Cinematography : Let’s Talk About One of the Greatest Innovations in Cinematography: The Steadicam by Ashley Renee Smith

Ashley Renee Smith

Let’s Talk About One of the Greatest Innovations in Cinematography: The Steadicam

If we learned anything watching The Studio, Adolescence, and The Pitt clean up at last night’s Emmy Awards, it’s this: Steadicam long takes are here to stay.

If you’ve ever watched The Shining, Rocky, Goodfellas, or Children of Men, you’ve seen the magic of the Steadicam in action.

Before gimbals and drones, there was the original game-changer in camera movement, and it’s still used on major sets today.

This video from StudioBinder is a fantastic breakdown of what a Steadicam is, how it works, and why it remains a vital tool for DPs and operators alike: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_thX0rDNu0Y

When do you think a Steadicam is the right choice for a scene?

Are you looking to lean into the growing trend of immersive long takes and fluid motion?

Vital Butinar

Yeah steadicams are really interesting and also have one advantage over most other stabilization systems, if done right it takes away the operators step up and down movement. I once on a project had a chance to operate a steadicam system. Not as easy as it looks. The stuff I shot was simple, but I guess that it takes a lot of finesse to get really nice movable long shots.

John January Noble

One of the best equipment to work with

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