Steadicam

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Open Debate and Interviews with Movie Industry Professionals

Open Debate

The profile that emerges from the technical description of the Steadicam and an examination of some films on which it was used is of a useful and versatile device. The Steadicam, besides giving the operator freedom of movement, in almost all situations, also frees the actors. In fact, no longer constrained by dolly tracks or other structures, the actors move freely over the whole area of the action.

Bertrand Tavernier chose to use this device precisely for its capacity to follow the actor without limiting his actions: ‘I wanted to use it to give a great liberty to the actors, to be able to go everywhere without seeming to do so, to shoot very long takes’.¹

Giuseppe Rotunno, ...