American Cinematographer - May 1933 - 12

May 1933 *

American Cinematographer

Mobile
Camera-Carriages
an d

c ranes
by

William Stull, A.S.C.

itself is mounted on a seat-shaped fitting, pivoted at the end
of the boom and radius-rods. The camera-platform pivots in
turn on this seat, moving through a horizontal arc of over
300 degrees. It is turned by means of a two-speed handwheel-operated panoramic gear similar to those used in the
panoramic heads on M-C-M blimp tripods. The head carries,
in addition to seats for two or three operators, a standard
blimp camera-mounting, which is tilted by a second handwheel.
Elevating or depressing the boom, as well as re¬
volving it or moving the chassis, is done by the stage crew.
The boom is carefully counterweighted, so that it may be
tilted by one man.
The big camera-boom used at the Paramount studio is
of very similar design. It utilizes a somewhat lighter
chassis, however, and the operation of the camera-plat¬
form is somewhat different.
In this device, the camera
(with or without a blimp) is mounted upon a standard
pan-and-tilt head, which is in turn mounted on the boom.
The revolving of the camera-platform is also controlled
manually, but through a pair of stirrup-like foot pedals,
which operate like the rudder-controls of an airplane. This
crane is the design of Virgil Miller and the Paramount
Mechanical Construction Department.
The United Artists Studio has also developed a large
crane, which is, however, of decidedly lighter construc¬
tion; instead of the box-girder construction in the beam,
this crane uses a pair of duralumin I-beams, with solid
transverse bracing and wire-bracing for longitudinal rigid¬
ity. The arm is mounted on the chassis by a single-point
mounting of 4-inch tubing.
The most recent step in the evolution of mobile cameracarriages is the development of small devices which com¬
bine the functions of crane, dolly and tripod. With a single
exception, these are all developments of the past eighteen
months.
The exception is an experimental unit made by
the R. K. O. studio for an elaborate musical film which
never reached production.
The device itself has seldom
been used.
Among the existing designs, there are two widely diver¬
gent schools of thought. In both instances, the goal is the
same, but the means of attaining it are different.
One
school of thought prefers cranes of reduced size; this is
exemplified in the devices used at the Paramount and Fox
studios; the other has resulted in the development of a
radically different device known as the "Rotambulator,"
which was jointly developed by John Arnold, A.S.C., and
the Bell and Howell Co. This latter device has appeared in
two slightly differing forms: the first being the one in use
at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio, and the second the

Top: Paramount's
Center:

Early

Dolly.

small

camera

Bottom:

Large

crane.
Para¬

mount camera crane.

commercial model manufactured by Bell and Howell.
The M-C-M "Rotambulator" is essentially a circular
platform, mounted on an extremely low, wheeled under¬
carriage, and fitted with sockets for lights, seats for the
operative cameramen, and an eight-foot vertical column
upon which the camera-seat travels. By the operation of
a hand-wheel at the base of the column, the camera may
be raised from a position approximately eighteen inches
above the floor-level to a height of eight feet.
Another
hand-wheel, placed conveniently by the operative cine¬
matographer's right hand, tilts the camera as does the
tilt-head on an ordinary tripod, while a third wheel, at
the operator's left hand, revolves the entire platform-
column, seats, lights and all-through a full 360 degree
circle. In addition, the low undercarriage permits horizon¬
tal movement of the rotambulator, either in straight lines
or curves, while the rear wheels, which are placed in a
single truck, close together, permit the assembly to be
rotated on the axis of its front wheels.
Due to the ex¬
tremely low undercarriage, and to the wide track of the
front wheels, the rotambulator is steady, even when the
camera is raised to its maximum elevation; to make as¬
surance doubly sure, however, retractible feet are provided
at the corners, so that the device can be anchored in any
given spot.
Continued on Page 36

American Cinematographer - May 1933

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