Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1152338
sure. If you were to use this outside with a zeppelin, then you will only have assistance, not complete support unless you're on a relatively short pole. The next shot was a fairly straightforward Steadicam walk and talk through our bullpen, and that did not work so well for me. Walking backward while booming is a very dynamic situation, and having the assistance change while I was sort of bouncing around behind camera made for an awkward feel; the spring engaging on and off unnaturally. Also, the way the vest fits snug around the hips makes it feel as if it is not designed for backpedaling. I didn't feel free or comfortable. When I mentioned this to Bryan Cahill, he suggested I might try less assistance or lighter springs which I'll try if I get another opportunity. In general, Steadicam walk and talks don't tend to be ridiculously long with endless resets, as everyone seems to be aware of the Steadicam Op's fatigue. And, I think you run a higher risk of hitting something with this vest on a walk and talk which would be a total party foul. My next opportunity was exactly what I envisioned the vest to be for: a three-page dialog scene among six actors in a conference room. I had to keep the boom working over a long LED practical that hangs over the table. There was no other way to pull this off without having my arms overhead. I also had to stay mobile because the three cameras were doing moves on the dance floor around me and my actor had a back-and-forth move that went deep. Since I couldn't use a ladder, this was the perfect scenario for the vest. I had ample space behind me to allow for the link assemblies that stick out from the vest. It worked like a charm. I had total mobility like normal, yet my arm was completely supported at the elbow. I did notice over the duration of the take, that support would start to sag a little, meaning I was right at the limit of full support for this spring. I could have used less pole and experienced less sag over time. Basically, the spring needs to be stronger. For autoworkers, they don't need a super strong spring to provide a continuous solid shelf of support, so this is one limitation that needs to be overcome. EksoVest is prototyping a stronger, number "5" spring which could solve the problem. The other limitation is the most obvious one, and that is the space it takes up behind the back. You need to place yourself carefully on the set to avoid hitting anything or anyone. It alters the decision making of where you place your self or even walking around the set, you need to be conscious of your space. It definitely makes you feel like Robocop, and that's exactly what people on set were calling the vest (it does draw an enormous amount of attention and curious questions). The articulating link assemblies limit you to working only in areas which have at least an extra eight inches free behind you. This is a deal killer if someone needed to use the vest all of the time. Located in southern Jordan, near the Saudi Arabian border, the Wadi Rum Desert looks a lot like Mars. (Photo: Giles Keyte) "Walking backward while booming is a very dynamic situation, and having the assistance change while I was sort of bouncing around behind camera made for an awkward feel." –Ken Strain