Getting the Ladder Shot!

*DISCLAIMER: Read through the following procedure ENTIRELY before deciding if this is what you want to do with your equipment! There isn't a video shot invented that is worth putting you or anyone else in danger! Use common sense! I will not be held responsible for any injury, death, or damage to Steadicam equipment due to the direct misuse of the information provided here. This procedure is to be executed with the utmost care and respect to the safety of everyone involved.

"Hey, What ARE You Doing Up There?"

One of the most impressive shots you can get with a Handheld Steadicam is a boom-down shot from a step ladder. While potentially hazardous if done improperly, a ladder shot is dynamic and challenging because it requires one hand on the ladder and one hand on the Steadicam. This sort of shot has a high degree of difficulty but after a few practice runs (and ignoring those silly looks you'll get from onlookers) you'll have a shot that will look like it was executed on a jib arm.

Let's Try It!

First: Walk through the shot without the camera or the ladder and visualize where you'd like the shot to wind up at. Make sure that where you place the ladder has plenty of room for what you need (height/placement). You don't want to be up in the rafters straining over miscellaneous objects while up on a ladder--think of your safety before you think of the camera, the shot, or the client. Oftentimes this type of shot is executed just to impress a client or a colleague--DO NOT let that happen. Practice the shot if you decide to go through with it. A safe and properly rehearsed shot will leave everyone's jaw hanging open just as much as throwing up a ladder and saying "Look at me!"

Second: Walk through the shot with the Steadicam but without the ladder. Inspect your route and make sure you won't bump into anything and that your walking path isn't too narrow. Quickly--make sure your shoe laces are tied! Look up around you where the ladder's going to be and make sure there are no wires or obstructions that may inadvertently strangle you as you descend during the shot. Hand-pick a person to help hold the ladder and make sure this person knows exactly what is required of them for everyone's safety.

Third: Set up the ladder. Do not attempt this type of shot with an extension ladder! I've only executed ladder shots from taller step ladders and I do not recommend anything else. Before raising any ladder please take note of any and all electrical hazards--you DON'T want to get cooked by touching a power line with a tall ladder!! My favorite ladder is the ten footer because it offers a good boom-down speed for 30-second commercials and can be used in almost any shooting environment. Make sure the ladder's legs are spread out completely and that it is sitting flat on all four feet.

Four: Get your Steadicam ready to go. You want to make sure the fore and aft trim is adjusted so that your camera is looking straight ahead--that's right straight ahead!--Level and Perpendicular to the ground. This shot is going to be executed with one hand so you've got to finesse your operating hand up the Steadicam handle so that your thumb and forefinger are holding the gimbal firmly. Use your other hand and guide yourself up the ladder until your hips are even with the top step. Survey your shot and then check it out in your camera's viewfinder. Watch for too much or too little headroom. Since you're up high your camera should be pointed downward so holding onto the gimbal at this point is necessary.

Taking Steps

The key to a fluid ladder shot is just letting the Steadicam go and walking down the ladder to match the speed with which the rig rights itself back to level. This takes practice--and like everything else with the Steadicam it requires patience to master. I highly recommend testing this kind of shot before doing it in front of a client because you have to orient yourself with how unusual it feels to get into position up in the air. Rehearse with friends who can help hold the ladder or stand in for talent. Timing your descent on the ladder as the Steadicam rights itself is a difficult feat--so make all your mistakes and do all your cursing during rehearsal elsewhere!

Get your talent into position and let them know what's going to happen during the shot. Once you're down on the ground all that is left to do is gently grasp the gimbal with your ladder hand and operate the Steadicam normally. You can stop at the bottom of the ladder or you may want to continue to move in towards your subject until you've locked off on a close up. The timed descent and the gentle re-grasp of the gimbal are the two most crucial elements of the ladder shot. So tie your shoes, block out an open and safe area for your ladder, and practice away!

I don't recommend ascending a ladder with a Steadicam for any reason. It's twice as dangerous and incredibly difficult to steady the rig with one hand. It's not impossible--but descending a ladder is best! If you need to boom up I suggest going to a lumberyard for scrap wood and constructing a ramp. A ladder shot is not easy but after you've tried a couple of them you'll have an even broader appreciation for what the Steadicam is capable of.