Lots of Handheld, heavy rig

[Jeff Kolada]

So i'm going into production on a short that we are shooting as the director calls "entourage-style" handheld. Shooting on an EX3 with a letus adapter. So the rig weighs 20-25 pounds after support, letus, lens, monitor, etc. It's an 8-day shoot, mainly handheld.

 

What do you recommend to save my back from croaking out after day 2? I would say i'm decently fit (considering i'm 21), but I know it's gonna be rough. CVS-style back brace? It would add a bit of support but not look absurd.

 

What have you used for heavy rigs and long shoots?

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Easy rig.

[Brian Drysdale]

Failing an Easy Rig, perhaps one of the products that convert the EX3 into a properly balanced shoulder camera. http://www.expandore.com/product/add/Addon/Cameras_Support/Cameras_Support.htm

 

Although, a letus and support, could make the EX3 front heavy compared to using a video lens. It's the balance that key, rather than just the camera weight on its own.

[Jon Rosenbloom]

I know that stuff written like this can sound disparaging when it's not meant to be, but, you really shouldn't be nervous about 25lbs! I'm pretty sure "How to ..." was shot "'Entourage' style," and our cameras - arricam lt, cooke s-4, remote focus, arri-tape, monitor, wireless tap, and 1000' mag - had to weigh about 45lbs. God bless the operators, they put them on their shoulders for 3 months! (That's the kind of weight that an easy-rig is for.) One of the operators used a cine-saddle, the other just humped it.

 

Try to get a shoulder rig that puts your eye on the eyepiece, is balanced and doesn't dig into your shoulder. You might supplement it with some neoprene padding. The weight might be scary at first, but you'll get used to it.

[Jonathan Bowerbank]

The Steady Stick can be quite handy. I know a couple of documentary videographers who swear by it.

 

http://www.bhphotovi...eady_Stick.html

 

Actually, for the EX3, you'd want this one: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/210200-REG/Davis_Sanford_SS3C_Steady_Stick_Compact.html

Edited May 20, 2010 by Jonathan Bowerbank