Edition 2002 #2

The HYDRO GYRO, recognized as the best stabilization head for filming on the world’s oceans, is now being used on a multitude of vehicles from camera cars to snowmobiles, quad bikes and Hummers. The latest venues have included the streets of Los Angeles, the desserts of Nevada and the ski slopes of Colorado. With the horizons widening we were continually asked; “Why is it called the HYDRO GYRO?” Simple, it was built for use on the water. But with its ability to provide perfect stabilization for land, sea and air applications, the HYDRO GYRO is getting a new name to reflect it’s versatility. The new name is “PERFECT HORIZON Stabilization Head”.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

If you were cruising the streets of Los Angeles, you might have seen Lumination Productions filming a saucy new red Honda CR-V. Lumination’s DP,  Toshiaki Ishide from Japan, choose the PERFECT HORIZON to smooth out the road and level the horizon. Shooting from a Shotmaker camera truck traversing the hilly sections of downtown L.A., the PERFECT HORIZON stabilized the camera while allowing Ishide to operate the camera, hands on and with his eye to the eyepiece. Shotmaker’s 20 year veteran driver, Leo Landa, was very impressed with the PERFECT HORIZON’s fast set-up time and steady shooting capabilities as he viewed his driver’s monitor. When a change of camera position was called for, the PERFECT HORIZON was re-mounted to a new location on the Shotmaker’s speed rails within minutes. The PERFECT HORIZON’s Mitchell plate makes position changes fast. No other stabilized head gives the camera operator the flexibility to shoot hands on, use either the eye piece or a monitor, and change camera positions in minutes.

RSA/Nike dominates ski slopes with PERFECT HORIZON

Director Jake Scott’s beautifully shot spot for Nike included the use of the PERFECT HORIZON to capture images of Picabo Street blasting down the slopes at Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The PERFECT HORIZON with its light weight of only 30 lbs., was mounted on the back of a snowmobile and carried the Doggie Cam remote controlled Sparrow Head. High speeds over the rough snow pack were not a problem as Picabo streaked downward flanked by the camera rigged snowmobile.

TECH TALK

The day after the RSA shoot, I did my own filming. I wanted to shoot a snowboarder doing tricks in the half pipe. As a director/cameraman, I decided to sit behind the driver and shoot backwards to  capture the action. Without a grip truck (the RSA truck had headed home) my set-up needed to be simple using only equipment found around the Snowcat maintenance shed. I bolted the PERFECT HORIZON to a Caterpillar snow plow blade – yep, you read that correct; it was a rectangular piece of steel, 8” wide x ¾” thick  x 36” long. The steel blade was ratchet strapped across the back of the snowmobile with a couple small inner tubes sandwiched between it and snowmobile frame. The result was a simple shock absorbing system that removed the snowmobile’s engine vibration as well as shock from moguls and snow ruts. The footage was incredibly smooth as I shot freestyle tricks through the half pipe.

The next set up was a high speed chase scene with the snowboarder pursued by a 2^nd snowmobile.  Sitting backwards on the snowmobile allowed me to direct and shoot with the snowboarder and pursuit snowmobile tracking only a few feet away. The ride was exhilarating and the shots quite appropriate for James Bond. The small size of the PERFECT HORIZON provided the freedom to mount it where no other stabilized head could fit.

So use your imagination. Use the PERFECT HORIZON to shoot the most radical of shots.  If you are in the neighborhood, stop by our office to have a look.