Steadicam

Carl Wiedemann - Owner/Operator

I have worked as a Steadicam Operator within a wide variety of genres for 15 years. I have experience on commercials, industrials, music videos, indie features, dramatic shorts, and live broadcasting. I am based in Chicago. An inspection of my Steadicam Reel is an excellent way of determining if my experience and skills are suited to your project.

As an operator I am technically proficient and physically agile. I have worked with 16 and 35mm film gear and innumerable flavors of video (from mini-DV to DSRL and RedCam). I own a rig which can support 33 lbs of camera apparatus: including the Panasonic VariCam, Sony F900, and the Red Cam (Red One, Epic).

Collaboration

I am very amenable to working in a mode best suited to the needs of a particular project. I can operate in run and gun style (moving quickly to gather b-roll or shoot walk and talks on a corporate video) or in a more refined mode (meticulously rehearsing and revising a shot for a feature or short). On set I am ever-conscious of providing material for a good editing session and keeping pace with the the days intended wrap time.*

Further Steadicam ruminations

I have a great enthusiasm for exploring a situation with the moving camera and finding creative ways of maximizing drama and visual appeal. I concede to having an almost obsessive sense of film composition. Nevertheless, I am always eager to confer with clients and directors to clearly grasp their approach to the material and find the best way to realize their vision.

Local 1220 Steadicam

In the spring to 2010 I was sponsored into the IBEW Local 1220. This enables me to freelance for video Production Contractors that work for local broadcast television companies and also operate at some trade shows. However, this does not restrict me in any way from freelancing on the type of non-union gigs that I've been doing for the past fifteen years or determine my rates (although my commercial steadicam rates are comparable to my rates on Union jobs). Search term: IBEW 1220 Steadicam Operator in Chicago.

*This last sentence vaguely paraphrasing veteran DP Bob Long.

Panasonic HPX500 shoot.

Red Cam: February 2010.

Carl with Sony F900R in snowy Chicago.

Shooting dance with the Pilot Rig.

Carl flying a Sony F900 CineAlta.

Soundstage shoot: May 2011.

Shooting with an Aaton XC 16mm camera: January 2010.

On location: November 2009 Broadcast Promo shoot.

Extra low with the Aaton XC 16mm camera.

Red Cam.