Attire for camera stabilizer equipment at a wedding?

[Nick Weeks]

I shoot weddings mostly, and I normally wear a nice button-down shirt and tie to the ceremony. I'm looking into getting a Glidecam Smooth Shooter, and I was wondering how comfortable it would be in these clothes?

What's the most comfortable clothing to wear to a wedding that's still apropriate, which works well with a glidecam/steadicam/whatever?

[Mikko Wilson]

"if you arrive on the set really pressed out you're going to look like garbage at the end of the third take. On the other hand if you dress like garbage you will look approximately the same at the end of the day."
- The Steadicam Operator's Manual of Style.


Take a read here: http://filmmakerstore.com/steadicm.htm


- Mikko

[Nick Weeks]

Great info there... and a very interesting read. Thanks

[Eric Gan]

Hmm...a tongue-in-cheek, yet informative article. Nick, I'm in the same situation as you. Having just picked up a Smooth Shooter, I can already tell that persperation will be a real problem. I wouldn't wear anything else besides black, or you may find yourself in a tricky situation if you ever take the vest off! Even wearing those sporty clothes with dry-fit material doesn't help that much. The vest material simply isn't very breatheable, so I find that my back gets damp the most (and I normally don't sweat very much).

I guess you could keep the vest on all day even when not using it, but like the article says, that might make you look like an ATF agent ready to bust down some doors. Not very appropriate at a wedding.

I think what I'll end up doing is only using the vest at the photography session. It's probably the best place to use it, since you usually have a lot of room outdoors (weather permitting), and it's more casual. You'll also have some time between the photog session and the reception, at which time you can change into a new shirt.

Well, let me know how it works out for you when you get it.

[Charles Papert]

Amazing to think that the Manual of Style is 25 years old...! Although it's possibly more amazing to think that it was 22 years ago when Ted gave me a copy...

While much has changed, so much is still relevant--and a hearty laugh.

[Richard Lewis]

The most smartly dressed Steadicam Op I have ever seen was at the BBCs' coverage of some Royal ceremony. He was there with white shirt, black tie and suit trousers. Kalssen vest, so it wasn’t so bad, but still...

Count yourself lucky!

Rick.

[Mikko Wilson]

Ok, a bit of a follow up to my original post, which Im' not sure was really that helpfull. Except that everything Ted wrote in that manual is true. At least in part.


Realistically, whatever you wear will end up wrinkled and sweatty after a few mintues in the rig. You best option is to have a change of shirt handy so that when you put down the rig you also change shirts.

You can not have too many shirts on hand on a Steadicam shoot.

Make wsure what you wear is breathable, and in deed doesn't show wear too badly.
A slightly sloose - semi casual - dark short sleved shirt without a tie works ok. If possibel try find something without buttons. A neat t-shirt or 'polo' shirt with a collar shodul work well. Somethign that woudlnt' be out of place at a game of tennis or golf - but in a dark color.

Also having a small towel on hand is a good idea to help clean up a little when you change shirts.

- mikko

[Terry Thompson]

Having shot weddings using a rig I decided to go with basic black. This is for a couple of reasons.

1. It doesn't show persperation as easily
2. It doesn't stand out as much as a white shirt so people are more likely to look at the bride than you. It's hard to be invisable with a stabilization system.

Mikko's suggestion to have more than one shirt is capital.

Terry
Indicam