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Tracking shots?

Semiazas

Semiazas

Hey, how would I do tracking shots (like the ones in 'The Shining')?
Bearing in mind all I have is a camcorder from school :P
 
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The Shining was one of the breakthrough films for Garrett Brown's Steadicam - tracking shots before the invention of his stabiliser system were done either handheld or on a dolly. There's a great article in American Cinematographer on The Shining which may be worth a read.

One way to increase the stability of small cameras is to add weight. This will take out a lot of the small jittery shakes that you see in home videos, but it tires out the operator, who will inevitably struggle to keep the camera steady after holding it for a long time.

Commercial Steadicams for professional cameras cost tens of thousands of pounds, but the market stretches right down to the budget end, and I've seen very good results from products like the Hague MMC, which is a smidge over £70. I've also seen lots of homemade stabilisers (the "poor man's steadicam" seems to be the most well-known), but I'm not entirely convinced of their effectiveness.

Inevitably the cheaper products are not as good, and I wouldn't recommend cheaping out on a professional production, but if I can save a couple of hundred quid and get results that are nearly as good, I don't mind the extra time spent readjusting the system and waiting for the wind to die down.
 
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Thanks for the article link, I'll be sure to give it a look.

How would you reccomend adding weight to one? And to keep it stablised, could I not just use a tripod or something?

Sorry if some of these questions are a bit dumb, of the positions I'm taking up in my film (director, writer, composer, cinematographer) cinematographer is certainlly my weakest area.
 
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Semiazas said:
Thanks for the article link, I'll be sure to give it a look.

How would you reccomend adding weight to one? And to keep it stablised, could I not just use a tripod or something?

Sorry if some of these questions are a bit dumb, of the positions I'm taking up in my film (director, writer, composer, cinematographer) cinematographer is certainlly my weakest area.
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The most basic steadicams have the camera mounted on a pole, with a weight at the bottom as a counterbalance. This is then gripped at the centre of gravity for maximum stability. A monopod and dumb bell weight might do the trick, but you'll have to experiment. If it's all inside on smooth floors, it might be easier to sit in a wheelchair or wheeled cart of some sort, but I don't know the specifics of your shot.

While just holding a tripod can help (because it makes the camera heavier), it's probably not going to vastly improve a shot. You need that weight at the bottom to counterbalance the camera. (Unless you wanted really low to the floor tracking shots - holding a tripod upside down with the camera attached could get you some quite decent shots in some circumstances).

Not at all! My cinematography skills have improved a lot from spending time here, so it's good to give something back.

Grand Upper said:
Get yourself an INDIEslider mini.
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They do seem like great value for money, but not much use for Shining-type tracking shots.
 
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Grand Upper said:
True, you'd need something a bit higher grade thinking about it.

For small scale pans, screwshots etc. you can't go wrong with the indieslider though.
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Not quality wise, just not the right tool for the job… can't follow people down endless corridors with it :) I've been very tempted to get an indislider actually, have you used one?
 
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