Shooting a tracking shot on a beach

D

directr

Member
Hello,

I plan to shoot a scene where an actor walks on a beach. In this location there is a lot of sand. This will be medium shot where camera moves backward with the same pace as the actor. Because moving in the sand causes tilting of the camera I thought it would be a good idea to shoot it using a drone. Does anyone have any experience with drones? Where to rent or buy them in Los Angeles area? Any other suggestions on how to shoot this scene are welcome.

Thanks in advance.
Alex.
 
Not sure I understand the part about moving in the sand causing tilting of the camera. In any event, that type of shot has long been managed via Steadicam. The nouveau way to approach it would be a handheld gimbal rig. A drone seems like the wrong tool--possible sound issues, maintaining consistent distance from the actor, lateral displacement due to wind etc.

Both Steadicam and gimbals are susceptible to wind also, but you can manage much of that with a grip carrying a windblock alongside (a 4x4 double usually does the trick).
 
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Are you planning on recording audio? Noise would be a concern with a drone.

I saw a BTS from LOST where they'd set up dolly track on wooden boards and they had a jib on it, swung out sideways on the beach for a tracking shot like you've described.
 
Depends on how long your shot is - for stuff like this I would use a ladder dolly on 2 tripods.
 
I doubt a drone would give you nice steady footage - it's going to have maintain perfect altitude and perfectly match the actor's pace? I suspect it would more likely produce 'shaky-cam' footage.

A drone's only advantage I can think of is that you wouldn't need to keep dolly tracks etc out of shot.
 
Thanks for your answers.

There will not be any recording of audio. The location is Huntington pier under the bridge. I took a look to this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMhcbRm-UI4
It looks OK but in some places you can feel that shake from cameraman's walking. According to the author it is a handmade gimbal and better results can be achieved as he says in the comment.

What do you think about it and is Steadicam better than gimbal? Also, if you watched movie called Elephant, most of the shots are tracking ones. I want that kind of quality. My guess is that it was shot on Steadicam was not it?
 
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Yes, a lot of Elephant was shot with Steadicam.

Achieving top-notch results with a Steadicam requires years of practice. An experienced Steadicam operator can easily achieve a very solid walking shot of the type you describe, however a newer one may turn in less-than-stellar results. Sand is tough and tiring to walk on. Shots of the length you saw in "Elephant" would be a tall order on sand, especially with a full-size rig. In my operating days I always dreaded beach walk-and-talks! I could describe some of the other ways to shoot this on a major-league budget but I am assuming we are not talking that here...?

One of the reasons people are so excited about the gimbals is that there is a perception that anyone can pick one up and instantly perform rock steady walking shots. In reality, there's a lot of variation in the application of the technology amongst different models, balancing and tuning them requires a particular skillset and even if the gimbal is working perfectly it can be tough to hide the operator's footsteps.

So bottom line: if you have budget to hire a Steadicam operator, PM me and I can forward some names. If you are just looking to dry hire a gimbal and operate yourself, there are plenty of people in LA doing that but caveat emptor, it's not plug and play despite what the enthusiasts may suggest--I've heard plenty of stories already where it hasn't "worked out".
 
If it's a medium shot you can cheat it. Film along an adjacent footpath, sea in the background. If necessary start with or insert a close up of feet on sand to sell the cheat.
 
A Steadicam trick for shooting on the sand is putting wire mesh down and covering it just enough to not be seen. It creates a more stable 'surface' to walk on than just the sand itself.
 
Run&Gun said:
A Steadicam trick for shooting on the sand is putting wire mesh down and covering it just enough to not be seen. It creates a more stable 'surface' to walk on than just the sand itself.
Click to expand...

That is the classic trick, although for some reason in all the times I did walk-and-talks on the beach this never quite happened. One time the shooting location was moved at the last minute (after the mesh was put down, with no time allotted to relocate it) and another time it was somewhat conveniently "forgotten" although I requested it and reminded several times in advance. Ah well.

Honestly one of my least favorite things to do with Steadicam was shoot at the beach. Walking backwards in sand was probably twice as tiring as on regular terrain, the sand got into everything and required lengthy cleaning sessions afterwards, it was generally hot and/or windy...oy vey. I recently caught the final scene of "Office Space" while flipping channels and I was reminiscing about shooting that day on a beach in Key West, close to 100 degrees and humid as all get out--not to mention nursing a serious hangover.
 
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