Australian Science Illustrated — Issue 54 2017

scienceillustrated.com.au | 23

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Camera crane gets car chase recorded

A robotic arm with a camera mounted on the roof of a modified car

ensures that car chases are as intense and exciting as possible.

In major film productions, car chases are

often shot using a Russian arm – a

robotic crane mounted on the roof of a

modified car. In spite of the increased

weight caused by the equipment and

the altered centre of gravity, the car has

enough engine power to accelerate fast.

The arm is gyro-stabilised, ensuring

that the camera is stable during the car

chase. The gyro-stabilisation makes sure

that the camera remains horizontal and

steady all the time, no matter the

surface. The word gyro comes from

gyroscope – a rotating wheel on a shaft,

which is used to counteract motion of a

specific direction.

The effect of the rotating wheel is

the same as when you hold a rotating

bike wheel in a vertical position. If you

try to turn the wheel over on one side,

the gyroscopic force of the rotation will

attempt to counteract the motion,

which has the effect of stabilising the

wheel in an upright position.

A crane with a gyro-stabilised

camera was used for the shooting of

the most recent Transformers film.

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Crane and camera

are remote-

controlled from

inside the car.

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The base holding

the camera weighs

50 kg and is gyro-

stabilised to make sure

that the camera always

remains horizontal. The

base has three-four

flexible axes.

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The arm can be

rotated 360 degrees.

It has a maximum

reach of six metres.

How Are Car Chases Filmed?

ANDREW STEVEN GRAHAM/ALAMY/ALL OVER

CAMERA

(^12)

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