We are in the midst of  modifying our equipment inventory, and are pleased to offer a number of Steadicam accessories for sale. We have numerous accessories for broadcast, film and video cameras available, and the list will be updated regularly. Check out our ebay store at http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/steadifacilities

Our friends and colleagues at Indivisual (www.indivisual.co.uk) are pleased to offer for sale their SD-SDI PPU with 4 camera channels (2 x Sony DXC-D50 & 2 x DXC-D35). We have utilised this PPU on many of our live events and corporate work and can testify as to its quality. Centred around the Grass Valley Indigo Vision Mixer, the system offers huge potential for all Live Events, including awards ceremonies, music festivals and conferences. Click this link to see the listing.

Indivisual also have for sale an SDI RF Camera link system. Manufactured by Cobham and available through VideoSys (http://www.videosys.org), the Domo Solo 4 TX / RX system is fitted with the SDI board and makes for an excellent RF camera add-on for the above PPU, or any camera system. Having been used for minicams onboard cars at Top Gear Live, for point-to-point links for British Cycling, and for a handheld camera in Regents Park, London – successfully completing the entire length of the park with no drop-out or break-up – we can also heartily recommend this product. Contact Jonathan at jb@indivisual.co.uk / 07970924293.

Steadi Facilities have recently provided an RF camera for the two-day Spring/Summer Fashion Show event at the Trafford Centre, Manchester.

Using our Boxx Meridian Outside Broadcast kit, we provided coverage on both upper and lower levels of the shopping malls. The fashion shows themselves were viral ‘pop-up’ style events, interacting with shoppers and retailers, with dance routines designed to show off the latest styles.

Pictures from the RF camera went back to our OB receiver, and set to the gallery via our triax-coax adapter kit, which allows us to use triax cable as a conventional video line for SDI or composite. The Trafford Centre has 14 triax points which were built into the centre when it was constructed, upto the gallery at the top of the building. From there, fiber links send pictures to the Big Screen, which is an LED wall in the Orient section. Our triax-coax adapters allow us to use the installed cabling, and avoid the need for lengthly cable runs in public areas, and our RF kit allowed us to broadcast images from inside stores and out on the malls.

Celtic v. Kilmarnock Scottish Cup Final

In March, Jason Torbitt operated Steadicam, with assistant / Focus Puller Jonathan Galione, for the BBC’s coverage of the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park, live on BBC 1 Scotland.

The match between Celtic and Kilmarnock, produced a surprise result for many, with Kilmarnock winning the game 1-0 thanks to a goal in the 82^nd minute from Van Tournhout, which avoided the need for possible extra time and penalties.

We were one of two Steadicams for the match (the other being John Richards with Max McNally Focus Pulling) and our coverage included teams out, managers handshake, touchline coverage during the match. After the match, whilst the other Steadicam was used for post-match interviews, our Steadicam coverage on the pitch continued with celebrations, trophy presentation and the iconic trophy lift.

The match was broadcast live on BBC1 Scotland, and as a part of ‘Sportscene’, with our work also broadcast in news reports and on other sports channels, both in the UK and internationally, as the BBC was also operating as host broadcaster, with a clean feed TX being provided to other broadcasters.

You can watch two highlights videos from the BBC at the following link:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17330246

(the first video being a match highlights, and the second video further down the page being a highlights of the post-match celebrations, and our coverage of the trophy lift)

Steadi Facilities Cameras & Vision were on location in Geneva for the 2012 Motorshow in March. We supplied a 24ft Jimmy Jib Camera Crane to our client as a part of the multicamera mix for Hyundai.

The press conference, held to launch the i-oniqe and i-30 models, was held on the opening day of the Motorshow.

The Jimmy Jib was used for the ‘reveal’ sequences, when the cars were unveiled to the press and photographers, plus transitional moves to link sequences across the stage.

The full press conference and launch can be viewed on the Steadi Facilities YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/steadifacilities  and clicking through to our Favourites.

When operating in 24ft ‘Super Plus’ mode, we use a 2-man crew, with a Remote Head Operator (For Geneva, Jonathan Galione) controlling pan, tilt, zoom and focus, and Grip (For Geneva, Chris Johnson-Standley) controlling the motion of the crane.

For more details about our Jimmy Jib, visit the dedicated page on our website at:
http://www.steadicam-facilities.co.uk/services-cameras-and-vision.php?services_id=38#content

Steadi Facilities Cameras & Vision has provided its sister company IVTV with a kit and crew solution for a recent ‘Live at the Apollo’ production at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. The production, covering the last two nights of comedian Omid Djalili’s tour, will form a DVD release.

IVTV was contracted to provide full Vision facilities, utilising their new HD2 OB Unit. Steadi Facilities Cameras & Vision provided camera kit and crew.

Camera coverage comprised an 8 camera HD mix with Sony HDC-100s:
6 x tripod mounts
2 x HJ40 long lenses
2 x HJ11 Wide Angle lenses for handheld cameras
1 x HD-SDI RF Link for beauty shot camera
650 metres of triax cable in total allowed for all cameras to be fully engineered.

All cameras were fed into IVTV’s  HD2 OB Unit, the hub of which is their new BlackMagic HD Switcher, which offers 16 HD-SDI inputs and a range of keying and FX options, plus stills store.

All cameras were iso recorded, plus two TX records, which were all captured directly onto hard drives in Apple ProRes, utilising IVTV’s rack of 10 Atomos Samurai decks.

Cameras were racked using scopes fed to HD-SDI engineering monitors, and audio was mixed on a 16-channel desk incorporating both house audio and IVTV atmos microphones to capture the full environment inside the Apollo.

Comms were all switched via the IVTV matrix, and included lines to cameras, via CCUs and triax, plus radio comms integration for Floor Managers working inside the venue.

Jason Torbitt looked after the project as Camera Supervisor. Our crew included:
6 x Camera Operators
1 x Camera Assistant

To see more about our sister company, IVTV, take a look at the website at www.ivtv.co.uk

At Steadi Facilities, we have our own range of tracking systems, including our unique Steadi Tracker Motorbike, ideal for marathon coverage, and also Steadi Tracker Segway (Handsfree Transporter) – ideal for numerous applications. We also have facility for Quad Bike mounting, which allows us to keep pace with motor vehicles and allows for high speed tracking.

In partnership with our friends at FlyKa, we now offer the FlyKa Electric Dolly as a tracking solution for Steadicam. Its incredibly quiet noise profile makes it ideal for sound recordists and live events alike, and its durability and flexibility make it the perfect solution for longer takes.

The rig can be mounted in regular or low mode,  at the front or rear of the FlyKa. It can also be soft mounted (i.e. worn by the operator) or hard mounted onto the Flyka via our Steadicam Hard Mount / Vehicle mount. This allows for numerous options including step-on / step-off potential for long takes…ideal for drama. Steadi Facilities Ltd will be continuing to work with FlyKa in the future as the vehicles are developed further.

For further details, please see the FlyKa website at www.flyka.tv

In January, the Steadi Facilities Cameras & Vision team were on location in London. We supplied a 6-man crew, to include both PSC and Live Events camera crew, plus Steadicam Operator, Rig and 1 x SDI RF Camera channel with comms.

The event, over 3 days in central London, was a high profile conference for a blue chip pharmaceutical company. Cameras, via a PPU, provided part of the screen content which was fed through a multi-projector blend and a Spyder system.

Demonstrating the flexibility of Steadicam, in my latest day working on ‘The Syndicate’ (new BBC1 drama, Dir: Kay Mellor, DP: David Odd BSC) we had the rig in super-post low mode, hard mounted to a Quad Bike.

We were tracking a Porsche 911 at speed, from a standing start, and preceding the car as it was used as a getaway vehicle, in a Leeds city centre shoot. We managed to achieve a shot at just over 1 foot from ground level as we accelerated away.  The results were dynamic, to say the least!

Further improving our service, in addition to our trusty VW Transporter 1.9TDI van, we also now have a second crew vehicle – a Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI. With massive loadspace and generous legroom for the crew in the back, it’s the perfect vehicle to get our camera crew to where they need to be, in comfort.

With the sheer amount of loadspace available, we can also travel the whole Steadicam rig and RF Kit in the car, which facilitates many of our larger productions of late, which in some cases have meant multiple Steadicam rigs, or Steadicam and Jimmy Jib.

With these improvements to our transport arrangements, our future work will benefit greatly.

Our Jimmy Jib Camera Crane can cover an arm reach of anywhere from 6ft to 40ft. Since its purchase early in 2011, we have covered Athletics Track Events at Bedford, Half Marathons in Reading and Bristol, the City & Guilds Awards show in London, Will Young live in Manchester and Fashion Shows and Fireworks at the Trafford Centre in Manchester.

In addition to myself, we also have Jon and Chris on our crew who are fully trained with the Jib. We always work as a 2-man crew, for Health & Safety and efficiency of operation. We have a full kit with remote capabilities. This means that the Jib operation can be a one man job, with the Operator in control of all Jib movement and control, with the assistant concentrating on crowd safety with the Jib arm – or the operation can be split into a Hot Head Operator and a Grip – which can be useful for longer arm lengths, and for quick paced movement of the arm.

Rates are quoted per production – if you think we can help, let us know!