One of the most consistent issues for filmmakers --especially those that travel a lot-- is hauling around a lot of heavy gear (and for those of us on a budget, affording the gear we want to make great looking images). There have been some developments in making equipment more compact and cheaper, but this concept rig from designer Grant Parrinello, promises "a steadicam, boom camera (for high shots), a glide track (for smooth pan and push shots), a shoulder mount, and a tripod all into one compact, low cost product."
From left to right: boom, steadicam, and shoulder mount configurations
Dolly configuration
There are a lot of great design elements in the Indieshot, but I think it needs a few improvements before its ready for prime time:
1. Rubber Grips
The CG models suggest that most of the rig is made out of smooth metal parts. There need to be rubber grips on one side of the straight bars, otherwise the steadicam, boom, and shoulder mount configurations are going to be a hand slipping nightmare.
2. A 3rd Bar Section
To me the shoulder mount seems a bit awkward, and would benefit from a third bar that the other two bars could be mounted to, creating a more stable handlebar configuration. This would also be useful in the steadicam set up by adding the ability to refine your weight distribution, which brings me to...
3. Additional Weights
Unless the wheels are also metal (or filled with lead), I don't see them being very useful in balancing a DSLR on a steadicam rig, especially if you're going to use a variety of different lenses. I think that modular weights are the only way to go here.
4. A Tripod Configuration
The one image I couldn't find on Parrinello's website was a demonstration of the tripod set up he mentioned. It could be that this aspect of the rig is still in development, in which case I hope he plans on adding a tripod head that's capable of tilting and panning, otherwise this set up won't be very useful.
What do you think of the Indieshot design thus far? Does it look like something that would be a useful addition to your kit?
Link: Grant Parrinello Design - Indieshot
Via: [Wide Open Camera]
