Shoulder Rig Vs Easyrig

[Juliane Bari]

Sothe reason I want to operate off the shoulder is because I want to get chest to belly button height shots but with some slight movement whether in and out or side to side. I'm fairly tall at 6' so I want to see if there's any other way I can operate without having to semi squat. I can't sit on something because then I can't move in and out or side to side.

Or possibly any one of a huge list of cameras which are smaller, lighter, cheaper, more sensitive, higher resolution, quieter and capable of higher frame rates, lower power consumption, and take cheaper media.

Yes sure .. just presuming the OP wants the keep with Arri .. I was once asked many years ago to shoot a documentary on the Alexa Classic. obviously the director had been told it was the best camera in the world but he had never seen one let alone tried to pick it up and lug it around an ice festival at night .. I went to the rental house as I'd never used one either .. just pulling it out of the box was enough to know it would the worst possible choice besides an IMAX camera for that shoot .. and obviously now its well known that the Sony Fx9 is the best camera in the world ?

I've re positioned the handles so I can hold the camera like a scythe when shooting in the way you've described. One handle is on the front rods and the other is on the back opposite rods. Both are pointed up and I hold the camera at or below chest height.

This is good for short bursts, but depending on how much AKS is on the camera + the lens, I wouldn't be able to hold it steady for longer than maybe 5-7 minutes. That's where the easy rig really helps.

Put a shirt/towel over your shoulder and hold on to the mattebox - if it is a studio mattebox. If not, get some handles. As long as the camera is balanced, you'll be fine. Alexa is not heavier than most 35 cameras and plenty of handheld was done on 35 cameras - not all those cameras were 2c's and such either.

If you don't have a Cine Saddle to-hand (you should though, they're brilliant), you can simply make one by getting any old (and reasonably floppy) shoulder bag any stuffing it with down jackets, or towels or whatever you have to hand, and just resting the camera on that while you undersling it.

I've typically just cradled the camera under my right arm and hold it snug against my torso. You'll feel this is using your bicep, upper right rhomboids, and often left side of your lower back for support. I wouldn't recommend doing it full time for multiple days this way, but a few scenes/shots you should be able to handle. I'll then use my right arm to support the front closer to the nodal point of the lens or by using some sort of short grip off a rosette close to that point. This is similar to how a fireman holds a water hose. I prefer this over sitting on the shoulder as sitting disengages your core.

Years ago in Australia, a poorman's shoulder stabiliser was innovated. It was a two man system. The shoulder mount had an extension rearwards about the length of a broomhandle with a wide teebar on the end. The second operator walked behind the first and kept the camera horizontal by his grip on the teebar. I think they had to choreograph their steps and coordinate their planned move a bit.

I use a neoprene shoulder strap attached to the camera to assist me when I hold the camera cradled under my arm. This little bit of stretchiness makes it super comfortable and is a great help in smoothing out my steps. I don't remember where I picked it up. I have the attachment points positioned on the top handle's front-left and rear-right using these tiny quick releases, the military uses for gun straps.

I'm shooting a short action film in a few weeks, and we're looking to rent an EasyRig of some sort for smooth, handheld shots for the big fight scene. We're shooting this day on the Arri Alexa XT with Cooke mini S4 lenses. We have a choice of renting either an EasyRig Cinema 3500 N kit, or an EasyRig Vario 5 with Gimbal Rig Vest and 5" Extended Arm.

I've never worked with an EasyRig before, so I'm looking for any pointers, as well as advice on which to get, if either would be better for shooting with a. larger camera system like the Alexa or what. I know the Vario 5 is intended for use with gimbal systems, and we are not using a Gimbal. Both EasyRigs are the same price, so is there any benefit to one over the other, for heavier cameras?

A little about the film-the scene we're looking to shoot with the EasyRig setup is a swordfight, the plan is for it to be shot handheld, so that we can get different takes with different movement quickly. We will have a mix of low, high, close-up, and wide shots. Any advice appreciated, especially if you have any guidance for how to best work with EasyRigs!

Cooke Minis are light, but the XT is beefy. What's the total weight of your rigged camera? You need to be within the EasyRig Cinema 3's specific weight rating for the unit to function properly.

The Vario5 should comfortably handle the kit regardless (that's the benefit of the variable system). So unless there's some significant cost saving to using the Cinema 3 rig, I'd suggest just going with the Vario.

So far as shooting with the Easyrig, it's great for holding the camera loosely in place. But it's terrible for actually walking around with mid-take, the arm functions as a pendulum and the camera swings and bobs quite unnaturally.

If you have any handheld, following action to shoot. I'd highly recommend pulling the camera off the rig, and just putting it on your shoulder for that.

Agree with Mark..I have my own easy rig cine 3..that Ive used alot for the past few years .. used it today actually !..Sony F5/CN7 Cine zoom.. which is a 3 Kg zoom !.. the Vario is the newer system.. where you can adjust the strain with an Alan key at the back.. if not price difference go with that..

They take some getting used to.. if you can practice for a day before hand..I would.. I hated it at first but otherwise I was going to have real back problems with my set up using it alot, on long days..

For long walking shots totally useless.. the vest brings the weight to the hips but everything sways from side to side when you walk.. but for a sword fight that shouldn't be a problem.. you can lean ok and talking a few steps is ok..plus you will be having a ton of movement in your shots anyway.. you can also go low with them.. the thing I like is you can hold a much long lens shot, hand held alot steadier than without .. that would be goods for your over shoulder shots.. and it really does save you from fatigue .. all day long it still can get painful in your legs.. but its alot better than just on your shoulder.. I think it depends how long you will be lumping the camera around on your shoulder on the day.. if its very short takes and you can just palm it off to an assistant straight away then yes you could do without it.. if your going to be shooting alot or long takes ..I,d go the with easy rig.for sure. its not a cheap Steadicam though .. totally different look.. have a look at Wolf Hall... they used any easy rig alot to good effect.. but I would try it out before hand.. it does take a bit of getting used to at first..

The easy rig will definitely transfer the weight of the camera to your hips, which unfortunately transfers the movement of your body to the camera. A serene attachment can dampen the bouncing of the camera, but only by so much. You'll have to walk like a steadicam operator as well by controlling your bounce while you walk.

Trouble is the Serene is only for ups and down movement .. which isn't really the problem with the easy rig with normal use..no gimbal.. the problem is the side to side "sway" you get from the hips.. the same company that makes the Serena does have an answer for this .. but its a big bit of gear.. and its not a quick change around..

Loosen everything off. Put the vest on, an assistant is very useful here, and set the waist strap nice and snug against your hip bones. Tighten it down so it doesn't slip around but not so much it's uncomfortable.

Every time you put the camera down, undo the chest clip and the waist clip and breathe deeply. Even if it's only for a second before rigging up again, this will help maintain good blood flow to your legs.

When rigging up, avoid pulling the line to the camera. Have an assistant bring the camera to the clip or squat to the tripod. If that line slips while your grappling to get it onto the camera, it could easily hit you in the face quite hard. I've seen it happen, you don't want a black eye while operating.

Good point.. mine also has two metal arms that can be adjustmented either side, for how high you want it on your hips.. the hook swinging around, without camera attached is a real danger.. I have a long elastic hair band that I hook into the top of the arm.. and is secured to the vest.. stops its swinging about.. its just the level where it will hit someone in the face..

oh yes, forgot about those little things.

I like the hairband idea. Sometimes they come with a extra security cable (to loop around the camera encase the cable snaps) which can be used in a similar fashion. I generally try and get the operator to just take the rig off. Much safer ha

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