ABSTRACT
A Steadicam shot is used to preserve the original timing of an actor’s performance in a single take, dynamically reframing the shot’s composition as needed to increase the emotional involvement of the audience or to visually underline a particular aspect of a scene. The fluidity and complexity of the camera’s movement is in itself integral to the narrative point being made, reflecting or commenting in a symbolic way on the nature of the action shown. Steadicam shots can showcase an actor’s performance in real time while simultaneously providing a dramatic emphasis by dynamically reframing the composition. The stabilized motion Steadicam shots are capable of producing means that unlike handheld shots, they do not require using a wide-angle lens to help conceal camera shake. A Steadicam operator can keep subjects in focus by maintaining a predetermined camera to subject distance according to the depth of field being used, making the execution of complicated long takes much easier to accomplish.
