Slow and "steady" wins the race

Before 1976, the film industry generally had two options when filming a moving or “tracking” shot. Either set up a dolly and track, or play it “hand-held” and hire the steadiest camera operator you can find.

Often times, however, these methods proved costly in both time and money (laying and leveling dolly tracks on uneven ground is not exactly a party) and the results were shaky at best even in the hands of the most stable cameraman.

Fortunately, the tide turned in 1976 when the industry found itself face to face with an innovative piece of equipment called the Steadicam. Today, a registered trademark of Tiffen, the Steadicam—originally the “Brown Stabilizer,” named for its inventor, cameraman Garrett Brown—is a stabilizing camera mount. Consisting of a harness by which an iso-elastic armature is attached, the Steadicam isolates the operator’s movement from the camera and absorbs the shock of jerks and shakes when moving over inconsistent terrain.

Combining the uninterrupted motion of a dolly and the versatility of hand-held work while preserving stable footage capture meant a new age for camerawork. From George Lucas’ “Return of the Jedi" to Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas," the Steadicam has since become an industry staple.

In Joe Wright’s “Atonement,” nominated for a 2007 Academy Award in best cinematography, an impressive five minutes and five seconds Steadicam shot effectively and poignantly conveys the personal hopelessness and waste of war on Dunkirk’s shores in World War II.