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Media Professionals of Florida, Inc. provides informative meetings on the second Tuesday of each month For more information contact David Rosenblatt at info@mediaprofessionals.org
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“Next Time, Why Not Use Steadicam!”
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| This months Media Professionals of Florida meeting was held at the Pinellas County School Board's Media Services facility in Largo. |
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| Everyone seemed to have a good time during the networking period before the meeting. Others checked out the great variety of specialized Steadicam gear brought to the meeting by guest speaker David Campbell. And the evening's refreshments were more like a picnic spread, a new kind of treat. |
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| Steadicam owner-operator David Campbell began with a review of how the revolutionary device was developed and how it has evolved over its 33 years. He referenced several seminal motion pictures that did breakthrough work, from Bound for Glory to The Shining and Rocky. |
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| In response to lots of questions, David explained the many features of the Steadicam arm -- with and without gyroscope additions – the rig's carefully-fitted vest, the counterbalancing “sled,” the precision gimbal and the slide mounts for many types of video and film cameras. He also noted the strength, flexibility and discipline needed to achieve real competence with Steadicam. He especially recommended enrolling in formal workshops. |
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Using a wireless video transmitter, David's various demonstration moves were able to be followed on the classroom's large screen video projector. He addressed questions about need for rhearsals, lighting challenges and audio complexities. Repeatedly David's understated manner defused much of the hype and exaggerated claims for these devices. Yet the rig's fluidity and mobility proved amazing.
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| The School District's Media services people videotaped the evening's presentation for later classroom use. |
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“Next Time, Why Not Use Steadicam?” was the meeting's topic and the demos, examples and discussions brought light to much of the mystery about this transformational piece of gear. One attendee said that the meeting made her better appreciate how all those beautiful moves are accomplished.“
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“How'd they do that?” now has some better answers. After sharing a reel of his many projects over the past 15 years, David wrestled with audience questions about focal lengths, cable handling, new equipment options, client expectations and production economies. That old adage of “Block, light, shoot,” David insisted, has never been more true.
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| A special thanks to the Pinellas County School Board for hosting a great meeting. |
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Speakers
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David Campbell
David Campbell began his freelance career when he returned to Tampa in the early 80’s to join friends he made before graduating with a Mass Communications degree from USF. The market was on an upswing and David’s production experience as a camera assistant includes work with the first unit camera crew on “Parenthood” (the first motion picture to shoot at Universal Studio’s new sound stages) as well as “Under Siege” and “Cop and a Half’ (the later shot entirely on location in Tampa).
David purchased his first steadicam rig in 1998 and in ’99 and 2000 worked two seasons with the first unit camera crew on the series “Sheena.” He has been operating full time since both with steadicam and more conventionally from dollies, cranes and hand held.
You can find more show credits at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0132376/
or view his reel at http://vimeo.com/3578250
David Campbell can be contacted at 813-831-6647 or 813-503-8843.
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