Updates from the War on Wobblies

Ask yourself this question: what now?

For the first time in a long time (ever?) the industry had a dedicated resource focused solely on the war against Wobbly.

Judging from the feedback and engagement the industry found value in the focus of the site: celebrating anti-Wobbly weaponry and helping to share an education on all of the tools in the arsenal.

The Cine Gear show and subsequent emails have been filled with chatter, smiles, and congratulatory messages. But every discussion always ended with the same question: “what now?”

The War on Wobblies needs to continue - we’ve only just begun the fight. But in what form?

The industry deserves a place where passionate individuals can openly discuss and share their experiences and knowledge. But in what form?

Our industry is driven by relationships and now, thanks to technology, our relationships can easily span from LA to the UK to Australia. We’d like to see the battle press on. We’d like to continue to have a place where relationships are formed and strengthened. Where complex shots can be discussed and solutions can be blueprinted. We’d like the Knights of the Wobbly Table to continue to fight our Wobbly foe together.

But in what form?

Noble Wobbly Warriors, I ask you this: how can we collectively continue to connect the dots and strengthen the discussion that has started? Not for any individual tool, but for all anti-Wobbly weapons; for each individual tool in the arsenal. Because there is a right tool for every job, and it’s important that we continue to embrace this notion and work together to defeat Wobbly.

What says you?

Hello. I am Mark Chamberlain, the CEO of Pictorvision. Some of you may remember me for my time as the President and CEO of Wescam – the company that literally created the stabilization market over 20 years ago. We started Pictorvision in 2002 after we sold Wescam. Our goal in starting Pictorvision was to create the most innovative, exciting and customer responsive company in the entertainment equipment industry. Today represents a big step toward that goal.

We began the War on Wobblies for two purposes.

First, we wanted to correctly point out that there isn’t a single product that’s capable of solving all of the problems faced by a cinematographer. Unfortunately, this misleading message has been shared by product manufacturers for too long. This hurts the cinematographer as well as the credibility of the stabilization industry as a whole.

Second, we wanted to draw attention to our new company, our new approach to servicing your cinematography needs and, of course, our exciting new line of products. We needed a bold, innovative and entertaining way of marketing our unique products and position. General Henz and the War on Wobblies seemed like a great way to get that attention. We hope you enjoyed the banter and mystery as much as we did.

Today, Pictorvision is unlike the Wescam of the past and certainly unlike any of the other stabilization companies out there. They all have great products that serve a specific purpose but only Pictorvision offers an entire suite of aerial products and services to meet your every need.

Today we launch the anchor of our product line – the Eclipse. The Eclipse is the first revolutionary aerial cinematography product development in a generation. We developed the Eclipse with the strong collaboration of many DPs and industry experts and I would like to thank them for their involvement. This is your product as much as it is ours.

In the weeks and months to come, we will introduce more exciting news and more exciting product enhancements. Our goal is nothing short of offering the very best, and most innovative stabilization and precision control products and services in the world and becoming a giant in the industry.

Come join us at booth 124. We can share a red tequila shooter and talk about our new products and our new company.

Travel day and finalizing of plans. We’re set and ready.

The real question is… are you? t-minus 1 day.

Remember Barbara Walters at the peak of her game? Boris Yeltsin, Fidel Castro, Margaret Thatcher, King Hussein of Jordon, and Monica Lewinsky… the list goes on and on. Notorious for her hardball questions of key personalities, Walters set the standard for memorable interviews.

Well, today, thanks to the hard work of a noble Wobbly Warrior, I had my Barbara Walters moment: an interview with Nick Phillips, the name behind Libra, and the rock-star of the anti-Wobbly crusade.

Chat History with Nick Phillips

General Aud Henz:

Nick Phillips? I must say, I am thankful that Colonel XXXXXX initiated contact.

Nick Phillips:

Yes, so are we. Phew, that was close! Can we talk? I have to leave soon.

General Aud Henz:

I’d love a short Q&A. Can we do it through chat? I do not have a microphone for skype talk.

Nick Phillips:

Go ahead with your questions.

General Aud Henz:

I do not know if you have followed the anti-Wobbly campaign closely. We’re celebrating all that stabilization products can bring to the industry and showcasing individual products and the problems that they help to solve/address on set. I’m glad that we have been able to get in touch with you - you’re a rock star of the anti-Wobbly scene. The insight you can grant our readers on the Libra product will benefit the industry as a whole.

Nick Phillips:

I know about your constructive efforts but to be honest haven’t had time to follow too closely. My wife tells me about it and so do some of our agents.

General Aud Henz:

Can you tell us a bit about Libra’s history? What attracted you to fighting Wobbly?

Nick Phillips:

Started 20 years ago as a desperate effort to get away from bungees and the like! First show was the first ‘CastAway’ (Nick Roeg). There were 22 stabilised shots in this movie and I was proud of every one of them! As there is 20 years up to the latest model (Blue Stripe) where to I start with a full history?

General Aud Henz:

Our main focus is identifying that there isn’t one Wobbly product that’s a silver bullet for all problems faced by the cinematographer. We like to believe that each product has its niche and can offer value for different situations. Do you agree in general with The General on this statement? If so, where do you see Libra positioned in the anti-Wobbly arsenal?

Nick Phillips:

Absolutely agree entirely. The right tool for the job. We are quite often alongside a Steadycam and a Wescam or XR, all on the same insert vehicle.

General Aud Henz:

You’ve done a great job positioning the Libra as the workhorse for solving a wide-range of Wobbly at wider focal lengths. Part of what we hear from the industry is that your value comes from being on set and experiencing first-hand what should be done. Fighting in the trenches is smart R&D, no? What is your opinion on other anti-Wobbly products that fall into the performance range of the Libra - specifically the Scorpio… where do you see the difference between your anti-Wobbly weapon and the Scorpio?

Nick Phillips:

Thanks for your kind words. I love the coal-face and it is imperative to get first hand experience to see what the demands are. I have close ties with cinematographers and welcome their comments. Re the comparison, we are smaller, lighter, more adaptable for numerous applications, and we can run off a Panavision battery. Libra was originally developed for small cameras and prime lenses. The industry has demanded that we carry larger loads. This we are addressing with the Blue Stripe.

General Aud Henz:

Thanks for your response. I only asked about that anti-Wobbly specifically because from LA to NYC it appears that they’re coming after the same market segment that you currently dominate.

Nick Phillips:

Yes, we are very aware that Scorpio is after the technocrane market but I can’t imagine it doing half the other stuff we are asked to do e.g shooting pipeline waves on the back of a Seadoo? Operator on the beach, of course, operating remotely with a gin and tonic at hand!

General Aud Henz:

G&T’s…. A real treat given the current weather. Maybe you can tell us the difference between a Libra 4th and Libra 5th (is that the Blue Stripe?)

Nick Phillips:

The Libra 4 was our first effort to get away from analog and enter the murky world of motion control. The Libra 4 is noisy and not popular on sound sets, though it holds up really well on rough and tough stuff. The Libra 5 has vast electronic improvements leading us further into a fully motion control, aviation approved, stage, road and marine product. The noise issue has been resolved along with many other nuances. The Libra 5 was a test bed for the Blue Stripe which is being released shortly. John Toll is taking the first one.

General Aud Henz:

John Toll is taking it for use? Or to distribute and rent to productions?

Nick Phillips:

John is taking it on his next film project. One of our US agents is handling the deal.

General Aud Henz:

Yes/No: The anti-Wobbly industry as a whole currently provides too much misleading marketing mumbo-jumbo in bitter infighting between the various groups and the cinematographers suffer because of this?

Nick Phillips:

Agree about marketing mumbo jumbo which just confuses what the cinematographer is after. I tell our agents to be truthful and honest about our strengths and our limitations.

General Aud Henz:

Speaking of limitations, we try to be fair and balanced (yet positive) about all anti-Wobbly weapons… are you brave enough to share some of the limitations of the Libra and situations where it would be best for cinematographers to get a different tool in the anti-Wobbly arsenal?

Nick Phillips:

This is a very difficult one to answer. Ridley Scott made me put a 500mm on the head for GI Jane. I told him it wouldn’t work and he said ‘I’ll be the judge of that’! He got the two seconds he was after. As a general rule the Libras up to Libra 5 can handle a 4:1 and we are struggling past 80mm. However, the ‘down and dirty’ second unit stuff we do is quite often on primes. We are experimenting with the Blue Stripe with longer lenses and getting good results. The cinematographer has to rely on his experience and the type of look he is after. We have been asked many times to loosen the shot up to cut with the rest of the scenario. There are generic terms “That’s a Steadycam shot”,” That’s a Wescam shot”,” That’s a Libra shot”, even though the actual anti-Wobbly device is none of those. Interesting that the industry sees it this way………

General Aud Henz:

It really is interesting, I wonder how that perspective will change and shift over time… And thank you for your candid response - it is a breath of fresh air to have an anti-Wobbly manufacturer speak honestly. I suspect that that openness is part of your success.

Nick Phillips:

I am passionate about the progress of cinematography and embrace new ideas and concepts, even though they may be competition to us.

General Aud Henz:

Yes/No: The wonderful performance produced by the Libra is thanks to the ingenious design of having roll in pan?

Nick Phillips:

Yes, that’s one of them! Makes it extremely difficult to stabilise, though.

General Aud Henz:

……Yes/No: The Libra is the strongest anti-Wobbly brand? As in more people know and respect the Libra brand than any other anti-Wobbly brand?

Nick Phillips:

I hope and believe so. I guess it’s been around longer than most. Sir Ron and I started out about the same time. I think it was Flash Gordon! Am I right Ron?

General Aud Henz:

We’ll see if Ron appreciates that obscure reference when we share this with the fellow Knights.

Nick Phillips:

Tell him from me, in my opinion he has the best aerial system for the film industry in the world. No one can touch him.

General Aud Henz:

Ron has done some wonderful things with his technology - he deserves to be very proud.

General Aud Henz:

Okay Nick, I don’t want to take any more of your time - you’ve been very kind to give me this much already. You truly are the rock-star of the anti-Wobbly world, if not a bit Keyser Soze-ish (adds to the image, no?), and I appreciate you reaching out to us like this. I’m honored to have you at the Knights of the Wobbly Table table. A real treat. If you have any questions for me, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Nick Phillips:

Thanks, General. It’s been a pleasure and hope it contributes to your good cause. You now have my e-mail so contact me anytime you wish. Unfortunately, don’t have time to get to Cinegear. Will take you up on the Fosters another time! Good luck and keep up the good work. It’s an honour to be one of your Knights!

General Aud Henz:

‘Till next time……………

Nick Phillips:

Indeed.

We were prepping our Libra review when we received an email at the eleventh hour from a noble Wobbly Warrior who was contacting us on behalf of Nic Phillips.

During our research, testing, and review of the Libra product we attempted to track down Nic. However, it became apparent fairly early on that Nic is the Keyser Soze of the anti-Wobbly world: he’s a rock star with a passionate following on the one hand, and yet, on the other, he’s a complete enigma.

Our Wobbly Warrior, a friendly down under, reached out and has made contact between the Knights of the Wobbly Table and Nic.

We’re going to hold off on our review. It appears that Nic will not only be willing to accept his rightful seat at the Knights of the Wobbly Table table, but he’ll also support our efforts by contributing information as well as (potentially) product.

Upon receipt of the eleventh hour email, our review of the Libra product can benefit from Nic’s contribution as well as access to newer Libra products like the Libra 4th.

Stay tuned for breaking news.

These down and under inventors ingeniously put roll down and under pan.

This is clue ten in Anti-Wobbly Aptitude Test # 2. Previous clues can be found at: Clue One, Clue Two, Clue Three, Clue Four, Clue Five, Clue Six, Clue Seven, Clue Eight, Clue Nine.

Some Background

From Thelma and Louise to Harry and Sally to Ernest and Vern, Hollywood is all about dynamic duos. And Filmotechnic, a Ukrainian company, has learned to leverage the cinematographer’s love of the twosome to great benefit.

To compare Filmotechnic’s Flighthead anti-Wobbly weapon without discussing the company’s Russian Robo Arm is as much a sin as writing a biography on Robin without mention of Batman. Even though Robin has his place and surely brings value, without Batman he’s nothing more than a grown-man parading through the streets in tights.

I have to commend the lads from Kiev for realizing this fact and properly positioning the pair as the “Russian Arm & Flighthead System.” The Academy also realized the importance of one to the other and awarded Filmotechnic a Scientific and Engineering Academy Award in 2005 for “Russian Arm & Flighthead.”

Filmotechnic’s website claims that their equipment is “used in approximately 90% of all major automobile commercials nationwide.” It’s difficult for us to understand how they calculated this figure, or how credible it is. Regardless, since its introduction in 1996, Filmotechnic’s system has been adopted by auto commercial cinematographers as the standard for adding dynamic shots to the production.

It’s been a pleasure for us throughout this campaign to have Filmotechnic support the education of the community and we’re excited that they’ve decided to join The Knights of the Wobbly Table. They understand the value of openly sharing information and how the internet can play a critical role in the dissemination of knowledge. Eugene, who I believe is from the company, has asked me to share this video of the Robo Arm and Flighthead system:

My Review

I flew into Kiev for my review of the system and I instantly fell for the city and its blended mix of old and new. As one of the oldest Eastern European cities it has maintained a historical charm while embracing new high-tech innovations.

I met my Wobbly Warrior operative on the outskirts of the city and we headed out for a day of tests. Having never used the Russian Robo Arm before I needed some training and practice to get comfortable with the controls but after some instruction I was comfortable enough to head out.

Again we opted for the 10:1 for the tests and a camera package that would be typically found on auto commercials. Racing down the bank of the Dnieper River I was impressed with the mobility that the system provided. Articulating the Robo Arm around the vehicle allowed us to capture dynamic shots of various vehicles that unsuspectingly played the role of the “hero” car.

On the whole I could appreciate how the Robo Arm and Flighthead system has been accepted by auto commercial cinematographers with open arms. The anti-Wobbly system, targeted for this particular niche, performed well, producing the dynamic imagery that’s demanded by the ad firms behind auto spots.

While the anti-Wobbly weapon stabilized the imagery well enough, I was able to observe the peculiar shift in perspective that’s produced through this form of stabilization. As commenter Venus on the Half-shelf stated in an earlier comment:

“This piece highlights the downfall of one approach to stabilisation. When you allow a rig to swing freely (ie a universal joint type assembly somewhere between the support structure and the remote head), energy is absorbed in the process, thus easing the pressures of high frequency (or “fine”) stabilisation. The downside is demonstrated here in significant perspective shift. Thus the image is well smoothed, but not truly stabilised.”

On the whole I enjoyed my experience with the Russian Robo Arm and Flighthead system. The team has proven their understanding of the market by realizing that the maximum value comes from the complete system, targeted towards a specific problem faced by cinematographers. By offering a solution that solves that singular problem very well, and sticking to this sole focus, Filmotechnic has enjoyed success within the niche.

On its own I’d question how valuable the Flighthead is as an anti-Wobbly product, as DC Comics realized with the limited success of standalone Robin comics, when it comes to a dynamic duo, the sidekick can’t succeed in a staring role.

These guys have vanished - poof! - executing such a complete disappearing act that we really don’t know what to say about them in the clue. They’ve dropped off the face of the earth. So we’ll give this clue: starts with “w” ends in “escam”.

This is clue nine in Anti-Wobbly Aptitude Test # 2. Previous clues can be found at: Clue One, Clue Two, Clue Three, Clue Four, Clue Five, Clue Six, Clue Seven, Clue Eight.

New commenter Karl raises some …interesting… concerns about a feature of this product.

This is clue eight in Anti-Wobbly Aptitude Test # 2. Previous clues can be found at: Clue One, Clue Two, Clue Three, Clue Four, Clue Five, Clue Six, Clue Seven.

Some background

The Gyron, an aerial anti-Wobbly weapon by NSI, is a rugged and robust weapon in the arsenal with lofty ambition. The grandness of the goal that the product attempts to achieve is noble and inspiring. The question, I suppose, is whether you can really be all things to all people.

Nettmann Systems Inc is helmed by Robert Nettmann. He is an awesome and inspirational figure that has spent his distinguished and storied career striving for a leadership position in aerial cinematography.

Nettmann Systems Inc has, for the longest time, made a commendable effort to educate Wobbly warriors on the merits of anti-wobbly weapons through a comparison chart cloaked in mystery.

The chart provided some of the impetus for starting the War on Wobblies as it correctly identified and classified the differences in technology across various products. For instance, it positioned the technology in the Gryon as far advanced when compared to the Spacecam. However, it said nothing of the value to the end-user of transitioning a prototype into a completed product offering, where, for instance, the Spacecam would be advanced when compared to the Gyron. And like any industry, Cinematography is no different in that value is maximized for end-users when the correct blend of advanced technology is integrated into the right productized solution.

My Review

As Ron Goodman, a fellow Knight of the Wobbly Table, accurately pointed out, “Everything that is shaped like a sphere is not a Wescam”. Another truism is that not every aerial anti-Wobbly weapon is a sphere. And that’s certainly true for the Gyron. My initial thought as I approached the system for the first time late last year was that the Gyron is a different beast. Different look - different feel – dare I say an almost other worldly feel.

I chuckled to myself as I walked around the Gyron and found my thoughts drifting towards images of a Stormtrooper helmet from the famous Star Wars films.

On first blush this felt like a superficial comparison, but on deeper reflection I believe that the analogy holds. From trudging through the dirty sand dunes of Tatooine, to racing through the lush and humid jungles of Endor, to the “frozen tundra” of Hoth or racing through space in various forms of aircraft, the Stormtroopers were designed by the Empire to fight in any situation throughout the galaxy. Air, ground, sea… it didn’t matter, the Empire’s goal was to create a rugged and robust product that was flexible and durable enough to withstand anything that came at it.

As any fan of the Star Wars films will fondly recall, the heavy and bulky design that was needed to ensure that the Stormtroopers could handle any environment meant that they were routinely defeated at hands of the specific and tailored solution that was implemented by the nimble Rebel Alliance. That is, the design decision of the Empire to create something for everything ultimately ensured that it was constantly outdone in every situation.

Anyway, enough of geeked-out analogies…

Compared to the Spacecam the Gyron bundles newer technology in a unique design. If it were a car it would be an advanced prototype shown at carshows. The crowd, initially thrilled with the technology’s promise would leave the show wondering when a polished and complete product would be appearing in showrooms throughout the nation.

The Gyron flew well enough in our tests and we had limited success recreating the often referenced perception of flight speed constraints. We were flying the newest version of the system, the Marvelous G, and suspect that the previous limitation had been addressed in this iteration of the prototype.

I found the steerable roll that the Gyron offered to be an enjoyable addition to an aerial anti-Wobbly weapon; this feature differentiated the Gyron from previously reviewed aerial anti-Wobbly products and enabled a range of distinct shots.

Our flight was interrupted for a short touch-down so that we could insert the widget between the system and the helicopter before testing the system through a different range of steering maneuvers.

The grandness of the goal that the product attempts to achieve is noble and inspiring. But in my final analysis, it is my opinion that the ‘solve world hunger’ approach introduced design decisions that drive the product to the opposite end of its desired position. That is, in an attempt to be everything to everyone the Gyron has developed an enviable lead in a diminutive niche.

Nettmann Systems Inc were contacted for comment on, and contribution to, the review. No response was given.

“This anti-Wobbly weapon not only induces awe and apprehension, but also splits time between the Mariners and the Seahawks.”

This is clue seven in Anti-Wobbly Aptitude Test # 2. Previous clues can be found at: Clue One, Clue Two, Clue Three, Clue Four, Clue Five, Clue Six.

“Often a neglected weapon in the anti-Wobbly arsenal, little is known about this product that’s similar in nature to 3 Down.”

This is clue six in Anti-Wobbly Aptitude Test # 2. Previous clues can be found at: Clue One, Clue Two, Clue Three, Clue Four, Clue Five.

Background

The Istech Wescam Pictovision XR (or whatever they’re calling themselves these days) is an anti-Wobbly ground weapon from the company best known for their role in shaping the modern aerial stabilization industry. With a head office located in the hot-bed of stabilization activity that is Burlington, Ontario (Canada), and a rental office in Van Nuys, California, Pictovision consists of many of the original team behind Wescam’s past successes.

Highly regarded for their engineering prowess, the team believed they had struck product development gold a second time immediately following the (first) introduction of the XR. From respected performances at the Sydney Olympics and block busters Catch Me If You Can and The Last Samurai, the XR appeared to be well received at launch.

The question that arises then, is why, after a satisfying start, did the XR fail to become synonymous with anti-Wobbly ground products like the Wescam achieved with aerial anti-Wobbly weaponry?

The answer comes down to a single word (one that the Canadian engineers behind the XR mispronounce, painfully rhyming it with the name for the dinner dish): niche.

While the XR’s stability and steering are triumphs of engineering, achieved thanks to the massively large R&D budget at Wescam, some workflow quirks, introduced to the system in order to achieve the stabilization and steering performance in the current packaging of the technology, have kept the XR from becoming a run-of-the-production anti-Wobbly weapon.

Said differently, the XR can deliver the best ground-based anti-Wobbly performance, but it comes at the cost of longer set-up, lens and mag change times.

Since its start 5 years ago, the XR has been tagged within the production community as a specialty piece of gear. Like a circus show dog capable of performing the most astounding tricks, the XR has its place; however, a circus show dog is a needy animal that requires a lot of tlc.

MY REVIEW

I was able to secure some time with the XR on a warm autumn day. Sitting in my motel room I decided to familiarize myself with the product before heading out for a day of work on a camera car.

Reading through various results on Google highlighted an issue with the product: it appears that nobody’s ever been sure how to properly articulate the benefits of the product, or how to communicate the anti-Wobbly niche that it’s within:

• From Panavision (who shamefully should be large enough to hire a good marketer!):
  • “With precise steering and stabilization working in conjunction and occurring simultaneously“ (editor: huh?!@)

• From Wescam:
  
  • “and has since been involved in numerous sporting events“ (editor: not only has it played first base for the Mariners, but it sounds like the XR also occasionally fills in for Hasselbeck)

Anyway, after finally finding some understandable reviews I set out for my XR test. When I arrived the XR was already mounted on a crane on the back of a camera car. My first impression was a mix of equal parts awe (for how advanced the system looked) and apprehension (for how advanced the system looked).

With the system already rigged I was unable to witness one of the common complaints of the XR – a set-up time that’s longer than the industry norm.

We set out down the road with an 11:1 and ran the system through a number of light tests. Standing with my hands on the wheels I was impressed with the responsive crispness of the XR’s steering.

Anti-Wobbly performance was unlike anything I had experienced before, validating the various reviews that I had read earlier in the day. Pushing the 11:1 beyond 270mm, the XR stripped away all Wobbly, leaving me in a blissful Wobbly-free state of euphoria.

My happy-dust jubilation party-for-one came to a sudden end when I wanted to test a new camera and lens package. The technician went to work. While the process took slightly longer than I’ve come to expect with ground-based anti-Wobbly weapons, it appeared to be far more complex. In an industry where perception counts for a lot, I was left with the feeling that the XR was a complex piece of technology, requiring someone who had a cpu that was a neuronet processor (a learning computer) to set-up and adjust.

Once the new package was set-up we pushed the XR hard and the anti-Wobbly performance and precision steering once again lifted my spirits, moving me towards a vicodin-like state of euphoria.

If you approach the XR with correct expectations - that it is a complex piece of technology and will take slightly longer than other anti-Wobbly weapons to set-up and change mags, lens, etc. and realize that it benefits best from an engineer-in-a-box, then you’ll benefit from the anti-Wobbly performance.

Just like a circus show dog, this puppy can do tricks that no other anti-Wobbly weapon can do. But like a circus show dog, the additional tricks offered come at the cost of additional tlc over less skilled mutts.

As with anything, when expectations aren’t aligned the XR can prove to be a frustrating experience. But with correct expectations, the anti-Wobbly performance of the XR can’t be beat.

Pictorvision was contacted via email to contribute to this article but failed to provide information.

Spurred on by a rightful request from Ron Goodman, a fellow Knight of the Wobbly Table, I have moved the discussion around the Flighthead away from the Spacecam review and have included it in the comments to this post.

For those late to the party I’ll recap the events:

Arthur, who unfortunately shared a fake email address, observed the engaged discussion occurring in the comments to the Spacecam review and, attempting to capitalize on the attention, dropped in a link to some Flighthead demo clips.

The clips of this anti-Wobbly product were appreciated - they’re valuable media in educating users on the capabilities of the Flighthead. I’ll share one clip here:

However, Arthur derailed the Spacecam discussion but planted the seed of an interesting discussion around the Flighthead. As Ron accurately articulated, though, the comments had the potential to be misleading.

With a core mission of cutting through misleading information in an attempt to help cinematographers defeat Wobbly, we’ve responded to Ron’s request and have moved the Flighthead discussion to this post.

Enjoy.

“This anti-Wobbly weapon has seen demand outpace supply, resulting in prices above traditional market rates, as well as availability restrictions.”

This is clue five in Anti-Wobbly Aptitude Test # 2. Previous clues can be found at: Clue One, Clue Two, Clue Three, Clue Four.

While it was defeated in a head-to-head competition by a bowl of Jello, the ensuing controversy over whether or not vodka or gin would yield comparable results continues to go unanswered.

This is clue four in Anti-Wobbly Aptitude Test # 2. Previous clues can be found at: Clue One, Clue Two, Clue Three.

Some background

If the story of Spacecam was told as a motion picture, the tale would follow the traditional Hollywood theme of triumph over adversity.

The initial story would be told through a musical montage, with imagery flashing onto the screen alternatively showing a young Ron Goodman, the passionate inventor pouring his soul into his work, and spinning newspapers providing a sense of passing time.

It’s 1971 and Goodman leaves the company that would later become Wescam to travel to Europe with a Wescam system. Newspapers spin between imagery of Goodman reworking his system. With updated electronics, Goodman markets his Wescam as the X-Mount and newspaper headlines tell the story of anti-Wobbly victories in Europe – Superman I, The Empire Strikes Back, …

Showing an early commitment to technology tweaking that he would later become best known for, Goodman continued to iterate the X-Mount eventually rebranding it as the Spacecam. Spacecam is to aerial photography what BASF is to the rest of us. They don’t invent the core technology – they make the core technology better through trial and error and iterative improvements.

In 1991 Goodman and the Spacecam suffered a crushing-blow. While bravely battling Wobbly on Far and Away a devastating helicopter accident destroyed the only Spacecam. Fortunately both the helicopter pilot and Ron Goodman escaped without serious injury.

Where most people would have called it a day and moved on, Goodman left the accident with a renewed vigor and dedication to aerial cinematography. Over the following 10 years, Goodman not only rebuilt the Spacecam and increased inventory from one to four systems, he also continued to practice his craft as an aerial DoP, working on monster productions like Waterworld.

Living in the larger Wescam’s shadows for most of the 10 years following the crash, Goodman happily played the role of the scrappy underdog. However, he was never distracted from his singular focus of providing quality weapons for defeating Wobbly and constantly tweaked and reworked his systems.

Goodman’s hard work and perseverance paid off – for the past 5 years his Spacecam systems have been the leading weapon against Wobbly.

Goodman has tweaked his mature systems to obtain the highest level of performance that the core technology can provide, even complimenting the products where necessary with accessories that further advance performance beyond the technology’s capabilities.

Today, each Spacecam contains more than just the blood, sweat and tears of Ron Goodman. After years of work, the systems have grown to become an extension of Goodman himself.

My Review

Not being on the tightly controlled approved list at Spacecam, I had to obtain flight time on the sly. A few calls to friends in the industry and I was able to find an approved operator on a Spacecam job willing to let me take a turn at the controls during a “ferry flight.”

The system itself is truly something to behold. It’s a beautiful piece of equipment – almost a work of art. If the Spacecam were a car, it would be meticulously maintained and detailed classic with state-of-the-art performance tires and a brand new honking stereo. The spotless chrome shows nothing of the 25 year old chassis that lies at its core.

We set out on a cold morning at the end of ’06 and after a few lessons from the aerial DoP I soon found myself sitting with my hands on the mounted console. The pilot and I ran through a number of standard aerial shots and I was impressed with the anti-Wobbly performance that the system offered. Pushing the lens to longer focal lengths, the Spacecam handled all of the vibration that the helicopter tried to introduce into the image, producing a quality of shot unmatched in other systems that I’ve flown.

While the steering, complimented by the RAMS mount accessory that was additionally included in the kit, performed better than other aerial systems, it continued to leave something to be desired. I found the steering still moved laterally throughout a shot, in a ghost-like way, and on the whole was not as precise or responsive as I would have liked. While the RAMS mount accessory helped maintain the horizon longer than other aerial systems, the Spacecam eventually succumbed to the same horizon difficulties that plague all current aerial anti-Wobbly products.

The system I tested included the standard Spacecam camera and lens package – a Mitchell Mark II with an Angenieux lens and a 1000’ mag. While the Spacecam faces the same payload constraints as other anti-Wobbly aerial systems, Goodman’s ingenuity has enabled the integration of specialized payloads into the system. With this niche strategy for payload integration, the Spacecam can accept a range of nontraditional payloads – from a DCAM 65 – 15 to a proprietary 65mm-5 perf system.

The test system included Spacecam’s laser auto focus system, an additional accessory that claims to provide precision focusing while on the move. After trying this accessory I found it to be more of a gimmick than anything – setting my focus to near infinity everything I shot remained in focus.

Flying over a football stadium, nearing the end of our flight, I came to the realization that despite its limitations in steering, Goodman had a product to be proud of. Though based on a platform as old as many of its operators, Goodman’s dedication to tweaking has maximized the products performance and has crafted the leading weapon in the aerial anti-Wobbly arsenal.

While some of the accessories do not bring much additional value, others have allowed Goodman to extract an additional smidgen of performance from his systems. If you’re an aerial DoP and are able to get listed on Spacecams list of approved users, I recommend this aerial system for many aerial applications.

Spacecam was contacted by email and phone for comment on this story. Unfortunately due to either the 8 hour time difference or an unwillingness to get involved, we were unable to secure comment.

[update: discussion that was occurring within the comments to this post but on a different anti-Wobbly weapon have been moved here]

“The best analogy … is that the steering is kinda like that of a 1970 Chevy”

Today’s review focuses on a relatively new entrant to the anti-wobbly field, the Scorpio anti-Wobbly weapon.

Some Background

With a home office in Barcelona Spain, Service Vision is an international manufacturer of a variety of high-tech products for the cinema industry. Their anti-Wobbly Scorpio weapon, introduced to the Wobbly battle only a few short years ago, has enjoyed initial success and is receiving positive reviews from those who use it.

Over the past 20 years Service Vision has grown from a small lens repair shop to a supplier of grip, lighting, camera, and remote systems to the cinema industry.

Their foray and growth into the North American market has been guided by Christian Hurley, a well respected and well connected former Techno Crane operator with great experience in the industry.

Built on the foundation and core components of their non-anti-Wobbly Scorpio product, the Scorpio anti-Wobbly weapon has enjoyed a level of familiarity that comes from a large installed user base.

With limited quantities available in the North American market, the anti-Wobbly Scorpio has seen demand outpace supply. This has resulted in prices above traditional market rates, as well as availability restrictions. This is both a testament to the niche that the Scorpio has found in the anti-Wobbly arsenal, and the growing realization among cinematographers that Wobbly is a costly threat to any production.

My Review

Having secured a Scorpio in early March from the US office of All Axis, a rental house providing anti-Wobbly Scorpio’s to the Pacific Northwest, I set out for a long weekend of putting the system through the paces.

It was my first experience with the anti-Wobbly Scorpio, but having used the non-anti-Wobbly Scorpio many times before I found myself immediately comfortable at the controls. The familiarity eased nerves, providing a confidence not generally enjoyed when using an anti-Wobbly product for the first time.

I started out with a light test. Mounting an XL with a 10:1 onto the Scorpio was straight forward and fell within industry norms for anti-Wobbly set-up times. We rigged the Scorpio to a jib arm and ran the system through a number of standard moves. For shorter focal lengths the image quality was pristine and the system felt responsive to my direction. However, as we pushed out on the lens we began to notice small amounts of Wobbly enter the image on aggressive jib movements.

For our advanced test we rigged the Scorpio to the back of a Ford Heavy Duty to test the system on challenging back roads. We ran the system with the same payload as before and were pleasantly surprised with the performance at the wide end of the lens. Up to 80mm the system fought most of the Wobbly that we threw at it, providing clear imagery and responding well to our inputs on the wheels. As we pushed out on the lens the performance degraded on even moderately challenging roads. The Scorpio finally succumbed to Wobbly when we pushed past 120mm and ran it down a gravel road.

On the whole I was pleased with the Scorpio’s performance. I went away from the weekend test optimistic that I can positively recommend this anti-Wobbly weapon for jobs that face mildly challenging environments and remain under ~ 120mm. The instant familiarity provided an unexpected, but appreciated, level of comfort. From a UI perspective I’d like to see them make some improvements. One example is the integration of industry standard wheels to the control system; I struggled to be at home with the proprietary feel of Service Vision’s wheels.

The system on the whole performed similarly to a Libra. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone in the industry as Service Vision’s own website states that their “engineers in Spain [work] to improve on the original” product.

Through Christian’s hard work and strong connections within the industry the Scorpio has enjoyed success in North America. Through some investment and continued improvements the Scorpio will continue to fight Wobbly well and is a welcome compliment to the anti-Wobbly arsenal.

Our request for input and support on the Scorpio article from Christian at Service Vision USA went unanswered. It turns out that the Service Vision website listed an incorrect email address and our email bounced. We contacted Christian at the correct email address, informing him of the incorrect email address and asking for support on this story. Even though there was still no comment and the incorrect email address persists, we remain positive for the Scorpio’s future.

ns. It is our feeling that this situation is both a blessing anulted in rpio anti-Wobbly weapon has enjoyed the benefit of

They once claimed to care about ending Wobbly cinematography. However, we’re no longer sure that’s true.