R1S Arm Car / Camera Rig

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

In the production business, folks used to call it the "Russian Arm". The system was design and built by Filmotechnic of Ukraine. The entire boom is gyro stabilized, so is the camera mount. For filming in rain there are even motorized lens attachments that spin, while filming, to keep footage free of water drops and runs.

Right after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, people immediately corrected themselves and started calling it the "U-crane". Couple years ago worked on a shoot with one, built on a second generation Cayenne. It was very interesting to watch the crew work together like a well-drilled battle tank crew—from the precision driver, to crane operator in the front passenger seat, and two camera operators (one of them in the gutted cargo area, sideways, almost in fetal position). Every move is communicated and coordinated. I don't know how the guy in the back doesn't get car sick.

Few days ago I noticed one outfit, Motion State, has built one out of a gen 1 R1S. This makes total sense. It's got tons of power on-tap from a dead stop; no engine or transmission to spin up. It's quiet, unlike the Cayenne. It's got air suspension to help smooth out bumps and undulations in the road. And, it's got tons of room. When I was in the Cayenne, the still photographer & director, videographer and myself were squeezed into the second row. It was low 40s (cold for Los Angles) and windy. But we were sweating our balls off.

Anyways... feast your eyes.

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[Glembi2]

That’s an impressive amount of weight bolted to the roof. And the bumper guard with lights would be an awesome option

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

That’s an impressive amount of weight bolted to the roof. And the bumper guard with lights would be an awesome option

Yes, but a lot of it is made of carbon composites.

 

[COdogman]

That is pretty amazing design.

 

[iansriv]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing. So, my M134 idea would work then.

 

[Dark-Fx]

I want to know more about the ladder.

 

[electruck]

Very cool! I figured that video would all be shot from drones these days.

 

[natcc99]

That is really really cool. Thanks for sharing.

The "U-crane" name is very clever.

I was impressed by the bucket seat at the 00:24 in the video. It's neat that they kept the same material to make the seat.

I am not from the industry, but very curious about it. Can you help explain why the camera vehicle has aux lights? I would think natural lighting would be better for the videos? It seems to be more challenging to film since you have to control not only the camera position, but also the camera-vehicle position to have the lights aimed correctly. I bet I'm completely misunderstanding the use case for the extra lights.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

I was impressed by the bucket seat at the 00:24 in the video. It's neat that they kept the same material to make the seat.

I was struck by how much room that guy had, compared to the Cayenne I worked with. That guy looks so relaxed like he's at resort waiting for a margarita to be brought to him. Doug DeMuro has a video on a similar Cayenne:

I am not from the industry, but very curious about it. Can you help explain why the camera vehicle has aux lights? I would think natural lighting would be better for the videos? It seems to be more challenging to film since you have to control not only the camera position, but also the camera-vehicle position to have the lights aimed correctly. I bet I'm completely misunderstanding the use case for the extra lights.

The one I worked with did not have aux lights. Just like the one in DeMuro's video, everything but the fog lights were blacked out. And the practical intent—along with the matte black wrap—is to minimize reflectivity and not become part of the resulting footage. My best guess with the aux lights on the R1S is that if shooting at night, they could use them for navigation, to get into position, between takes. Or use them to light up a remote base of operations, if they are doing drone work and using the R1S as command center. Also, these camera rigs are usually trailered to and from location. Crew and equipment have to be on-set before sun rise. And "wrap" is usually in the dark. So you do need some lighting to load and unload.

 

[natcc99]

The one I worked with did not have aux lights. Just like the one in DeMuro's video, everything but the fog lights were blacked out. And the practical intent—along with the matte black wrap—is to minimize reflectivity and not become part of the resulting footage. My best guess with the aux lights on the R1S is that if shooting at night, they could use them for navigation, to get into position, between takes. Or use them to light up a remote base of operations, if they are doing drone work and using the R1S as command center. Also, these camera rigs are usually trailered to and from location. Crew and equipment have to be on-set before sun rise. And "wrap" is usually in the dark. So you do need some lighting to load and unload.

Awesome. Thank you for sharing. That makes perfect sense. I was thinking about using the lights during filming (is it still called that), but your comment about setup and wrap up is a good point that I haven't thought of. Rivian or not, it's still a cool setup and looks like a fun job.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Awesome. Thank you for sharing. That makes perfect sense. I was thinking about using the lights during filming (is it still called that), but your comment about setup and wrap up is a good point that I haven't thought of. Rivian or not, it's still a cool setup and looks like a fun job.

"Filming", stilled called that. I was involved as ad agency creative. Shoots are grueling. To be part of a crew that does it on the regular... a young man's game.

 

[boredcleaner]

We came across one of these filming in Vancouver recently.

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