Why Stabilizers Matter
“Our footage isn’t meant to connect an audience to chaos, but to connect to a message, brand, or story.”
An earthquake.
Terrified screams.
The power is out.
A camcorder rolls on terrified New Yorkers as they exit an apartment building. A camcorder rolls on terrified New Yorkers as they exit an apartment building. The camera shakes with each breath and movement. Suddenly, the head from the Statue of Liberty flies down the street crushing cars and pavement in its wake. An enormous monster is captured crossing the street in the background. This is the opening scene of the 2008 film Cloverfield, an infamous “found-footage” movie, known for keeping the action alive with shaky handheld footage. This film style is used to disorient the viewer and make them feel as though they are right in the action and chaos.
While the ASR Media crew loves watching these types of movies, our filming style is a little (ok, a lot) different. Our footage isn’t meant to connect an audience to chaos, but to connect to a message, brand, or story. Our footage is smooth, stable, and controlled so that the viewer’s attention is fully on the content of the story, rather than processing the movements of the camera.
ASR uses a few key pieces of equipment for stabilization. The first and most basic is a tripod. We typically use this stationary method for interviews or time-lapses. We also have a stabilizer for iPhones called a Smove. iPhone video quality is not the same as our DSLR cameras, but it is still pretty impressive. We can use an iPhone to get quick shots on the go and the Smove helps stabilize the bounce in our steps or the natural shake in our hands.
ASR is constantly upgrading our equipment and in the past few years, we have switched from using a Steadicam to a Ronin as our principal stabilizer. The Ronin is an exciting new tool that stabilizes a camera in motion, moves on an X, Y, & Z axis, and creates smooth, professional shots that are otherwise impossible without. ASR is frequently filming “on the go” and our camera operators have to react and film high-quality footage on the fly. Unlike the Steadicam, which relied on adding weights as a counter-balance to the weight of the camera, the Ronin is powered by a versatile motor, which can be programmed by a smartphone app for time-lapse, motion tracking, and even high-speed action shots. The Ronin also has a built-in stand, which helps the operator set up and put the camera down, making it a highly efficient piece of equipment.
Although the shaky, handheld footage in movies like Cloverfield is effective for an audience in a movie theater, the stories that ASR tells aren’t meant to be scary or chaotic. They are the stories of people, places, and organizations that are both informational and inspirational. Camera stabilization helps ASR achieve smooth and professional footage that can grab an audience and tell our client’s story.
Check out the smooth, sweeping, and stable shots we capture on our Event Recap page!
Written by: Abby Mutschler, Senior Editor