Should I invest in a glidecam or dolly/jib set up?

[Blaise Douros]

You need to hire, or at least consult with, your cinematographer first. What equipment they need is up to them, if you want them to contribute in a meaningful way. It’s disrespectful to your DP for you to make this kind of decision without their involvement. Your DP is one of the most important crew members to your production–you CANNOT make plans without them, because they need to tell YOU what they need to accomplish a scene.

You haven’t specified your camera choice, which will make a big difference as to the final choice for camera rigging. Again–you NEED to get your DP involved now. A good DP will be more qualified than you to make these decisions.

[Todd Terry]

Blaise beat me to it… but I have the same advice.

DON’T go buying a bunch of gear. Consult with the cinematographer.

No offense, but you don’t seem like an expert in this area (which is fine, not everyone should be an expert at everything), but he or she will be and will tell you what you need. They may even already have some of the gear themselves (in fact, that’s likely). At minimum they probably already have relationships with vendors or rental houses that will be helpful.

Honestly, if I was hired (or inquired about) as a DP and went in and was told this is how it’s going to work and this is what I’ve bought and this is the gear you’ll need for this shot or that shot… I’d probably say “Thanks, but I’m not the right guy for you.”

Talk to the DP first.

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Todd Terry]

By the way, the movie that you referenced there, Marathon Man, was one of the very first (if not the first) feature film uses for what was then a brand-new invention, the Steadicam.

Steadicam inventor Garrett Brown was the camera operator (just as he was for The Shining, the other very-early-Steadicam movie).

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Ryan Elder]

Yes ideally that is the best way to do it, but in past experiences, I have had DPs cancel on me, and I had to have last minute replacements take over, and in those situations, I do not have time to order in new equipment that the new DP may not have, cause the equipment takes a few weeks to get here.

The last film shoot I did, there were four DPs since, the first became unavailable, after one shoot, then the second became unavailable after taking over, and etc. So I want to make the decision of the possibility, if one is going to come and then go, and has to be replaced, that the equipment is already in line and ready to go for the replacement.

[Ryan Elder]

Oh okay, I thought it was a steadicam, which is why I chose this example. I think I would need that cause if you look at the ground, the actors are running on, there are no tracks visible, so I think I would need a steadicam or a glidecam to get that.

One of the reasons I thought I would get the glidecam in advance, is cause I hear they need a lot of practice and every DP I know, does not have experience with it, so therefore, I could get a lot more experience before bringing the DP on. If the DP wants to get the experience and wishes to operate the glidecam, then that is perfectly fine for me, but since no DP I know has one, I figure I would have to get this equipment myself in advance, and have it ready to go. Plus I could get the necessary practice out of it in advance, if an experienced operator is required.

[Ryan Elder]

Okay thanks, but here is the problem. The first shoot date I have planned is September 16. No DP’s have signed on yet. I got all the other crew so far, but no DP. The deadline is coming up, so by the time a DP comes on board, I may not have time to wait for the equipment to be mailed in.

So I need to plan in advance, if that happens and a DP is signed on too late.

[Ryan Elder]

What I mean is by the time a DP is signed on there may not be enough time to order the equipment so I have may very well have to make that decision beforehand.

[Ryan Elder]

Sorry I didn’t specify camera choice. Well every DP I know has a camera that weighs no more than 10 pounds. So if that is the case, then a glidecam or a dolly, could support any of their cameras.

[Ryan Elder]

Sorry for all the posts, but I can’t seem to add to a previous post on here.

I haven’t met a DP who has that gear yet, as everyone of them I know has tripods only. I only know one DP who has all that gear for movement, but I found him to be really difficult to work with, and I don’t want to work with him if I don’t have to.

But since all the others I know have tripods only, I thought I would just invest in the gear for whichever one wants to be DP, who I would like to have as the DP. As for rental houses, I checked the rental houses, and they only have tripods and dollies only, but no steadicams or jibs.

So I would have to buy them it seems.

[Rick Wise]

Sorry you are unable to hear/read what Todd and Blaise have told you about consulting with your DP first. There are many good reasons why, with the possible exception of important talent, the DP is the first person you book.

Rick Wise
Cinematographer
MFA/BFA Lighting and Camera Instructor Academy of Art University
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com