Tips for wireless focus on a steadicam?

Michael Solomon

Michael Solomon

Well-known member
Tomorrow I'm 1AC'ing as a day player for a feature that will be shooting on the RED One. I'll be the 1st AC for the B-cam which will be on a steadicam all day.

This is my first time pulling focus remotely while the camera is on a steadicam. I'm told I'll have a Preston or Bartech and they are not sure yet if I will have a wireless monitor to pull from.

I was just wondering if you guys had any tips or tricks that could help put my nerves at easy

Thanks in advance =)
 
I'm sure a real 1st can tell you a little more, but if you get a monitor, don't pull from it. Watch the camera, watch the actors, and pull using your distances. You can use the monitor as a reference, but just don't rely on it.
 
Just as a disclaimer, I worked a lot as a 1st for a year or two before I started moving more towards lighting, so I'm by no means an expert. I do have a modest number of shows under my belt though that came out sharp on the other end.

In the end, it depends on what kind of move it is, what lens your on, and what kind of show it is.

If it's a precise push in, it's not an awful idea to either use existing points as reference or lay down a few marks to where the steadicam op starts and ends. However, if he's on a 24 at f5.6, it's a little silly to worry about inches at that point. I'd just keep your hard tape close at hand and measure out points whenever you can (a laser distance measure is even better.)

If it's more run n' gun, then just get what you can and eyeball the rest. Then just hope they give you enough stop for a little wiggle room. Again just always keep that tape close at hand.

Of course while I say all of this, I was a camera PA on a network TV show a while back and I remember them talking about how this was one of the few shows they had been on where they would have been fired if they didn't pull off the monitor. They would always be on the long end of a optimo 12:1 with a 2x extender at a t4 with very few marks. In that situation all you really can do is pull off the monitor and hope for the best.

Really if you've pulled for someone doing handheld, you've done steadicam. Not too big of a deal.

Best part is you always have the operator who isn't the DP to help you out.
 
Is it considered poor form to ask the steadicam op to mount a laser pointer on the rig as a reference point assuming it won't interfere with the shot composition? I'm thinking this would help a lot for those tracking shots where the steadicam and talent are both moving.
 
What kind of steadicam move is it? If it's camera movement and static environment, then it's essentially similar to a dolly move. If you have dynamic camera and dynamic actors, then it really comes down to being able to eyeball the distance. Some ACs I know like to walk alongside the steadicam operator at the film plane and judge the distance between themselves and the subject. Others I know like to stand between the subject and the steadicam (think of a line between the actor and steadicam and then make that line into a triangle - the AC would stand at the point of the triangle) and judge the distance between the two.

Whatever you do, if you think you've buzzed the take, ask for another one. It's better to spend a little extra time getting the focus right than it is to save that time, move on but have an out-of-focus shot. After the first day, I think you'll find your groove and will be good with it.
 
Thanks for the tips thus far. I'm pretty sure it will be a variety of shots (I'm coming on as a day player so I'm not the most informed). From what I'm told, the B-cam will be on the steadicam all day as supplemental footage.
 
Just hope that they don't decide shoot it all at T1.3 ;) Don't stress too much. As Ryan said, Steadicam work is essentially handheld work with a wireless follow focus and a choice of position.

In regards to the laser device, I'd probably steer clear of.. a Cine Tape might be acceptable, but that's up to you and the Steadicam op to figure out.
 
I have both pulled off of a monitor and standing by the camera. It all depends on what the shot is and how you as a 1st works.

I prefer to pull by the op as long as there is space for me to walk beside him. Have distances marked on your wireless controller and (preferably) have a cinetape. If not, just judge the distances by eye and look on the steadicam's monitor or have an additional monitor on the rig (if the op is ok with it) to have a reference.
 
Thanks again for the tips guys. Figured I'd share my experience for others who read this in the future. I ended up just pulling by feel, we were at t/2.8 on a 25/35/50

Turns out that for the exteriors (where steadicam and talent were moving spontaneously), each block of pavement was 2.5 feet long so I used that as a distance gauge and it worked pretty well. Most of the other shots were tracking where the steadicam was at the same pace as the actors so just set a base focus measurement then adjusted for the drift between the two.

The monitor was mounted on the camera and at least for the exteriors was absolutely pointless since there was so much movement and I couldn't always get a good bead on it, much easier to stand at 90 degrees to the operator and gauge distance.

I also learned that the RED One is a POS nightmare of a camera.
 
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Michael Solomon said:
Thanks again for the tips guys. Figured I'd share my experience for others who read this in the future. I ended up just pulling by feel, we were at t/2.8 on a 25/35/50

Turns out that for the exteriors (where steadicam and talent were moving spontaneously), each block of pavement was 2.5 feet long so I used that as a distance gauge and it worked pretty well. Most of the other shots were tracking where the steadicam was at the same pace as the actors so just set a base focus measurement then adjusted for the drift between the two.

The monitor was mounted on the camera and at least for the exteriors was absolutely pointless since there was so much movement and I couldn't always get a good bead on it, much easier to stand at 90 degrees to the operator and gauge distance.

I also learned that the RED One is a POS nightmare of a camera.
Click to expand...

Glad it went well. Also count your lucky stars that you are just finding that out now....
 
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