Steadicam from fragments

By Anatoly Lapshov

The design of the device now operating in Saint Petersburg in leasing Pultex-Rent technical company, is based, certainly, on well-known Garrett Brown’s idea. But 10 years back when in Leningrad Pultex cooperative society hire of engineering for shooting was only organized, the powerful system of the Soviet film production was blown up by tectonic movement of sovereignties of peoples. One of “blocks” of this disorganized body was the leading research institute of Soviet motion-picture engineering joint-venture “Screen” on Bakunin Street in city on Neva river. The enormous building shaken with movement of privatization and the categorical requirement of new owners to clear it from shackles of motion-picture, was released basically through open windows (the army recedes, tomorrow will be occupation) from contents filled its during many years: the mountain of the “garbage” already “dust” — up to the second floor. Line of the Lorries, bulldozer incessantly operated with the ladle, fires of scientific works and patents, developments and drawings. It is such a “oil painting”. But in this crowd it was possible to notice dusty tousled people, from time to time something snatching out of hastily taken away on a dump, from the fires devouring ideas of many years, from cases with the details prepared for rejection. So workers of the saved by a miracle building “Pultex” tried to keep something, wishing somehow to collect in the future from fragments, if not the whole, but only it conception…

Thus the stabilizer was assembled in Pultex-rent also. Some details were from the same device, developed by Kiev operator Shahbazjan; the waistcoat and the arm were from NIKFI, brought by operator Ral’f Kelli. Everything the rest was by own manufacturing of Pultex: the motors for lenses and the clumsy video viewfinder for movie camera developed by enthusiast-designer Victor Maslachkov, and also poor (of present measures) the monitor — development joint-venture company “Screen”, optical system for vision (it was selected from that was at hand) etc., etc. All these parts and measures were corresponded with Brown’s patent. From this also the “Piter” steadicam was assembled no without direct participation of the author of this article — at that time I was the operator of Lenfilm film studio where, by the way, it was raised dust on shelves (as three boxes) American Steadicam II as the prototype of our “monster”. But as against laying on a shelf the firm graceful particle it have been breathing and operating! Then, in aspiration for an ideal, some technical improvements have begun on the basis of offers, opinions, scandals, photos of “ideals”. And once in city “the ideal” has appeared! So the arm with the moving cardan-handle were changed, wires have left inside of the arm, the bottom platform with special design, differing from firm copies provided with tube portable monitor and easily changeable accumulator was designed. The balancing platform for the camera, equipped with a switching box, had had the original design too. The design of the pantograph arm fixing to waistcoat was improved. The device of wireless transmission of video signal to the director’s monitor has appeared. The focusing unit (both electronic and mechanical part) was modernized (the truth, of wire for the time being). The electronic gyroscopic unit for shootings from vibrating supports (helicopter, car, boat) was bought. Control of a zoom began to be carried out by remote steadicam-man. The device under name Seat Stand provided for the exactly balancing system “camera — monitor with accumulator” and unloading of the resting operator was made also.

As a rule, it was necessary to give ours steadicam for cinema-group renting which used not light cameras Arri III, BL-3, EL-4. Thus in aluminum pantograph arm there were frequent cracks, the fixing thread was broken, the springs were expanded up to non-operating conditions, closings up of cables and cables were torn. It was necessary to involve a science. The expert in calculation of mechanical systems has carried out some serious researches and has made the recommendations for materials, weights, geometry, dimensions, and loads and so on. Thus the problem again was taken off. One year has left.

The stabilizer In spite of the fact that the stabilizer consists of some “iron”, and already of electronics, it seems to me that he (it) is a live organism. And the organism perfection does not have a limit. The truth this actually was until the following components are in connection: demand (need), product (in view of its constant updating), executors (operators of steadicam). Now in Saint Petersburg there were more than 10 steadicams of different companies, but serious operator of steadicam is practically only one: this is Victor Zubarev. It is heavy, dangerous, difficult and, naturally, the work demanding the creative approach.

In my opinion, despite of arrival of computers, digital graphics, the need for shootings with steadicam will be permanent, when the skill, the product, the plan will create “tasty” and dynamical “sweet” into shooting area what cannot be made in any editing room.

Material provided by Pultex Company