Work, Work, Work...

[f-Stop]

...well, work isn't always work!

Just finished working on a series of spots for Ford Trucks.  Got to play...er...work with some pretty cool stuff.

The camera rig below is one of the coolest things I've ever worked with.  It can travel over 100mph with complete control of the jib arm and the camera is kept perfectly smooth with a system of gyroscopes...


We also rigged for camera and lighting all over the trucks.  Here's a lighting rig I came up with...


And the view from the camera's perspective...


Another thing the camera car can do is a simple dolly for the "money" shot...


Five days of filming and a couple days of prep made this job feel like a mini-movie!  We had to be at a different location -- well before sun up -- every day to be ready to "roll" at first light.  Rain, mud, cold and long hours didn't hamper our enthusiasm because everyday was a play day!

Here's a random Valkyrie pic to make this Valk related...

[mario]

beautiful valk...i love that seat on her.

boys and their trucks in the mud and doc'ing the adventure.  looks like fun.   

[HayHauler]

How much did it cost to build that camera truck?  I you own it, don't tell, but if you just "used" it, I would like to know.  Gyroscopes?  Man, must have cost a bundle.  
Work IS play when you are doing what you love.  

P.S.  Nice Valk pic.  
Merry Christmas to you and yours Charlie.  
And why a Mercedes?

Hay
Jimmyt

[Timbo]

That is probably the coolest rig I've seen!  I used to marvel over the steady cam and random jibs and dollys I got to play with in the 80's...I would be lost these days.  Kinda like fuel injectors replacing carbs (so this reply is now VALK related)

[f-Stop]

Hey Jimmy,

I have no idea how much it costs to build/maintain one of those jib arms, but I do know that it costs about 10K/day or 30K/week with crew -- driver, arm operator and tech -- to rent.

The thing is, that system (called The Edge) almost doubles the amount of running footage you can get per day.  When you figure in the per day cost of a full crew plus lighting equipment, camera, hotels, per diem, vehicles, etc., you end up saving money!

[HayHauler]

Cool!!  But I guess a Mercedes was used because the company that owns it isn't Fomoco. 

That thing is pretty awesome!!

Hay
Jimmyt

[f-Stop]

The first "Edge" jib was made on the Cadillac SUV chassis.  Apparently, while shooting a spot for Mercedes, the folks at Mercedes decided that an Edge jib needed to be built on a Mercedes Chassis, so they sent them the one you see in the photos...free!

True Story!

[Daniel Meyer]

Cool! 

[BeeSharp]

Very cool stuff, I often spend more time watching a commercial and wondering how they do the camera shots than seeing the product - I'm a nerd. They always show a shot from the drivers perspective to plant the seed of you in the drivers seat. Same for kid's toy commercials how they show hands playing with a toy so kids visualize themselves playing with the toy.

I really like the "money shot" as it appears to be the exact F150 that showed up in my driveway last week!