The Power to Move - Get a Grip!
"That was great," but the talent missed its cue or the camera move was not quite right. "take 2".
The Grip-Sticks offer you a new alternative.
By attaching them to an existing motion control system, the Grip-Sticks allow the movement of the camera to be controlled in the same way as a traditional dolly or camera-crane - you push it!
A team of grips creates the desired camera move, except now the Flair motion control software captures it. The exact same movement can then be replayed exactly, allowing the production crew to concentrate on other aspects of the shot, and offering post-production the chance to then shoot a subsequent pass for scaling or compositing.
Flair's XYZ output function means that the Grip-Sticks are the link between a team of grips on a live-action shoot, and 3D graphics and post-production.
Grip-Sticks being used for Pan and Tilt on Camera Head
Technical Information
Grip Sticks are basically metal bars that measure the amount of force exerted on them and move a motor accordingly. Each stick can currently measure forces in up to 2 directions or axes - although research is currently being done on 3-axis Grip Sticks - which can be used on any motion control axis. For example, they can be used on Pan & Tilt, Lift & Rotate, Track, Arm extend, and even mounted onto model movers to control turntables or XY tables.
Because one mounts the Grip Stick to the axis that is moving, as one pushes the stick the axis moves and one cannot tell that it is a motor that is moving the axis rather than the user's strength. One may be pushing a 700kg rig, or turning a 2 tonne automobile on a turntable with as much effort as is needed to push a bicycle!
The Grip Stick standard package consists of 2 Grip Sticks each giving control of 2 axes, i.e. 4 axes in total, but is fully expandable to 8 Grip Sticks, that's 16 axes!! The Grip Stick electronics are connected together using a simple BNC (video) cable, so existing Milo and Cyclops users don't need to add any additional wiring as they simply use one of the spare video leads in the slip-rings and umbilical. Power is +12V taken from the video assist supply or any other +12V source. The electronics supplied consists of a receiver unit and up to 4 transmitters each transmitter unit capable of sensing 4 axes.
The Grip Sticks use all the existing Mimic software built into the Mark Roberts Motion Control Flair software to allow users to push the rig and record all the movements, export XYZ data, even scale the move up or down in 3D space. Parameters in the software allow the user to adjust the feel of the movement, much like one can adjust the feel of a fluid head.
Find out about the latest success of the new Grip-sticks being used on shoots. Contact sales for additional information.
