BROADCAST & MOT ION | GEAR
“Rails are great for beauty shots, with slow tracking movements... they help tell the story”
Schaller is now product manager for camera stabiliser systems at Arri, but also an operator who ‘loves to work on live events’. In conceiving of the Trinity, he saw it as 50/50 cinema and broadcast. Among its credits is Let’s Dance , the German version of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing . “A shot can start on a dancer’s feet, then boom up to their face,” Schaller explains. “The movement is different to the Steadicam because it can go very low, and not have to look down at an angle before tilting up.” This, Schaller says, makes the dancing appear ‘more dynamic’, adding to the excitement and visual appeal of the competition. It was used on Fabrik der Träume (Factory of Dreams), starring magicians the Ehrlich Brothers, with Trinity work by Dominik Berstermann. A new version of the system underwent testing this year – the Trinity Live. Lighter than the standard model, it features more options for connecting to OB trucks, including Ethernet and Vislink wireless capability. More remotely-operated camera supports play a major role in creating visual spectacle for TV. ACS (Aerial Camera Systems) is best known for providing helicopters on feature films and sporting events, but also has a portfolio of hardware,
ABOVE The Arri Trinity moves at low angles more readily than its competition
work, like stunts and visual effects shots. Now, it’s looking more closely at broadcast, after becoming the UK representative for Robycam last year. This system combines wire support with a robotic gyro-camera arm, originating in the mechatronics department of Moscow State University before being launched as a brand in 2008. Victor Pakhomov, chief executive of Robycam Global, describes the product as a motion control tracking system that combines the concept of a traditional dolly with
including wire and rail systems, and flown, ground and vertical tracks. After the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the company has been busy this year, working on the rescheduled European Football Championship, Wimbledon, The Open Championship and the Tokyo Olympics. Coverage of Wimbledon had a long wirecam set-up, featuring UHD and HDR footage – both Centre Court and Number One Court used railcams for a variety of shots. “They provided dynamism in the angles,” explains ACS sales director, Matt Coyde. “Rails are great for beauty shots with slow tracking movements. They can be fillers between rallies or matches. Systems like this are embedded into the event, but help tell the story, with a thrilling build-up and reveals of the city or the venue.” One of the most popular flying camera systems is Wirecam. Its developer, the Wire Rig Company, previously concentrated on feature
BELOW LEFT ACS’s flown tracks can run up to 125m in length, with a top speed of 12.5m/s
OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE
Michael Williams is a videographer and content creator at Light & Motion, manufacturer of the StellaPro range of portable lights used in broadcast for interviews and news production. He comments that, before gimbals and stabilisers, it would have been extremely difficult for videographers or DOPs to produce smooth 360° movements. “Steadicams were essentially the only gear capable of capturing full movement, but were largely available only to high-end Hollywood productions,” he says. “The birth of stabilisers and gimbals opened a whole new world of shooting for videographers. They are lightweight, handheld robots that let users mount their cameras directly on top, producing smooth movement in any direction, with little to no strain on the user’s body. As the technology in this area continues to advance, the overall size and weight will drop, while the ease-of-use rises.”
AUGUST 202 1 | DEF I N I T ION 41
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