A Tour of Steadicam HQ
A bit of history on Steadicam... it was invented by Garrett Brown in the early 70's and was first used on production for Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. It was later used in Hal Ashby's Bound for Glory, which was released before The Shining. Garrett was awarded an Oscar for his invention in 1977 and continues to invent and work at his company to this day.
This Monday I just so happened to be driving on San Fernando Rd. in Burbank, CA. I was there for a quick meeting with Vicente, but I was 30 minutes early, so off I went location scouting. Driving around, I quickly spotted a sign that said "Steadicam" so I checked it out. Lo and behold it was the Steadicam headquarters, where I was invited inside for a tour!
For those of you who don't know, Peter and I own a Steadicam Merlin, which we highly recommend to anyone who shoots with a DSLR or small camcorder. Check out our recent test with the Merlin, a pair of Rollerblades, and our Canon 7D.
Small operation but it appears to be well organised. Very nice of them to allow you through the place with a camera.
Did they check your pockets on the way out?!
Cool video, Sean! Really enjoyed it.
How ironic is that parts of this video are a little shaky?
“and was first used on production for Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.”
It was actually Rocky
Technically, Bound For Glory was the first to use it in a movie. But it depends on if you consider production or distribution first.
What do you think of your steadicam compared to a glidecam for lower budget smooth moving shots?
It’s not as good as a “real” Steadicam, but it works for some things. Never tried a Glidecam.
Your web-site was recommended by search engine result advert virtuoso Themelis Cuiper – you must be doing an excellent job as he is pointing towards you?