- What is up, so today, we're here at Arri, here in Burbank.
And they're gonna be showing me the Arri Trinity System
which is their state of the art stabilization system.
It's like a Steadicam plus a gimbal.
Just everything that's stable, it's in there.
And to show us how it's done, we have legendary
camera OP and Steadicam operator, Ari Robbins.
(upbeat music)
Ari was one of the first to get his hands on the Trinity
and he's already used it to shoot a handful of projects;
one of which is Spike Lee's upcoming film, "Da 5 Bloods."
It's pretty funny that you have an Arri Trinity
and you shoot with Arri's all the time.
- It's perfect. (Gene laughs)
It's a little fun.
- The first time I ever saw you was doing this, right here.
- [Ari] Oh, yeah, I mean, that was one of those films
where it's such fascinating motion and movement
that I think a lot of people didn't realize
it was like a practical thing that we did.
- Right! - And so, when I released them
and they said oh, wait, hold on, then they realized
that a lot of people were so blown away
that I think it kind of helped promote the movie.
- It definitely did! - I mean, look what we did.
My favorite part of all of this is its with one hand.
- I noticed that, why are you just one hand?
- So, is that, if you're holding both to the rig,
you are now using the rest of your body
to stabilize yourself to the platform.
And nullifying the movement
that the crane is doing to my body,
and that, to me, limited the amount of physical error.
- It just looks so effortless
because you're only using your right arm.
- Because you're just like casual like all right guys,
take me up!
(laughing)
- [Gene] This was another one that I remember seeing.
- There's actually a slight tilt
going up to find Ryan and that was the hardest part.
All I had to do was just this, right?
But the tilt was the thing that's like
you had to then measure your body
and it had to be the perfect amount of leverage
to lift it just enough,
and then opposite on the way down.
- I could see how that could get really complicated,
'cause you also have to land it right there.
- Right there. - You can't land it
and then go like. - And then adjust.
- Oh, let me adjust a little, yeah.
- And you want it to be consistent, which, I imagine
they may have helped a little in post, of course,
but like, he rises at one point,
so your tilt becomes higher through one of them.
- The first time I ever shot action sequence
that was all choreographed, I was kind of under-prepared.
I almost didn't realize how much choreography there is,
me as a camera operator. - Awesome, fully.
- And I think while "La La Land" was such an extraordinary
thing is because it took the the approach of realizing
the camera was another character in the scene
and that's actually how Damien introduced me.
Like, when I met Emma and Ryan, he was like "This is Ari,
"he's gonna be the other actor in these scenes."
- Oh, really? - And that thought
and that thinking as a camera, is that yeah,
you're as much a part of it, you need to know
when the character's gonna look sideways,
when they're gonna say that line, when that character,
I mean, every part of it, you're just as involved
in that process, except you're the one
who's completely invisible.
Did you ever see the Justin Timberlake
"Say Something" video?
We did seven takes, but we had all these people
working together and it's in a fantastic wonder.
So, we go into like 300 there, he comes in,
I go downstairs out of 300, then I actually have to track
down another stairs at 300 as we're zooming out.
So, we find that, right there, come through,
come down the stairs while we're tilting,
so now I'm doing that staircase, backwards, off the track.
As we land that, you trigger the zoom, start coming
in to get to a zolly, where we find
him right there. - (laughs) Oh my God.
The most important question, is Justin Timerlake a (beep)?
- No, not at all, he was super sweet!
- My girlfriend's gonna watch this and if she knows
that he's really nice. - Oh, no no, she won't go.
- Then she's gonna be more in love with him.
I don't need that, sir. - No, no, its good.
- Look at the camera and just be like, ah, he's the worst.
- Awe, wait, I don't wanna say that,
he's so sweet. (Gene laughs)
Justin Timberlake's the worst.
- Oh, we got it! - He's really sweet!
He's really good! - No, no!
- He's the best! - No, censored!
You wanna show me your Arri Trinity?
- Yeah, let's deal with some toys!
- So this is your personal Trinity?
- This is mine. - So this is kind
of like a gimbal plus, a Steadicam, right?
- [Ari] Yeah, this is kind of like the evolution of it.
Someone told me it was Steadicam 2.0.
- [Gene] Is the basic principal of balancing
as similar to a Steadicam?
- Yeah, it's pretty much the same thing,
for the most part, except you just now
have a few more additions.
For Steadicam, you're balancing for it to be up here.
For this one you have to balance it
to be up here and down here at the same time.
This is what happens when you make jokes
to friends and they take you up on it.
(Gene laughs)
This is the Arri vest, it is a very lightweight vest.
This thing feels like nothing on my body
and I quite like that.
- So is this a universal fit?
- Socket plugs a place for their own connects to the vest
for almost 100% consistent, but it gives you a lot of room.
Like I feel like I have as much room
as I would in any other vest to be able to adjust and move.
It's very nice, it's efficient.
It also looks cool because it all matches.
(Gene laughs) And matching is important!
- Absolutely, like this stand right here,
it's just like all this and this hot pink stand.
- Well, I wish I brought all my other.
All my gear is becoming hot pink, it's mine.
- You're the only guy that can pull this off, you know that?
- I learned it from the coolest key grip I've ever met.
Like, older guy, had blonde hair, came in in sandals.
Real rough, cool guy, and all of his gear was pink.
And I was like, this guy's awesome.
(Gene laughs)
So, I guess I kind of borrowing it from him,
but this is a Tiffen Arm.
So it's a slightly wider diameter.
So, I'm using this adapter to create that.
- Gotcha. - So that it's up
and into here.
- The first time I ever put on a vest
like that, I got a bloody lip.
As soon as I put it on, the arm just (mildly scoffs).
I learned my lesson very quick to always hold that arm.
- You know, they used to say there was a lot of guys who had
like were missing their front teeth or something like that.
(Gene laughs) - Like the first OG operators?
'Cause they hit themselves not thinking, you know,
not learning like, oh, that could happen.
I was just playing around with someone on set,
and I've become so aware of where this is,
that what we doing I was like,
touch the arm in certain places, I'll close my eyes
and I can tell you where you're touching.
Because eventually this becomes
as sensitive to you as your own arm.
- Like I can feel it. - Its almost, yeah, like you
have a third arm pulling out the side of your hip.
- And then once you're set, I mean, its all pretty easy.
- Wow! - Like once you get going,
like, I have become over in time I've realized
that Steadicam is a two handed tool unless
you get bored, and then it's a one handed tool.
(Gene laughs)
You should be able to understand
the sensitivity of everything.
You need to know what this arm is gonna be able
to do to push yourself forward just as much
as you need to know that this hand will.
And the reality is, is that none of them are important.
It's all how you move.
(upbeat music)
Learn those things so that you can use it anywhere you are.
- [Gene] It's really hitting me now,
how much more flexibility this gives you,
and now just seeing how easy it is to go from, you know,
starting underneath a table and then whip it over to here
and then kind of making its way,
I could see how many directors would see that
and be like, "Okay, now I have a million ideas."
- [Ari] Yes, now I can go where I wanna go
and I don't have to be limited.
- [Gene] I keep hearing that Steadicam operators,
they have a lot of pain in their back.
- It's preventative, and a lot of that is stretching,
yoga and massaging, you know.
Now, lets say we're in a limited physical space
and that's where we need to push into.
I can get all the way, into close up into Geoff.
From there, so, I don't need to be in high or low mode.
I'm just in, as I like to like call it, javelin mode.
(Gene laughs) Because now, that's my thing,
or I could be higher, looking down.
Maybe I'm a principal and he's a kid, and he's in trouble.
I should be higher, or maybe I could push in
and he's about to have a big moment.
All right, I can be lower, but, the javelin mode
is what makes this thing very, very special.
And here's the fun thing, we haven't,
we're not even exploring how big we make this.
If we wanted to right now,
we could make this thing 8 feet long.
We could do a crane shot, like, I could start this low
and go over that wall, it's no problem.
One of my friend's did this shot
where he started on feet and he went up to
a basket for dunk. - Wow!
- That's how-- - With one of these?
- With one of these, but, this also comes with another
invention a lot of us we get stuck in this move,
where you're running this way, and because I have comfort
and trust in these tools and my pieces,
I don't have to think about anything behind me.
I can look forward and operate that with the same
ease as I am walking forward.
- Usually, I notice the monitors for Steadicams
down here, right?
And now, it's right here, by the handle.
- Yeah, which is something to get used to,
because you're looking at it closer and you're gonna have
to deal with the fact these things move,
but that doesn't mean the image is,
so sometimes its like wait, everything is shaking!
Oh wait, no, that's the actual monitor.
- Right. - Well, a lot of positions,
you'll see Steadicam guys, there's a lot of this?
Like craning around to be able to see their monitors.
- Yeah. - Those days are gone.
Another fun thing is that, and this is why its very cool
to have the wheels as an option is,
I don't have to look at the monitor anymore.
So, what's very nice about this is
you have your DP operating your tilt.
So when you're coming in and doing a shot,
if he just wants a little more head room,
you just get some of that head room.
I know I've got to put that lens
right between those two cups.
I know that that's where it needs to go,
and I know someone back there makes sure
its adjusted perfectly. - Wow!
- This gives the opportunity for both you
and your cinematographer, you and your director
to work cohesively together.
And because the Trinity is a complex things
there are times where it wouldn't be nice to have
that adjustment, just a little bit of help.
And I know that sounds crazy but I did one shot
where I went full speed into the car window.
And it was one of those 50s cars, the window was this big
and we measured, it was one and a half inches,
so you had about a three-fourths of an inch on this side
and a three-fourths of an inch
on this side to stick it through.
I didn't look at the monitor once.
I didn't return my eye back to the monitor
until I was about to hit the actor in the face.
(Gene laughs) All I had to do is know,
that if I just get it through that window, it's okay.
I just love the thing, there's so much cool (beep)
you can do, I do this when I'm play around.
I try to think of just like places I can go.
You have to learn the space,
and that's some of the practice is starting to dodge things,
'cause you used to never have to worry
about this hitting someone in the back of the head
when you're running, now you do.
(Gene laughs)
It's one of those things that seems so crazy and complex
until you start breaking it down and go oh, wait a minute,
this is just another tool on how to use it.
- I'm actually impressed on how simplified it actually is,
I thought there would be many, many pieces.
Especially with my past experience
with just gimbals in general, its just like, oh,
okay it's gonna be a complicated thing.
And this is a complicated thing with another
complicated thing but it's actually,
I feel like its been really well simplified.
- That comes from Arri's understanding
of how tools should work, they shouldn't come to set
with a million pieces and a million parts
then be like, good luck.
And the system that they've set up, it's so quick and easy.
If I were to change a lens right now
to a small little prime lens, this thing has like an,
I think they say it's like eight to 12 pound
adjustment range, which means once you've calibrated this
and set it up, you basically never have to do it again.
I mean, unless you change the entire thing,
it's already done, so you could go from one lens to another,
add a mapbox, add gnat and all you have to do
is adjust this, just the front and back.
They've understood what we go through,
they understand what we have to deal with onset
and so they figured what can we bring this thing to life
and make it do what it is intended to do
but not make people nuts in getting there.
- Now, when you're operating this
what exactly are you controlling?
The pan is locked into this, right?
- So, when you're operating you're panning,
as you go, you're doing all the adjustments.
The only variation from the standard camera stabilizer
is that tilt is now being operated by motor.
So, you have a little thumb stick here,
which I've done a little modification.
- You take that knob off a PlayStation
and stuck it on there?
- So, well, I actually, I had to do two,
'cause I broke the first one, so I took one out, I cut it,
I shaved it down, I set it just enough so that it wouldn't
minimize where you, like your full speed.
- When you were transitioning from a traditional Steadicam
onto this, was there a big learning curve?
Was there a lot to readjust?
- Yes, there's definitely an adjustment time.
The big difference is your body.
I spent so many years operating the same way, like this
is how you physically do it, this is how it works.
And then this thing comes in and it goes,
"You don't have to think that way anymore."
And you're like what?
(Gene laughs) - How do I look?
Do I look pretty cool?
- [Camera Operator] You look like a superhero.
Third arm man!
(laughing)
- What I learned is you do like the bow.
- You bow, you always bow to this thing.
- You always show respect, and then you insert.
- Yeah, that's the reason.
(laughing)
- [Ari] Show respect and then stab and play.
- [Jeff] I got to wait, I have to wait.
- So once you're in there your right hand's gonna go here,
your left hand is gonna grab the handlebar if you will.
And it's just, without bending your knees,
just take a one step forward.
You're gonna feel it lock in. - One step forward?
- Yeah, you see how that does? - Oh, yeah!
- And then, this is, can move around, so you don't have
to worry, you just step up. - This go up?
- All right.
- Yeah, I was, oh my God.
Immediately, I'm like, oh, this shot is totally unusable!
Because I feel like it's not straight,
but the gimbal is doing all that work, so.
That is kind of like a mental shift
a little bit, all right? - Exactly.
- I've actually never used a Steadicam
that isn't bottom heavy. - Yeah.
- So this thing likes to drift a little bit,
but its fine to let
it do that, huh? - It's okay.
- 'Cause it's, this would have been.
- And the frame, see you're still level, you're still good.
- Yeah! - So you have that control.
- 'Cause mentally, I'm like ope, this shot won't work.
- Because of. - 'Cause all of the roll.
But this, you have a lot more room for error.
- What I've found is from about here to here,
you have about a two and a half foot, three foot
slide move before you have to move your body.
- So, I'd be in low mode
and I'd tilt up with this thumb, right?
- Yeah, which you could rock it hard.
Like you could go quick on it, you could go gentle--
- Yeah, let me just, you just have to get used to it, huh?
- So your walk, as you were just doing,
is like kind of how you start walking with Steadicam.
Don't think you're walking with a Steadicam.
You're walking as normal and natural
and put that thing wherever it wants to go.
- [Gene] Wait, so I don't need to do the--
- The whole? - The steady walk?
The full one?
- So, when you go to javelin position, and you hold
it like that, and now you just walk forward.
How much more comfortable the walk that is?
I mean it's like, I'm just going for a walk!
- It's the computer's doing a lot more
than I'm used to, so it's like,
it makes it a little easier in a way.
- It makes it easier to focus on what's important.
Here, rip pan to me or whip pan to them and then right back.
Don't even have to use your body.
- Oh, that's right, you just kind of twist it, you just.
Wow!
Well, that was awesome, now I posted on instagram
and I just asked for some questions
that people have for you.
Not a question, just tell him he's really cool
and "La La Land" is super great, cool, thanks.
- Hey, thanks, Matthew, well, thank you!
- How often do you pull focus in the wrong direction?
Or how often do you mess up a take?
Well, you don't really pull focus, right?
- Yeah, I rarely deal with focus, but--
- But mess up a take?
- Mess up a take, I mean, it happens.
Yeah, I mean, my mentor once told me, he said,
you get two takes, if you (beep) up more than two,
you're probably gonna get replaced.
And I like to use it as a rule of thumb.
You shouldn't error twice, if you hit your,
like hit a wall or a thing or something,
maybe one more time after that, don't do it again.
That's kind of a general rule of thumb.
You get two takes before they get nervous.
- And when it comes to pulling focus in the wrong direction,
that's the first they see.
- Yeah, that's the first they say.
I would say, we could ask 'em.
- How often do you pull focus in the wrong direction?
- I never pull focus in the wrong direction.
(laughing) - I knew that would be
a really bad mistake to do!
- Nah, I'm kidding. - But!
- Maybe, in early on it happened every once in awhile
but that's one of those things that's a first they see.
That's your most important job, you know.
You kind of have to figure out which direction
you're going before you press role.
(laughing)
- Do you have a diploma for this?
- No, I mean, I guess technically, I have a little
piece of paper that makes me feel better, but, no.
(Gene laughs) Like, you take a work shop
and they give you a certificate.
The only satisfaction is hopefully
your mom is like, "Good job son!"
And you're like, yay, otherwise, you ain't getting nothing.
- What is the level of collaboration
between director of photography and camera op?
- I feel like collaboration has to come
from a point of what are you trying to do?
Are you trying to assist in create something
for speed, for look, efficiency, safety,
there's a lot of different things.
So, I'd say I feel like I collaborate but I don't ever
make the decision, because to me, the decision
is about doing what's best for all
and that's for them to tell me what they need.
- Since you're a bit of a lens nerd, this will be
a good one, what is your favorite lens?
Do you prefer vintage glass or modern lenses?
- Ooh, that's a hard question.
- This sounds like a big depends but, do you have anything
that has been particularly kind
of on the top of your brain lately?
- What I will say is that, in order to have a favorite lens,
you must know what every lens does and one of the things,
a very powerful thing in Steadicam or camera operator,
anybody can do is know the expression
of the lens you're using.
- How do you get to be a camera operator in Hollywood?
This is a pretty
popular question-- - That is a good question.
- Because a lot of people do see that barrier
of how do you get into the industry.
- If I were ever to start over again, I would say, search.
Search, search, search, we now live in a time
where there are so many outlets and channels.
Don't go to a guy that says for $100 I'll get you in kid.
Like, don't listen to that guy.
What I think is, use your resources.
You don't have to live in LA.
You can live anywhere in the world.
And this is what I always think,
'cause if you put your time and energy if you really
wanna be a camera operator in Hollywood,
you will if you choose to.
After that, nothing is to big or small
to accomplish, whatever job.
- One last question. - Sure.
- What's that, is that how many cameras you've burned?
- When I was 24 years old,
I had been operating for about three years.
So this is at a time, when you were with your DP,
you were trained, you'd been doing it a long time.
But I would go to work with people who had kids my age.
And at three year, I wasn't very good.
I didn't know what I was doing entirely,
but I know I belonged there.
I knew that I was coming into work for $200
with my old beat up rig and I could do what they needed
and I wasn't gonna take (beep).
I got these out of the idea of accountability and honesty.
'Cause, I figured as soon as we shake hands,
here's the proof, I have had problems.
I've faced them, I dealt with them, and I know
the difference, and what I found is that everybody
who didn't like these, we never worked together again.
And they never really worked again.
But all the people who love them, tend to have
moved forward, and we tend to still stay up.
So it was just accountability.
It was just taking it serious.
And this one is a girl who almost got injured
and she never knew what happened because she was acting
and I was doing the camera stuff,
but it was a choice I had to make which was either take
a 435 to the face, and crumble to myself,
or fall into her and maybe paralyze her.
And that's what I mean is responsibility and seriousness.
So I took it to the face.
Communication and safety is everything.
You know, I told the director and the AD and the DP
everything should be fine as long as we don't do this,
we're gonna be safe, if we do this, its unsafe.
Okay, no problem, and the first thing they did
is they walk right over to the actors and told them
to do exactly what I said it would've been unsafe.
And I didn't know, 'cause I'm going
to get set up to start the first take.
So, sure enough, take one, we start going and I'm full speed
running with a freaking massive camera.
We get to that one point, and what do they do?
They stop, and I was like, that's the one place
if you stop I can't control it.
So, once they stopped I had a nano-second, I mean,
a moment to just go, oh my God and the second I did,
like realized that they stopped, I literally just went
almost mid-air and just went right to the ground
and took the camera like that, and it smacked me right
in the head, I was all bruised up.
But we're not talking about hitting like a football player.
We're talking about hitting a young actress
in the center of her spine, it was that close.
So, that's where I got 'em, reminders.
- See, if I were to do that, my arm would just be like.
(Gene blurbs)
I'd look like dalmatian.
- That be great! (Gene laughing)
That be good, then your people would know,
like he knows what he's doing, it's okay!
- Except for every time they see me
there'll be like a few more. - See, that was it.
- So then they'll be like, okay, wait a second.
It was awesome chatting, good to know you.
- To know some, peace guys!
- See ya.
(upbeat music)