VOTD: The Art Of Steadicam

Garrett Brown operating Steadicam on Stanley Kubrick's The ShiningRefocused Media compiled a video celebrating the great Steadicam tracking (or Steadicam on a crane) shots of classic movies. The supercut features almost 40 films (from Stanley Kubrick to Paul Thomas Anderson) and a couple tracking shots from television (yes, The West Wing). Larry Wright explains The Art of Steadicam video edit:

These sequences are accomplished using a Steadicam, which is essentially a balanced stabilizer that allows for smoother and more easily controlled handheld camera operation. Invented by Garrett Brown in the early 70?s, the steadicam shot — or 'steadishot' — has become one of the most dynamic and exciting forms of cinematography and is one of the most engaging visual techniques in a filmmaker's storytelling arsenal. I was inspired to make this homage to the art of steadicam cinematography when browsing the database of "top" clips over at steadishots.org, which are rated by the community. After locating what sources I could from the top 50 or so, I decided to stick with the order presented on the site (accurate as of March 1, 2013).

Watch The Art Of Steadicam video embedded after the jump.

The Art Of Steadicam

Music tracks (in order):

  • Alt-J – Tessellate
  • The Black Keys – Little Black Submarine
  • Apparat – Ash/Black Veil
  • List of clips (in order of post-intro appearance):

  • Kill Bill Vol. 1
  • Atonement
  • Eyes Wide Shut
  • Artificial Intelligence: AI
  • ER: Season 4, Ep. 20
  • The X-Files: Season 6, Ep. 03
  • Raising Cain
  • Pride & Prejudice
  • Boogie Nights
  • Doom
  • Point Break
  • Pulp Fiction
  • Werckmeister Harmonies
  • Outpost 11
  • After Hours
  • Much Ado About Nothing
  • Marathon Man
  • Carlito's Way
  • Goodfellas
  • Rocky
  • Michael Clayton
  • The Peacemaker
  • The West Wing: Season 1, Ep. 04
  • The Birdcage
  • Flightplan
  • Donnie Darko
  • Good Night and Good Luck
  • The Doors
  • Before Sunset
  • The Shining
  • Thank You For Smoking
  • The West Wing: Season 1, Ep. 10
  • The Protector
  • Two Days in the Valley
  • Pride & Prejudice
  • The Mighty Quinn
  • Serenity
  • Eyes Wide Shut
  • Fight Club
  • Full Metal Jacket
  • Full Metal Jacket
  • Malcolm X
  • The Shining
  • The Shining