Chapter 3 The Video Camera and Support Equipment
67
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Camera stabilization devices are made for all kinds of cameras from
large professional cameras to small cell phone cameras. It is even possible
to search the Internet and fi nd plans on how to build your own inexpensive
stabilization device although the home-made devices are never quite as
good as the professionally made ones.
To help you understand how harness-type camera
stabilization devices work:
1. Fill a 16 oz. drinking glass with water to 1/2″ from the top.
2. Hold the glass in your hand with your arm curved as it
would be if you were holding the pole of a carousel horse.
3. Keep your arm in this position and walk, run, go up and down stairs,
or dance without spilling a drop of the water.
How is it possible that the water does not spill? The muscles in your wrist,
arm, elbow, and shoulder act as spring-loaded shock absorbers. If you hold the
glass to your chest, with the knuckle of your thumb actually touching your chest,
the water will spill almost immediately upon moving. The shock absorption has
been removed and the glass is directly attached to the motion of your body.
The camera stabilization arm absorbs the shock of motion in very much
the same way as your arm does in this activity. Visit either the Glidecam or
Steadicam website to see the equipment in action!
Application Activity
Tripod Shooting
A tripod is the three-legged stand to which the camera is attached. The
telescoping legs on most tripods allow the operator to position the camera
at varying heights. The legs on all tripods spread out from the center. On
most tripods, each leg operates independently. This is useful if the camera
needs to be set up on sloped terrain, such as the side of a hill. Each leg can
be extended to different lengths and spread out at different angles, which
allows the camera head to be mounted level on an uneven surface. Most
tripods and tripod heads are equipped with a leveling bubble that assists
the operator in ensuring the camera head is level when mounted.
Many professionals, especially those with experience in
the film industry, often refer to a tripod as “sticks.” For
example: “I carried the camera in one hand and the sticks in
the other hand.”
Talk the Talk
Tripods often have a column in the center, called a pedestal column, to
raise or lower the camera. On the side of the pedestal column is the pedestal
control, which is a crank that twists a gear to raise and lower the column.
Turning the pedestal control to raise the column is to “pedestal up” and
lowering the column is to “pedestal down” (discussed in Chapter 4, Video
Camera Operations). This action does, however, cause considerable shaking
of the camera. If the camera is hot, the audience sees every wiggle and
shake. A camera is hot when the image captured by the camera is being
recorded. Do not pedestal up and down on a tripod when the camera is
hot. On the other hand, a camera mounted on a studio pedestal may ped-
estal up and down with great smoothness.
pedestal column: A column
in the center of a tripod used
to raise or lower the camera.
pedestal control: A crank
on the side of the pedestal
column that twists a gear to
raise and lower the pedestal
column.
hot: The state of a video
camera when the image
captured by the camera is
being recorded.