The secret of Steadicam dynamic balance

Super useful technique refined by Tyson Galland to get faster to dynamic balance.
For a much better overall explanation on dynamic balance check Chris' video:
• Steadicam Dynamic Bala...
#steadicamoperator

[@PauloFranciscopaulofrann]

Very Nice!! Love it!!! I gotta play with one one of these days... Best of luck Aline! You're doing a terrific job!!!

[@juniorloiola1876]

Que sensacional!!! Vou usar o método facilmente no próximo setup!!! Obrigado Aline e Tyson!!!

[@cristinakike]

Sensacional Aline!! Obrigada!

[@davivalentefoto]

Aline, parabéns pelo canal, alto astral e e compartilhar conhecimento com entusiasmo!! Continue com os vídeos!! Abração

[@patrickmiyaoka]

Melhor conteúdo de Steadi! 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀

[@LocksleyLennoxfilms]

Great information.

[@SteadiRed]

great tip!

[@tiagosilva-ph8gr]

Boa dica. Já o fazia por intuição mas nunca tinha parado para pensar como. obrgd

[@flaviogrutt__]

Muito legal, Aline! Obrigado por compartilhar informação

[@andyvan5692]

a good video, but think of it this way, to time a grandfather clock, you wind the spring, or raise the weights, and adjust the ball at the bottom, this keeps things "in time", the steadycan is just that!, a pendullum, but with two masses, one on each end, and the bottom has the most distance to the pivot point (the clip to the vest) so more can be done at this end, and the rack movement of the camera is a "fine tune"

[@colinhudson1870]

I’m so happy it was described that succinctly. And yes that’s the right way! I somehow got to go to GPI on a Saturday morning only a few months after I bought my rig and george paddock went out of his way to teach us this simplest method of getting a dynamic balance. “Mass always goes uphill”. That was the year of ‘97. Sheepishly I would have kept that a secret. But george taught a few of us in ‘97. And I’ve always wondered why no one talked about that until now. But please give george paddock at least some of the credit!

[@BA-AB]

Absolutely! I own a GPI vest and love it... I wasn't super clear, but the actual "secret tip" is just choosing to move bottom mass first. The way of regular dynamic balance as we all do, was figured out in 1988, a "bit" after the invention of Steadicam. And they (Garrett and Jerry) used to teach us "choose one side to start, there's a 50% chance you'll get the right one"

[@sportyjen62]

what do you mean mass always goes uphill? If the base is tilting then the mass needs to move in the opposite direction?

[@goodvibesstudio_]

HI Aline, great video ! Do you have some tips for dynamic balance in low mode ?

[@BA-AB]

Same same. Now choose your drop time with cg above gimbal, (while camera is up), or below (camera down), and move bottom mass (now camera). And all that if you’re not using volt of course. With Volt you balance it neutral. But if I have time I also balance it with drop time just to get a better dynamic - before I go neutral and turn volt on.

[@TheDman510]

Could you tell us what is the steadicam used in the video?

[@BA-AB]

This is Tiffen's M2 🙂

[@GUILLERMO.NESPOlO]

I think that if balance like this , a filter it’s added , lens it’s change your dinamic balance it’s off . Even worst if the director ask u to go pointing up or down also is of your dinamic balance if u don’t have that top stage

[@BA-AB]

Absolutely, that's why we rebalance in between camera changes, and learn tips like these to always be faster ;)

[@ohmss006]

Nice video. But just letting you know, this method of Dynamic Balance is actually described in The Steadicam Operator's Handbook. 🙂 It is stated that you first Statically balance the rig and then move onto Dynamic balancing 👍

[@BA-AB]

Yes, it is. As I mention in the video, "the secret" is only "think bottom mass first" after realizing which side to start from where camera tilts up first. That detail is what made it much faster and in the book (and workshops that I totally love and been in countless of them), Jerry teaches that there's 50/50% chance to get it right, so just choose whatever side first (front to back). It's just something to make it faster, that's all. And I'm glad we're all doing it ;)

[@CarterDawson]

that a7 could balance on my first $50 glide cam lol

[@BA-AB]

Absolutely! That’s why there are two weight plates plus extra 1pounders all over it!😊

[@mr.m.6666]

I learned this when training for flying airplanes... CENTER OF GRAVITY Every pilot does this before a flight...or they should.