kept my dancer in the middle and tried to not move too much. I did notice though as I was moving the picture was getting better and better. By the end of the dance I was making laps around my dancer. Now under normal circumstances I would not have given him the footage but we shot ED WOOD style. ( I mean shoot once and do no retakes, his choice not mine) And he needed the footage right then and there, so he took out his laptop and immediately downloaded the material into his computer. He then watch some of the footage and like what he saw. We then talk about the next dancing event and I now have another gig for May 18th.

What is coming up next week

Next week I need to start working on the website. I need to start putting up more pictures and footage. Since I just got home and went straight to the computer I can't show the steadicam shots but I can show a video I did a while back. I hope you enjoy.

"You can only change the world after you first share your story."