Aaton 16mm steadicam hack

[Stephen Perera]

I bought a Proaim Flycam Redking and the Galaxy arm and vest to get some steadicam shots I want for my next project and for future ones no doubt. Got them second hand at Great prices. I'm going to do a 2 day initiation course in Málaga of 16 hours to get going with an instructor......I've even got the steadicam handbook haha so I'm invested shall we say......thought I'd challenge myself to learn some beginner steadicam and Start learning a new skill

So my Aaton XTR XC can't take a video tap as I foolishy blew onto the beamssplitter with air can and cracked it whilst thinking I was clever and getting dust off it......So with my Aaton I have 2 problems......

1. Can't add a monitor 2. Can't pull focus

So I've created a hack for myself using a GOPRO hero 4 and an ipad mini screen mounted onto the sled of the steadicam.

I'm using a Gopro wrist holder that is basically a velcro strap with a Gopro mount and have it around my Zeiss 8mm lens at the front angled in a way that I have the centre of the frame quite accurately albeit not perpendicular to the lens of course......then on the ipad mini I have taped the screen to create an area as tall as I want the person I'm shooting to be to ensure I have the focus depth of field correct......I'm going to shoot at f8 or f11 at around 2 metres and I figured keeping the subject within the taped frame will ensure focus......eg if the person gets smaller I'm too far.....if bigger too near......as long as I'm within the depth of field I should be fine

So.....any other bright ideas to make my hack even better or more ludicrous.....I can do ludicrous.....no problem haha

Edited January 10, 2020 by Stephen Perera