Who Invented the Steadicam?

You can see how this system works in the illustration. To counteract this downward force, the parallel metal bars in each arm are connected with a spring system. In this way, the strength of the coiled spring works to move the parallel metal bars opposite the force of the camera's weight. Each arm segment is a sort of parallelogram: It's made up of two metal bars, fastened to two metal end blocks. The arm also can be broken down into two pieces, which makes transporting the device much easier. Camera operators often achieve this remarkable effect using a device called a Steadicam. Many established Steadicam operators are members of the Steadicam Operators Association (SOA), founded in 1988 by Garrett Brown. In the early 1970s, a commercial director and producer named Garrett Brown began working on alternative stabilizing systems. In 1973, Brown realized his goals with a revolutionary but remarkably simple machine.  Con​tent w​as c re ated wi᠎th G​SA Con te nt Gene​ra tor ​DE᠎MO᠎.

To film a simple conversation between two actors, an operator may try to replicate the even feel of a dolly shot, keeping the camera perfectly level and moving it slowly around the action. For a typical Steadicam shot, a camera operator must follow a predetermined path, while simultaneously adjusting the camera and avoiding any obstacles, all the while supporting more than 70 pounds (32 kilograms) of camera equipment. In a single five-minute shot, the audience follows Ray Liotta and Lorraine Bracco in the back door, through the kitchen and up to the bar, stopping to meet patrons all the way. Without a Steadicam, the footage would have been way too shaky when it was sped up. Some cameras have a built-in adjustment mechanism to compensate for shaking motion, but it doesn't come close to the natural stabilization system in the human brain. But the spring system in the rest of the arm responds to the weight of the sled. The spring system works to close the parallelograms the opposite way -- so that the front blocks are higher than the rear blocks. In this configuration, the spring pulls the pulley back, which rotates the drum, which pulls the cable attached to the opposite end block.

In the standard configuration, the monitor and battery are attached to the bottom of the sled pole, and the camera is attached to the top. The camera, monitor and battery have to be positioned just right so that the center of gravity falls near the gimbal. Not only have these devices changed how movies are filmed, but Steadicams are now a mainstay in sports. We'll also look at the history of Steadicams and explore how they're used in movies. To make this adjustment easier, sophisticated Steadicams are outfitted with radio-controlled motors that move the various components by minute increments. Balancing the sled components correctly is a precision operation. Expanding these components also shifts the camera assembly's center of gravity, or the point where the object's weight is balanced. Increasing the object's moment of inertia makes it harder to shake the camera unintentionally. One way to increase the moment of inertia would be to add more weight to the camera system, but this would make things harder for the cameraman. A᠎rt᠎icle has be​en gener​at ed wi᠎th t᠎he he lp ​of  GS᠎A  Conten᠎t Ge​ne rator DEMO!

One stabilized camera system, which goes by the name Skycam among others, is now a regular part of U.S. In addition to representing hundreds of Steadicam operators, the SOA holds regular training workshops. Who invented the Steadicam? Most people who own a camcorder also own a stack of tapes with hours of shaky, jarring video footage. The jolts and shakes of hand-held footage work well for certain scenes -- an unsettling chase in a horror movie (think "Evil Dead") or a bare-bones documentary, and some directors intentionally employ shaky cam, as "The Blair Witch Project" and "Cloverfield" did. In the next few sections, we'll look at these elements to see how they virtually eliminate the shocks and jolts of hand-held camera operation. But in order to keep the camera sled absolutely level, the arm grips it with a free-moving gimbal. The lower bar in each arm segment is actually a hollow cylinder, with a large coiled spring inside.

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