“Heads Up” Video Monitoring Is Here

Don't throw away the SteadiCam, but this new system can improve your field monitoring.

by Kennedy Grey | Published September 6, 1994

Monitoring your incoming audio/video datastream during shoots can be accomplished in the usual ways; the old viewfinder will certainly do in a pinch, though its small, inaccurate picture and tiring head/eye position will eventually cramp your shooting style and have you searching for alternatives. Most pros will just lug a separate monitor to the shoots and use the viewfinder for positioning, while the stand-alone monitor performs more esoteric picture and color corrections.

Neither of these options accounts for movement of the camera, and, as many of you know, a moving camera is among the biggest production hassles even without monitoring. A truckload of gear is necessary just to achieve smooth movement: trams and tracks, dolleys, retrofitted wheelchairs or what have you. But to actually monitor a moving camera, you've just involved yourself in a whole new can of worms. You could buy a SteadiCam, a contraption that outfits you with a gyroscopically steady camera mount attached to your person in the form of a massively uncomfortable heavy armature suit - and this is without the camera attached. A gorilla is not included. And this option can be had only if you've got the kind of deep pockets that don't flinch at house-sized payments. For most independent moviemakers, rental of SteadiCam and operator is prohibitively expensive even if you can find one. Prosumer video auteurs will buy the SteadiCam Jr., the "baby" Steadicam that has a small b/w monitor attached and will allow a fairly decent smooth movement with the camera, providing the complicated balance adjustments are made for your particular camera, and that you aren't outside where wind can destroy any semblance of balance. But don't try getting the same shot twice with this device - there is no way to dial in an accurate movement. Searching the back of video magazines will turn up homebrewed devices many video artists came up with in frustration and then tried to market.

But there is another solution for monitoring a moving camera, and it looks to be a potentially liberating option: The Virtual Vision "heads-up" video monitor, ingenious device, (produced by the Paul Allen-backed Redmond, Washingtoncompany Virtual Vision, Inc.), is basically a television receiver on a beltpack with RCA inputs for your camera (or cable TV). This leads to a pair of Gargoyle-like glasses in which a small color monitor displays the video in an adjustable mirror which positions the picture in front of your dominant eye. The picture appears to be an amazing 60-inches across (relative to a picture tube that size) - certainly bigger than any shoot monitor you've ever seen, and the dark lenses on the glasses act like a dark hood to view the picture against a consistent background even while moving. You have to look slightly downward to get the desired effect; looking up allows you to move around with the goggles on without banging into anything. The picture is remarkably good - the TV receiver and picture is better than my own home system with an antenna attached. The glasses also have in-ear Walkman-like speakers that hang off the arms for unparalleled audio monitoring. These little speakers have a design flaw, however: they hang off delicate wires, and just don't fit into most ears very well. Some folks didn't want to use them, fearing any cooties from previous users' ears. (Perhaps a swing-down "earflaps" set of speakers may be more in line for the Virtual Vision system).

The tool that could revolutionize camera monitoring.

If you can get those little speakers into your own ears, the Virtual Vision system excels as a live monitoring source for a moving camera. Much of the camera jitter that happens is the result of eyepiece awkwardness; running around with a video camera, you need to remove your eyes from the eyepice to find your. moving subject. You lose many levels of motion perspective by squinting into a little cup. The Virtual Vision system allows excellent continuity; the system even includes different lenses for day or evening shooting to block out glare or let in more light at night. Many kinds of movement are made possible using the Virtual Vision system; overheads to ankle-level shots can be performed and monitored comfortably even when moving around.

Though no direct camera retrofits for steadiness are made, the system more than makes up for it by liberating the shooter from the crippling viewfinder; if a shot is unsteady, it can be easily monitored and reshot. Many cameras are beginning to feature "jitter free" abilities in-camera anyway, so the awkward SteadiCam Jrs. may soon be totally replaced by systems like the Virtual Vision monitor.

There are a few downsides to the system; a kind of motion nausea can happen if you move around quickly while monitoring another source. And it is not inexpensive - just over a thousand dollars for the complete system. Rumors of the company seeking Chapter 11 protection won't sell many of the systems, either.

Regardless, the attention you receive while using the system behooves you to carry a stack of your business cards, and be prepared for many techno-curious folks to practically grab it off your head to try it out. As neat toys go, this is one of the best. More importantly, it will come in very handy during your shoots.

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