Steadicam Maintenance - The Body

No matter what industry you work in or job you do, the first lesson you're taught is 'safety first', and in the Steadicam business, this couldn't be any more true. The first safety concern comes in the form of the Steadicam itself, however, in this article I want to focus on the other safety concern, which is your body.

The bottom line is that if the rig breaks or fails, the items (although expensive) can be fixed or replaced. The piece to this puzzle that can't easily be fixed or replaced is YOU! You are the crucial piece that if you're broke, the machine isn't going to run at all. Maintaining your body is an absolute necessity to being a successful Operator. Since you are one with the machine, any small ailment can prevent you from operating at your full potential. Something as insignificant as a stomach ache can throw you off your game, so you absolutely must stay on top of your personal health.

It all starts with how you wear your equipment. Ensure that your vest and initial balance is proper and suited to your body type. Your vest should generally be quite snug with the base sitting just above, or on, your hip bone. Make sure the vests cushioning is pulled back to its proper position especially around the stomach and hip area. It tends to shift around which exposes some of the hard plastic edges and this can cause major pain and I swear it causes hernias. The stuffing on older or rental vests can be especially rough so as reinforcement, I've had vest cushions altered by a seamstress to be extra big and puffy. In dire situations, I'll find a large piece of cardboard and cut it to fit along the front of my belt line. This helps spread out the pressure from the edges more evenly.

When it comes to checking out your arm, there really isn't much to it. It all depends on the make of your arm but simply make sure all screws are secure, latches are tight, pins are pushed the whole way through, etc.

Once your vest is on, arm is attached and your Steadicam is balanced, it's time to suit up. Bowing down to attach your camera should never be awkward or painful. Your stand should be set to a comfortable height and having the stand around chin height works best for me. Now that you're strapped in everything should feel natural. You should be able to stand straight while the Steadicam floats effortlessly beside your body. If any part of your body is twisting, bending or compensating, then your balance is off and you need to do it again. The slightest misalignment of your gear can easily tug at your muscles, and if you're muscles are on edge, any little movement or sudden twitch can cause a serious pull. Even if you think your balance is 'close enough', it's not.

There's no better way to keep your muscles strong and flexible is to do the obvious: exercise. The key is to never get fatigued when operating, so gaining muscle and gaining endurance within those muscles is important. I have a basic workout plan that I follow to help stay in shape. When you're at the gym, it's good to keep it core related; squats, dead lifts and planks are all good starters. I like to do a lot of hanging leg lifts to tighten up the abs and torso. Another good area to focus on is your shoulders. Lots of pull ups and overhead raises work well.

Having a built frame is only half the battle to personal maintenance, the other battle is flexibility. I cannot express how important it is to keep on top of your stretches. If you don't stretch it'll be just a matter of time until you throw your back out. And if you're back is pulled, the only way to fix it will be to stretch it out anyways so why not take preventative measures, rather than waiting until something breaks? I have a repertoire of stretches I find most useful, and they go by specific body parts. For my lower back, I enjoy 'Back Extensions', 'Cat Stretches', 'Lying Lower Back Stretch' and the 'Spinal Twist'. For arms and shoulders I do the 'Standing Wall Bicep Stretch' and 'Cross Shoulder Stretch' and finally for my glutes, I use the 'Pretzel Stretch' and the 'Sitting Butt Stretch'. Great stretches with great names! I don't do all of these in one day, but I choose at least a good 4 or 5 to do at a time. I perform each stretch 3 times in a row and hold them for a minimum of 15 seconds. When starting a stretch, begin in an easy-moderate position, hold for 15 seconds, and release. Second round: stretch yourself to almost your maximum, hold for 15 seconds, release, and then go for your max. This process really helps warm up the muscles while gently easing into your full extension. Stretching to your max can be harmful and result in unnecessary injury, so stay within your limits. I even like to stretch after I hang up my rig to try to cool the muscles down. Don't take your stretches and routines lightly, they are extremely important and essential to maintaining your body. Don't just brush them aside or 'forget' about them. It's the only sure fire method to truly prevent injury.

Another great way to assist your spine is to try to take the pressure off. If you're lucky enough to have an inversion table at your gym, I recommend getting familiar with it. Having your spine inverted and decompressed is often a very relieving way to adjust a stiff back. Taking the pressure off can be so relieving that you might want to consider seeing a specialist to help develop a comfortable routine for your body type. I've never really been a believer of seeing Chiropractors or Physiotherapists but after getting recommendations from some trusted friends, I decided to make some appointments. It was pretty much the best thing I've ever decided to do in my life. I first saw a Physiotherapist and they gave me a lot of knowledge about how my muscles are connected and ways to strengthen small muscles by learning how to flex them. After visiting a handful of times, I realized that although some of the stretches they showed me were wonderful; the idea of slow rehabilitation was too tedious for me. I then sought out a good local Chiropractor. I started seeing a short Vietnamese doctor who worked a lot with pressure points. He'd then jump all over me cracking all up my spine. First time I visited him I was literally laughing out loud the whole time. It was such a hilarious process of him tossing me around, cracking my bones, and snapping me back together. Needless to say, I love that man. He taught me a lot of the same lessons and stretches as my Physiotherapist did, however; his method of fixing problems was much more my style. Having your neck cracked for the first time is scary as all hell and I never thought I would say this but now I can't wait until I go back to get it done again! The point I'm trying to get to here is that although both of these doctors have different methods of treating you, they both taught me that the most important aspects of taking care of yourself is stretches and exercise.

I recently had some professional orthotic foot insoles made for my feet to help me with my foot shape and posture. They definitely make a noticeable difference when I'm operating. It makes it a lot easier on my body and by the end of a long night; my feet don't hurt nearly as much as they do in regular athletic shoes. The only downside is that these suckers are super expensive and hard to recommend unless you have some sort of benefits. The custom fit insoles will obviously be a better solution for foot troubles but even a regular old pair of running shoes or store bought insoles can help improve your stance.

Along with any Actors or Hosts, you are also a performer, and to be able to achieve your 100% best performance, you need to be feeling your absolute best inside and out. It can sometimes be tough to muster up your energy during long shoots, so for a natural source of energy I like to take Vitamin D & B Complex. It gives me that extra boost I need throughout the day while keeping me in a great mood. If vitamins aren't your thing, you can also down a big old coffee. The caffeine will do the same thing. I swear the extra little boost greatly helps your performance. One thing I have to admit is that I have a severe addiction to making homemade juices and smoothies. If I make my signature "Rocket Fuel" (kale, celery, carrot, lemon & apple), I honestly feel like a million bucks when I operate. Hydration is also key. Most of us Operators sweat like crazy (especially during our early days) so keep plenty of water close by because you will definitely need it. If you're not sweating like mad, you're not trying hard enough.