- 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)
that was pretty interesting!
Who was the actress that was almost paralyzed towards the end of the video?