Tiffen Steadicam AXIS - Quick Operating Lessons

32
Therighthandnetunesthe
position of the sled, moving it
side to side or closer to or farther
from the body, and booms
the arm up and down. It also
prevents unwanted up and down
movements as you move along.
Grab the center post with your left
hand just below the gimbal. All
vengersshouldbeLIGHTLY in
contact with the post. Don’t just
useyourngertips–wrapyour
ngersaroundthepost.
The preferred grip, with the
ngersstretchedalongthelength
of the gimbal grip, gives the
operator greater control and feel
for what the rig is doing.
The two-handed technique was invented by Garrett Brown while working on The Shining, and it has been
the preferred method of operating ever since. Basically, the right hand does the work of positioning the sled
in space, and the left hand aims the sled (and therefore the camera) by panning and tilting. Try practicing
with the Volt strength settings reduced to improve your feel for the rig.
TIP: A Steadicam workshop is the best way to quickly build all of the skills needed to be creative and efcient
with your Steadicam, enabling you to have a long career behind the camera. Refer to the list of resources.
Quick operating lessons