im a 22 year steadicam operator. i was taught by GB himself. shining was my fave movie due to the steadicam. the low mode bracket was designed to invert the steadicam upside down so the camera lens could get down to that tricycle.
@@HotTakeAndy not only drones but the ronin is used as well. its due to lower budgets and too many steadicam ops. the market is flooded with folks with little experience saying they will do a job for much less than a seasoned steadicam op. im not upset or anything about it. does not bother me. hey im even a part 107 sUAV (drone) op and im also doing drone shots for college sports for TNT as well. by doing this, im alsop taking a cut from the blimp ops who would have done this ( but for a much higher cost). you have to adapt..
@@marctronixxHey mate, I'm just curious what kinda drones do ya use? I imagine different drones for different jobs. I flew FPV racing drones for a few years (haven't for awhile now) so just curious if ya use racing drones at all as I see they're being used a bit for car chase scenes and other kinda high speed action scenes and to film action sports like mountain biking, snowboarding, motorbike racing/ freestyle, rally cars etc. They've really taken off (pun intended haha) for filming. And curious if you use any standard consumer drones like any of the DJI models?
@@28russ mate, I have 3: DJI Inspire 2, Inspire 3, and a dutch designed acecore neo for heavy payloads ( arri ). ive not used those race drones but they produce wicked visuals! i used to have a skydio ( and various smaller DJI drones like the phantom and mavic) but never really got into it as the camera was not able to capture the quality i needed. my hat's off to you for being able to fly those fpv racing drones! there's even competition games for them!!!
@@InCinematic Yes, but the length of the shots on The Shining betrayed the absence of rails. We viewers could see that there weren't rails--that made them even creepier.
@@ToddMikosh Well, you can also lay down sheets of Masonite. Picture the crew throwing down sheets of Masonite just in front of the dolly like a bucket brigade as the dolly chased Danny. 😂
Well now you know. There’s various tricks for smoothing out a handheld camera that were used before the invention of the Steadicam but they all have drawbacks, not to mention the ergonomic toll they take on the camera operator. Some use a faux-gyro stabilization. If you go further to get true gyro stabilization, you’ve basically invented the steadicam (although you’d still need to invent the vest that provides the resting point for the spin axis, not to mention improving the ergonomics for the operator*). *Operators still suffer from strains and injuries (typically back and knee issues) from carrying the weight of the camera and rig, but the weight is better distributed by the vest/harness.
@@ToddMikoshTo be fair, the super long tracking shots in Das Boot were less Steady than the Danny shots iirc, but still less Wobbly than the ones like 0:27. 😮
When Kubrick first saw the demo, he contacted Garret Brown right away and told him that he was interested in using his machine for a film. He also told him that he should rush with getting a patent for it, because it was possible to deduce how the steadycam system worked from its shadow on the ground as it appeared in parts of the demo.
Kubrick went through the demo film frame by frame then sent a letter to the guy saying that the shadow of the rig could be seen for A SINGLE FRAME! He cut that frame and rereleased it.
The smoothness of the shot of Dany riding his tricycle throughout the hotel’s hallways was one of those scenes I immediately took notice of on my first try, there’s something so mesmerizing about it. This movie just holds up so well still, nearly 45 years later.
My family lived next door to a camera man for the local news station when this movie came out. I was a teen ager and he was in his early 20's. When I mentioned "how cool" The Shining was to him, he told me he was blown away by the camera work more than the dialog or anything else.
If i remember correctly, "Halloween" (1978) spent almost its entire budget on a steadycam. A film about Halloween had literally 3 pumpkins in it and 1 was used for the opening. Some of this die to that it was actually filmed not in the Fall but also the the budget for everything else was so small in an already small movie. The steady cam being such a new invention it was expensive at the time but absolutely worth it for the feel of that film.
My college friend and roommate Karl Hawk built a steadicam for the student films we made in the early 1980s. Worked beautifully, too. Steadicams were still kind of an arcane technology when Karl built his first one in 1983 or 84, and the effect floored audiences when he'd show those movie during student film festivals.
It's brilliance is not only due to the use of a unnatural steady camera, it is also because of the acting, the frightening imagery and the hotel's impossible lay out, amongst several other things. But I really do appreciate you highlighting, exploring, and analyzing this aspect of it's brilliance and explaining it to us. Thanks!
@@InCinematiclots of great directors make good art with the camera, but Kubrick was one of a few who aimed to change the way we viewed cinema as an art form.
It definitely helps that Kubrick was a photographer in the past. It helped give him a unique perspective on the way cinematography works and how it can be implemented. That, along with Garrett Brown’s use of the Steadicam, made The Shining look and feel so different. Even watching it now, it still stands out.
@@sylviaisgod6947 Thank you for this... I understand language changes but this is such an annoying trend! But props to OP saying must have instead of must of.
Garret Brown looks and sounds kinda like James Cameron. I wonder if anyone has asked if they were brothers ever. It's Kinda amazing that they both revolutionized camera technology in their own ways as well, so many similarities, it's uncanny
When I first saw this movie, 1980 or 81, I was instantly struck at very beginning with the follow shot of the car going through the tunnel. I had never before seen such a coherent shot made aerially.
Yeah, and now directors intentionally use shaky cam to try to convey movement and intensity. But really it's just awful to watch. It's a crutch. I don't watch anything with shaky cam.
This is an awful take. Granted there are many uses of shaky cam that are gratuitous and unnecessary, but there are many others which are fantastic. Time to open your brain back up.
@@Johnfisher12345 Unnecessary and gratuitous is specifically what I'm referring to. I'm not suggesting all camera work should be perfectly stable. But there are many directors obviously using it as a crutch to cover up what would otherwise be boring to watch. Good use of camera shake is measured, strategic, and balanced. Such as alternating between shaky and steady shots. Poor use of shaky cam is constant and unrelenting. And no, I don't think I'm missing anything by skipping movies with gratuitous shaky cam. They are pretty much always bad movies.
Love the buildup with Dick Halloran and the One Light that is on above his head when Jack swings the Axe. Truly Terrifying Scene among so many unforgettable scenes. A brilliant Film by Kubrick. Still love to watch it and find new little treasures every time.
@@wizardsuth Yes, but apparently Kubrick and his co-writer felt they needed a murder to make it a true horror movie, and to make sure Stephen King knew it wasn’t going to be a copy of his book.
Dude I didn’t even consider that these shots would have been impossible until now - but you’re totally right. Stabilisation has come so far and so quickly
Reading a book shows the possibilities of the film. Think that helps support the fact Kubrick didn’t adapt a novel per se but used it as the starting point for where he took the film.
I think what the steady cam essentially does is make sure that the viewer isn't made aware of the act of filming, making the scene as immersive as possible. I wouldn't read anything further into it. The scenes aren't scary because the camera is smooth. They're scary because the smooth camera is capturing the scariness created by Kubrick without any distracting camera shake.
Its weird cos the backrooms is an online hit, so much so, the main creator is making a film with A24 studios. They went right back to handheld in those horror shorts.
Correct. The human eye and head work together to provide a degree of steadiness in our field of vision. That's what allows us to focus on things. So, yes, the steadicam makes it easier for the brain to stay focused on the subject matter being filmed. Thus, it's easy to become immersed in the horror of it all. Like the video mentioned, the center-framing is perfect, and without steadicam, the scenes wouldn't have had quite the impact. The eerie unease just wouldn't be there.
@@RegularCupOfJoe Yea it goes with this film, the isolation, the slow burn, the steady build of jack being possessed... That all went out the window for Clockwork', some crazy iiratic shots which go great with the movies themes.
In many films the presence of camera artifacts such as shaking and lens flares detract from the immersion. One notable exception is _Firefly_ in which they were deliberately added to CGI shots, enhancing the realism by making them look as though the scenes were filmed with physical cameras.
we had two steadicams on the soap-opera I worked on in the 80s. life-savers... if you ran out of time to block & shoot a scene with the usual wide/matching two-shots/matching close-ups strategy, you could light for the wide (with some caveats) then make some changes to the blocking & then thread the camera in amongst. when GB (or one of his people) came to see what we were doing with the mk1, & to do some training, he was horrified to see a cable attached to the camera. well, it's a video camera... of course! so we had developed our own way of using it, with the cable fastened a certain way & an assistant keeping it clear of the cameraman's feet. we did reverse-scan mods for some shots too, & a fair bit of under-slung. fun-fact- the mk1 had a valve (tube) in its power supply. something absurd like 30kV on the green c.r.t. so it would be visible in daylight.
I knew that the steady cam was used in it. I didn’t realize it was used that much. The big wheel scenes when he’s turning the corner it makes your head try to look around it. Pretty weird feeling. Btw my favorite horror movie.
Nice video! Two tiny factual corrections: the “30 Impossible Shots” reel was distributed in 1974, not 1976--Kubrick’s telex in response to the reel was dated November '74. And, Garrett didn’t have to be “flown out” to Philadelphia to work on Rocky, as he already lived there! There are also a number of moving shots included that were actually done on dolly (the two from 4:49 to 4:55 for instance). Regardless, anything celebrating GB's groundbreaking work on The Shining is a good thing!
@@InCinematic It's not easy! Because of Kubrick's insistence on doing so many takes, GB had the opportunity to improve his operating technique so that many of the shots are all but indistinguishable from dolly moves, so you really have to look close to find the "tells". A few others that are dolly: 2:06, 2:48, 3:01. .
Amazing to think how technology has evolved: we can now purchase a stabilizer for smartphone for around 100 Euros and there you go, you have a steadycam and can shoot a movie with your smartphone!
This is clear to people who make films, but I think it's less obviously impressive to the audience. Our brain naturally smooths our visual inputs, especially for motions we are making ourselves like walking or running. The steadicam is a more natural POV, and the handheld look is an artifact -- the technology of the steadicam cancels out the limitations of a bouncy camera. Steadicam immerses us, and hand-held can remind us that we're watching a film (or add the chaotic feel of truly violent motion where wanted). I think that for the general audience it's that sense of immersion that adds fear. The smooth motion doesn't feel unnatural or weird to them, but rather organic and transparent, like you'd see it if you were following the characters without technology. tl;dr: The tech and craft are impressive. The effect on a naive audience is actually to immerse them in the movement, rather than feeling odd or uneasy.
Its like we're silently following the characters around the hotel like ghosts. The Shining is one of the first horror movies I saw that stuck with me and something about the orange carpets gave me the creeps.
The Cuban/Russian made Film "Soy Cuba!" from 1961 still has the most breathtaking, uninterrupted shots. It all culminates in this unbelievable funeral procession, where the camera first moves through the procession, then flies upwards past facades, balconies with people throwing flowers. It then moves to the adjacent house, enters a cigarette factory and ultimately moves through the window and flies OVER the procession. All in an uninterrupted, gliding motion. (famous scenes and the whole movie are on TH-cam).
I think this is before digital, so I always wondered if a human being typed those dozens of papers on the desk with the “Makes Jack a dull boy” in different patterns.
4:17 is such a creepy image, and it's hard to explain exactly why. The empty space at the top of the frame, the distance from the girls, the stillness of everything, it feels like one of those early internet screamer pictures
There is actually a lot more about this shot that you didn’t even mention. Most of this film was shot inside a small English studio, they didn’t actually have enough space to create the entire layout that Danny rides around. So, he begins makes a few turns and arrives back at the beginning again BUT in the time that he was gone (a mere few seconds) they moved all of the set decoration away to make it appear he was at the second floor at the top of the balcony. He then turns and continues down the hall. Where the numbers are different (only because the doors had been literally flipped around quickly while he was around the corner). This scene was nearly impossible to shoot on the set they shot it on. If you look at the actual size of the set- it would baffle you.
Steadycam has saved a lot of time in film making. The Longest Day had a beautiful shot on the beach of Normandy, but briefly you can see the shadow of the camera and the operator in the smoke. It's obvious that they had to build a rail for that shot, but I've often wondered how different old movies would be if they had a steadycam. It's not always for the best, I guess, the static shots of the black and white era somehow make that one scene really stand out in that movie.
This is definitely something that is hard to appreciate without context and how filming was like at the time. Nowadays, steadycam is used in almost every single shot and it seems like anything outside of that is a stylistic choice. It sounds like using steadycam in this film at this particular time was a stylistic choice. Funny how times change.
The coolest part is that the average moviegoer doesn't even know its being used. The technology simply disappears and they're sucked into the film without being distracted by a shaky picture. It feels as if you're *THERE;* as if you're a *part* of the shot. And that makes _The Shining,_ in particular, so much more terrifying than it would otherwise be. That's the genius of this invention.
most Kubrick's shots are very "geometric". they remind me of renaissance paintings. that, combined with his propensity to put light sources inside the frame, makes his films look so striking.
The tracking shot following Danny as he go-karts through the hotel really unnerved me as a child when I watched the trailer. I told my missus about it and showed her but she just shrugged her shoulders as if to say, that's not scary. So I got our ten year old and let her watch the trailer from 40 years ago. She told me she'd never sleep again.
I had a bunch of nightmares last night and just wanted to add; that movement is very similar. Where I was detached at first and then slowly getting closer (floating) to a place I don't want to be involved in.
Amazing, and yet the one thing I remember the most is being completely cheesed off, seeing the shadow of the helicopter that was filming the intro... completely baffling.
The steadycam is something amazing. I wish way more directors would make use of it. Another thing i really dislike is when there are too many, too quick cuts. So annoying.
I invented a different kind of steady-cam in the late 70's that had the same effect, especially running up and down stairs. It was a bowling ball on the end of a broom stick and a 1/4-20 screw on the other end. Camera goes on the screw, hold the stick in the middle and just twist or tilt for slow, rock solid movement.
I recall way way back when the film Marathon Man was released reading about how the use of the Steadicam allowed for many of the running shots that otherwise would have been impossible. The article said the Steadicam was the game changer that enabled the film to be made. If I recall correctly it said this was the either the first or second film to use the new technology.
Interesting! I watched this on the big screen theater in 1980 the day before my daughter was born. I am also a photographer and videographer who never realized WHY that movie had this eerie quality and this explains it best. That and Jack finding out in the bathroom there is a person trying to inject himself into this... situation. Did you know that sir?
As good as the film still is, people just can't fathom what it was like being in a theater seeing some new visual for the first time. Whether that's the effects in Star Wars (1977), the liquid metal T-1000 robot in Terminator 2, or the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, there is a subconscious realization that your eyes and brain have never seen such a thing before. That was the case with the steady cam shots in The Shining, which set it far, far apart visually at that point in time. Now.... well we are all totally conditioned to the point nothing we see on a screen is very impressive at all visually. Especially the younger generations that have grown up inundated in this CGI era. Now with AI... even worse.
I think the handheld fight scene looks good because it makes you feel like you're there walking up to the people fighting. It wouldn't have worked as well for following the tricycle in The Shining.
What scene in the Shining is your favorite? I'm partial to the reb bathroom myself.
Wendy seeing the putrid skeleton in the hotel
@@behelit1997 When Jack is giving the speech while backing Wendy up the steps
I second the bathroom scene. The way the camera flips 180 degrees in the middle of the scene as if that is the moment Grady and Torrance switch roles.
Love the slow room 237 reveal
@@nev.catalyst7478 “You ain’t got no business goin into room two three seven anyway, so stay out!”
im a 22 year steadicam operator. i was taught by GB himself. shining was my fave movie due to the steadicam. the low mode bracket was designed to invert the steadicam upside down so the camera lens could get down to that tricycle.
So how do you feel about the use of drones being used for these types of shots now?
@@HotTakeAndy not only drones but the ronin is used as well. its due to lower budgets and too many steadicam ops. the market is flooded with folks with little experience saying they will do a job for much less than a seasoned steadicam op. im not upset or anything about it. does not bother me. hey im even a part 107 sUAV (drone) op and im also doing drone shots for college sports for TNT as well. by doing this, im alsop taking a cut from the blimp ops who would have done this ( but for a much higher cost). you have to adapt..
@@marctronixxHey mate, I'm just curious what kinda drones do ya use? I imagine different drones for different jobs. I flew FPV racing drones for a few years (haven't for awhile now) so just curious if ya use racing drones at all as I see they're being used a bit for car chase scenes and other kinda high speed action scenes and to film action sports like mountain biking, snowboarding, motorbike racing/ freestyle, rally cars etc. They've really taken off (pun intended haha) for filming. And curious if you use any standard consumer drones like any of the DJI models?
@@28russ mate, I have 3: DJI Inspire 2, Inspire 3, and a dutch designed acecore neo for heavy payloads ( arri ). ive not used those race drones but they produce wicked visuals! i used to have a skydio ( and various smaller DJI drones like the phantom and mavic) but never really got into it as the camera was not able to capture the quality i needed. my hat's off to you for being able to fly those fpv racing drones! there's even competition games for them!!!
Does it weird you out that youtube finds the exact video for you that you need to comment on, or have you become used to it?
I didn't even think we couldn't shoot shots like that
Older films used rails and dollies to help with these shots, but it truly was a revolutionary tool
@@InCinematic Yes, but the length of the shots on The Shining betrayed the absence of rails. We viewers could see that there weren't rails--that made them even creepier.
@@ToddMikosh Well, you can also lay down sheets of Masonite. Picture the crew throwing down sheets of Masonite just in front of the dolly like a bucket brigade as the dolly chased Danny. 😂
Well now you know. There’s various tricks for smoothing out a handheld camera that were used before the invention of the Steadicam but they all have drawbacks, not to mention the ergonomic toll they take on the camera operator. Some use a faux-gyro stabilization. If you go further to get true gyro stabilization, you’ve basically invented the steadicam (although you’d still need to invent the vest that provides the resting point for the spin axis, not to mention improving the ergonomics for the operator*).
*Operators still suffer from strains and injuries (typically back and knee issues) from carrying the weight of the camera and rig, but the weight is better distributed by the vest/harness.
@@ToddMikoshTo be fair, the super long tracking shots in Das Boot were less Steady than the Danny shots iirc, but still less Wobbly than the ones like 0:27. 😮
When Kubrick first saw the demo, he contacted Garret Brown right away and told him that he was interested in using his machine for a film. He also told him that he should rush with getting a patent for it, because it was possible to deduce how the steadycam system worked from its shadow on the ground as it appeared in parts of the demo.
True genius
Now thats the actions of a top quality bloke
0:54
I like that steady cam still has just enough wobble and visible tracking of a moving subject that you can tell it's human operated.
Yeah, it's not as 'perfect' as a gimbal, so it still has a natural feel.
yea… it gives more the sense some ethereal being is operating it in the correct setting especially at the low angle shots.
@@kuromiLayfe which is a super appropriate feeling for films like The Shining
Agreed.
Alright the rocky bit blew my mind. So cool he made that shot happen in rocky because of his demo
Kubrick went through the demo film frame by frame then sent a letter to the guy saying that the shadow of the rig could be seen for A SINGLE FRAME!
He cut that frame and rereleased it.
The smoothness of the shot of Dany riding his tricycle throughout the hotel’s hallways was one of those scenes I immediately took notice of on my first try, there’s something so mesmerizing about it. This movie just holds up so well still, nearly 45 years later.
My family lived next door to a camera man for the local news station when this movie came out. I was a teen ager and he was in his early 20's. When I mentioned "how cool" The Shining was to him, he told me he was blown away by the camera work more than the dialog or anything else.
We're so used to that by now that we don't even appreciate it.
If i remember correctly, "Halloween" (1978) spent almost its entire budget on a steadycam. A film about Halloween had literally 3 pumpkins in it and 1 was used for the opening. Some of this die to that it was actually filmed not in the Fall but also the the budget for everything else was so small in an already small movie. The steady cam being such a new invention it was expensive at the time but absolutely worth it for the feel of that film.
Thank you. Came here to say this.
If only they knew to use chickens 😔
@@00WatName00The idea of a chicken with a 25 lb. camera on its head just makes me lol 😂
@@chrisflores4788or imagine the Heavy Rain chicken camera 😂😂
I really appreciate how perfect the audio mixing in this is, I love when video essays feel great in my ears
Well balanced voice overs, interviews and music. I agree.
So many video essayists do not do proper sound mixing
@benniepieters agreed
My college friend and roommate Karl Hawk built a steadicam for the student films we made in the early 1980s. Worked beautifully, too. Steadicams were still kind of an arcane technology when Karl built his first one in 1983 or 84, and the effect floored audiences when he'd show those movie during student film festivals.
It's brilliance is not only due to the use of a unnatural steady camera, it is also because of the acting, the frightening imagery and the hotel's impossible lay out, amongst several other things. But I really do appreciate you highlighting, exploring, and analyzing this aspect of it's brilliance and explaining it to us. Thanks!
That’s why Stanley Kubrick is one of my favourite directors.
Never get tired of The Shining. I can watch it over and over,still gives me chills!
That’s neat how it became the hotel’s POV.
Yeah, Kubrick really knew how to use a camera
I love that movie and never thought of it like that. But hell yeah
@@InCinematiclots of great directors make good art with the camera, but Kubrick was one of a few who aimed to change the way we viewed cinema as an art form.
It definitely helps that Kubrick was a photographer in the past. It helped give him a unique perspective on the way cinematography works and how it can be implemented. That, along with Garrett Brown’s use of the Steadicam, made The Shining look and feel so different. Even watching it now, it still stands out.
One of my favorite films of all time! Everything is perfect from the acting to the sound effects to the camera work!
James Cameron used the Steady Cam arm for the Smart Guns in Aliens in ‘86. So creative!
Look, man. I only need to know one thing: where they are. 🔫
That poor guy must have ran miles with that camera with the 100 takes of each shot Kubrick did.
Next olymics he won a gold metal
*must have RUN
@@sylviaisgod6947 Thank you for this... I understand language changes but this is such an annoying trend! But props to OP saying must have instead of must of.
@@EricaGamet that's not something to give props for, only something to diss people for getting wrong.
@@Vingul I give props where props are due... "must of" really grinds my gears.
Garret Brown looks and sounds kinda like James Cameron. I wonder if anyone has asked if they were brothers ever. It's Kinda amazing that they both revolutionized camera technology in their own ways as well, so many similarities, it's uncanny
I was just thinking the same thing. Looks and sounds like.
@@Csimon2429 I can't unsee this now
I thought it was Cameron at first.
@@InCinematic brother from another mother?
ONly by reading this comment did I realise that wasnt Cameron.
My confort movie its The Shining, its like... so cozy for some reazon. thank s4 the video dude
The steadicam was definitely a game changer.
1:34 I had no idea that this was the origin of the rocky scene! 🤯🤯
theres a good reason kubrick is regarded as one of the most influential directors ever
"The faintly diabolical quality depends on the supernatural steadiness of the shot."
When I first saw this movie, 1980 or 81, I was instantly struck at very beginning with the follow shot of the car going through the tunnel. I had never before seen such a coherent shot made aerially.
Yeah, and now directors intentionally use shaky cam to try to convey movement and intensity. But really it's just awful to watch. It's a crutch. I don't watch anything with shaky cam.
That’s pretty limiting. You’ll miss out on some great movies that way
This is an awful take. Granted there are many uses of shaky cam that are gratuitous and unnecessary, but there are many others which are fantastic. Time to open your brain back up.
@@Johnfisher12345 Unnecessary and gratuitous is specifically what I'm referring to. I'm not suggesting all camera work should be perfectly stable. But there are many directors obviously using it as a crutch to cover up what would otherwise be boring to watch.
Good use of camera shake is measured, strategic, and balanced. Such as alternating between shaky and steady shots.
Poor use of shaky cam is constant and unrelenting. And no, I don't think I'm missing anything by skipping movies with gratuitous shaky cam. They are pretty much always bad movies.
Not the shaky cam!!!
_The Blair Witch Project_ is not for you.
all work an no play makes the shining a dull movie
Love the buildup with Dick Halloran and the One Light that is on above his head when Jack swings the Axe. Truly Terrifying Scene among so many unforgettable scenes. A brilliant Film by Kubrick. Still love to watch it and find new little treasures every time.
It was quite a surprise for those who read the novel, since in the original story he survives.
@@wizardsuth Yes, but apparently Kubrick and his co-writer felt they needed a murder to make it a true horror movie, and to make sure Stephen King knew it wasn’t going to be a copy of his book.
Dude I didn’t even consider that these shots would have been impossible until now - but you’re totally right. Stabilisation has come so far and so quickly
Reading a book shows the possibilities of the film. Think that helps support the fact Kubrick didn’t adapt a novel per se but used it as the starting point for where he took the film.
the commentary tracks for this movie are just stellar!
Thank you. I really enjoyed this video 💙
I think what the steady cam essentially does is make sure that the viewer isn't made aware of the act of filming, making the scene as immersive as possible. I wouldn't read anything further into it. The scenes aren't scary because the camera is smooth. They're scary because the smooth camera is capturing the scariness created by Kubrick without any distracting camera shake.
Its weird cos the backrooms is an online hit, so much so, the main creator is making a film with A24 studios. They went right back to handheld in those horror shorts.
Correct. The human eye and head work together to provide a degree of steadiness in our field of vision. That's what allows us to focus on things. So, yes, the steadicam makes it easier for the brain to stay focused on the subject matter being filmed. Thus, it's easy to become immersed in the horror of it all. Like the video mentioned, the center-framing is perfect, and without steadicam, the scenes wouldn't have had quite the impact. The eerie unease just wouldn't be there.
@@RegularCupOfJoe Yea it goes with this film, the isolation, the slow burn, the steady build of jack being possessed... That all went out the window for Clockwork', some crazy iiratic shots which go great with the movies themes.
In many films the presence of camera artifacts such as shaking and lens flares detract from the immersion. One notable exception is _Firefly_ in which they were deliberately added to CGI shots, enhancing the realism by making them look as though the scenes were filmed with physical cameras.
we had two steadicams on the soap-opera I worked on in the 80s. life-savers... if you ran out of time to block & shoot a scene with the usual wide/matching two-shots/matching close-ups strategy, you could light for the wide (with some caveats) then make some changes to the blocking & then thread the camera in amongst.
when GB (or one of his people) came to see what we were doing with the mk1, & to do some training, he was horrified to see a cable attached to the camera. well, it's a video camera... of course! so we had developed our own way of using it, with the cable fastened a certain way & an assistant keeping it clear of the cameraman's feet. we did reverse-scan mods for some shots too, & a fair bit of under-slung.
fun-fact- the mk1 had a valve (tube) in its power supply. something absurd like 30kV on the green c.r.t. so it would be visible in daylight.
Nice touch with the three jump scares, Monday, Tuesday, Thanks for Watching. Like they were taken from the movie.
Thanks to you guys….very cool…because I like the way tha it film’s…..and now I know the beginning of the first shout’s….it is the FAMOUS…….SHINING…..😮
I knew that the steady cam was used in it. I didn’t realize it was used that much. The big wheel scenes when he’s turning the corner it makes your head try to look around it. Pretty weird feeling. Btw my favorite horror movie.
I started the video with the intention of just talking about the big wheel scene, and then I just kept finding more and more places where it was used
@@InCinematic me too
Phenomenal video! Thank you for it, your channel is simply fantastic!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it
Fascinating to learn about where and how it all started :)
Nice video! Two tiny factual corrections: the “30 Impossible Shots” reel was distributed in 1974, not 1976--Kubrick’s telex in response to the reel was dated November '74. And, Garrett didn’t have to be “flown out” to Philadelphia to work on Rocky, as he already lived there! There are also a number of moving shots included that were actually done on dolly (the two from 4:49 to 4:55 for instance). Regardless, anything celebrating GB's groundbreaking work on The Shining is a good thing!
Appreciate it. I realized the date mistake after I had made it, but it was hard to figure out exactly which shots were on a dolly.
@@InCinematic It's not easy! Because of Kubrick's insistence on doing so many takes, GB had the opportunity to improve his operating technique so that many of the shots are all but indistinguishable from dolly moves, so you really have to look close to find the "tells". A few others that are dolly: 2:06, 2:48, 3:01.
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i think you underestimate the other details of the film a little bit, but you're definitely right about all the camera stuff
Great job on this video! Short and sweet and educational. Hope you do well in the future.
Amazing to think how technology has evolved: we can now purchase a stabilizer for smartphone for around 100 Euros and there you go, you have a steadycam and can shoot a movie with your smartphone!
When Stanley Kubrick is satisfied, you’ve done the nearly impossible
This is clear to people who make films, but I think it's less obviously impressive to the audience. Our brain naturally smooths our visual inputs, especially for motions we are making ourselves like walking or running. The steadicam is a more natural POV, and the handheld look is an artifact -- the technology of the steadicam cancels out the limitations of a bouncy camera. Steadicam immerses us, and hand-held can remind us that we're watching a film (or add the chaotic feel of truly violent motion where wanted). I think that for the general audience it's that sense of immersion that adds fear. The smooth motion doesn't feel unnatural or weird to them, but rather organic and transparent, like you'd see it if you were following the characters without technology.
tl;dr: The tech and craft are impressive. The effect on a naive audience is actually to immerse them in the movement, rather than feeling odd or uneasy.
Shoutout to ER for using Steadycam because it would be "cheaper" than using the multicam setup yet gave it its unique movement and style!
Its like we're silently following the characters around the hotel like ghosts. The Shining is one of the first horror movies I saw that stuck with me and something about the orange carpets gave me the creeps.
The shining is a masterpiece in film studies.
Great video!
The Cuban/Russian made Film "Soy Cuba!" from 1961 still has the most breathtaking, uninterrupted shots. It all culminates in this unbelievable funeral procession, where the camera first moves through the procession, then flies upwards past facades, balconies with people throwing flowers. It then moves to the adjacent house, enters a cigarette factory and ultimately moves through the window and flies OVER the procession. All in an uninterrupted, gliding motion. (famous scenes and the whole movie are on TH-cam).
Brilliant analysis. Got to watch the film again, been far too long.
Much appreciated! I love going back to rewatch it every now and then
After all these years (i saw it opening night) I finally get it. You are 100% correct.
I guess you could say this movie was a shining example of steady cam
I think this is before digital, so I always wondered if a human being typed those dozens of papers on the desk with the “Makes Jack a dull boy” in different patterns.
I remember hearing that Kubrick insisted on them all being typed out individually. No copies.
@@wyattmann8157 Wow, how cool is that, except for the people typing.
*Amazing!* ⭐️
I was just talking to my wife about how excited I am to be seeing this in IMAX tonight and I pick up the phone and TH-cam gave me this
I mean even the intro is an insane shot..... being that smooth in the 80's. The way it follows the car..
omg!! YES... iVE seen the Shining so many times.. and the cinematography makes the nightmare of the action get into your head.. . incredible
4:17 is such a creepy image, and it's hard to explain exactly why. The empty space at the top of the frame, the distance from the girls, the stillness of everything, it feels like one of those early internet screamer pictures
I knew they used the Steadicam for the tricycle shots a long time ago but didn't realize all the other shots that they also used it for.
Some of that could have been done by a dolly, but they had the Steadicam on set, so why not?
There is actually a lot more about this shot that you didn’t even mention. Most of this film was shot inside a small English studio, they didn’t actually have enough space to create the entire layout that Danny rides around. So, he begins makes a few turns and arrives back at the beginning again BUT in the time that he was gone (a mere few seconds) they moved all of the set decoration away to make it appear he was at the second floor at the top of the balcony. He then turns and continues down the hall. Where the numbers are different (only because the doors had been literally flipped around quickly while he was around the corner).
This scene was nearly impossible to shoot on the set they shot it on. If you look at the actual size of the set- it would baffle you.
Steadycam has saved a lot of time in film making. The Longest Day had a beautiful shot on the beach of Normandy, but briefly you can see the shadow of the camera and the operator in the smoke. It's obvious that they had to build a rail for that shot, but I've often wondered how different old movies would be if they had a steadycam. It's not always for the best, I guess, the static shots of the black and white era somehow make that one scene really stand out in that movie.
Fincher almost takes an anti-steady cam approach to his directing and that turns out to be striking.
The invention of the Steadicam is revolutionary.
The W. Carlos' soundtrack contributed to the visual effect. It gives the sense that a pack of trickster coyote spirits is gliding in pursuit.
Not sure if you've studied the cinematography of 'Angst'' (1983), but it is mindblowing.
This is definitely something that is hard to appreciate without context and how filming was like at the time. Nowadays, steadycam is used in almost every single shot and it seems like anything outside of that is a stylistic choice. It sounds like using steadycam in this film at this particular time was a stylistic choice. Funny how times change.
The coolest part is that the average moviegoer doesn't even know its being used. The technology simply disappears and they're sucked into the film without being distracted by a shaky picture. It feels as if you're *THERE;* as if you're a *part* of the shot. And that makes _The Shining,_ in particular, so much more terrifying than it would otherwise be. That's the genius of this invention.
Welp, time to rewatch the Shining again
most Kubrick's shots are very "geometric". they remind me of renaissance paintings. that, combined with his propensity to put light sources inside the frame, makes his films look so striking.
This Was Great, Man! REDRUM! I Love The Shining. Reminds Me Of F.E.A.R. Thank You. (Comment #216)
The tracking shot following Danny as he go-karts through the hotel really unnerved me as a child when I watched the trailer. I told my missus about it and showed her but she just shrugged her shoulders as if to say, that's not scary. So I got our ten year old and let her watch the trailer from 40 years ago. She told me she'd never sleep again.
I remember when I first learned about about this! It's so cool!
'one in particular proved to be the most difficult'
Well, yes...
I had a bunch of nightmares last night and just wanted to add; that movement is very similar. Where I was detached at first and then slowly getting closer (floating) to a place I don't want to be involved in.
Amazing, and yet the one thing I remember the most is being completely cheesed off, seeing the shadow of the helicopter that was filming the intro... completely baffling.
The steadycam is something amazing. I wish way more directors would make use of it. Another thing i really dislike is when there are too many, too quick cuts. So annoying.
I invented a different kind of steady-cam in the late 70's that had the same effect, especially running up and down stairs. It was a bowling ball on the end of a broom stick and a 1/4-20 screw on the other end. Camera goes on the screw, hold the stick in the middle and just twist or tilt for slow, rock solid movement.
I recall way way back when the film Marathon Man was released reading about how the use of the Steadicam allowed for many of the running shots that otherwise would have been impossible. The article said the Steadicam was the game changer that enabled the film to be made.
If I recall correctly it said this was the either the first or second film to use the new technology.
all work and no play makes jack a dull boy" 😁
Interesting! I watched this on the big screen theater in 1980 the day before my daughter was born. I am also a photographer and videographer who never realized WHY that movie had this eerie quality and this explains it best. That and Jack finding out in the bathroom there is a person trying to inject himself into this... situation. Did you know that sir?
That DOP sounds just like James Cameron.
What a great video
He's still following the rule of thirds but placing it from top to bottom instead of from left to right.
That’s a good point!
03:15 Black Christmas, an amazing horror film
An absolute classic! At least, the original
"I'm sorry to differ with you, sir, but you are the caretaker. You've always been the caretaker. I should know, sir. I've always been here."
"Haskell Wexler" is a fucking impeccable wild west villain name.
As good as the film still is, people just can't fathom what it was like being in a theater seeing some new visual for the first time. Whether that's the effects in Star Wars (1977), the liquid metal T-1000 robot in Terminator 2, or the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, there is a subconscious realization that your eyes and brain have never seen such a thing before. That was the case with the steady cam shots in The Shining, which set it far, far apart visually at that point in time. Now.... well we are all totally conditioned to the point nothing we see on a screen is very impressive at all visually. Especially the younger generations that have grown up inundated in this CGI era. Now with AI... even worse.
For me, the best scene is where Jack is axing down the bathroom door. The way the camera moves with the axe is mesmerising and horrific. 😊
I think the handheld fight scene looks good because it makes you feel like you're there walking up to the people fighting. It wouldn't have worked as well for following the tricycle in The Shining.
"impossible to film" talk about overstatement
underrated channel! You deserve way more subs
My fav shot is the helicopter shot in Shawshank redemption.
Yeah ... earie camera fair enough but Shining is spooky as hell because of the music! :)
There's a really good analysis I watched a while ago where a composer broke it all down. It's also underrated
Shaking camera often distracts me by a great deal. Even the fact that I don't know if it's on purpose or not.
I stopped _Huger Games_ after the first few minutes of shaky cam.
Very cool!
That camera enables us to realize who the main character actually is - The Overlook Hotel.
and the human players are trapped within the main character itself.
All these years I have only ever thought of that as a Steadicam shot. Now I find out the Steadicam had only just been invented.
Jack's eyebrows need a licence!
If only the guys filming The Bourne movies knew of this amazing invention from 30 years ago (at the time).