How to Get the Best Steadicam Shot Ever
Becoming a Steadicam Operator that truly makes the most out of the equipment provided to you won’t happen overnight. In fact, the best Steadicam shots in movies and film are often the product of decades working with Steadicams. We’re showing you how to get the best Steadicam shot and when the use of Steadicam is appropriate. Want to know what it takes to move your camera the way the pros do? Follow along to learn what it takes for great Steadicam production that will result in the best Steadicam shots ever.
Learn from the Best
The best thing you can do when practicing your Steadicam operation is to take advice from the pros. Of course, we aren’t always lucky enough to have a pro Steadicam operator like Garrett Brown on our side and at our disposal. What we do all have is YouTube! If you want to learn from the best, hop on YouTube and check out what your favorite Steadicam operators have to say.
Be Creative
Remember that the use of a Steadicam offers a limitless production that knows no bounds. No longer are you confined to shoot a certain way or from a certain direction. No longer are you unable to shoot due to room size or the area of the environment in which you are in. Use the lack of limits and the compact form of a Steadicam versus traditional dolly tracks to your shooting advantage and be creative!
The best Steadicam shots are often not those that have been performed before but those that are the result of creative planning and coordination between the Director, crew and Steadicam operator.
Be Humble
Just remember, the best Steadicam shots are not those that make viewers think, “wow, what a great Steadicam shot,” but rather those that the viewer doesn’t even realize took that much skill to produce. Yes, if you’re to be a great Steadicam operator, one of the first known skills to achieve is a humble attitude as the shots you produce with the advanced techniques and skills required to operate this powerful piece of equipment are likely to be widely undervalued.
Keep Improving
The best Steadicam shots are captured over time with years of experience under the belt of the most talented Steadicam operators. Only with continued operation on the set and a deep job for learning new skills will a Steadicam operator capture powerful shots that use the best approach to shooting the action that is appearing in front of our eyes. A Steadicam operator always works on improving his or her technique.
Take iconic sequences from films like Rocky, The Shining, and Goodfellas. The Steadicam production of Garret Brown and John G. Avildsen all but seem to give the character’s in the films power and a sense of importance that could not otherwise be recognized with simple production techniques. In each of these sequences, the final footage captured by long-time Steadicam operators are the result of continued improvement and a keen eye for smooth camera capture that accentuates the characters of the film.
Want to learn more about the use of Steadicam shots in film? Contact Beverly Boy Productions to learn about the use of Steadicam shots in your film project to bring a sense of life and importance to the characters of your story. Our Steadicam Operators come with the best training in the industry to produce wildly vivid shots that capture movement of character like never before. We can’t wait to incorporate the use of a Steadicam into your film project.