The Steadicam® Operator's Handbook

The emotional stuff

One of the things we always try to do is find some emotional connection to what is happening in the story and somehow have that influence our operating. Sometimes this connection is pretty thin, and not much shows up in the shot. Making an emotional connection to the story helps with remembering what the story is and therefore, at a minimum, knowing what should be in frame.

In Dreams 1:27:33

At other times the emotional connection to the story is strong, but the exact effect on the image is subtle. A case in point: Late in the film In Dreams, Claire Cooper (Annette Bening) is being chased by Vivian Thompson (Robert Downey Jr.) ...