"Planet Earth" gadgets.

[Chicago Dog]

I happened to catch a little bit of "Planet Earth: The Filmmaker's Stories" last night. It was a pity that this special was aired so late on a Sunday night, because I could only watch the first three segments before finally giving in to my drooping eyelids.

Regardless, I actually learned a few things in the little bit I watched. I'm curious: where do they snag gadgets like they used in the first segment? It was a camera rigged to a dolly that traveled up a 45-degree-ish cable with a counterweight. It was a great shot.

[BlueWing]

I believe they said they made the rig themselves.

[Stoney]

I think most of that stuff was backyard engineered. The "steadycam" rig they used for the high-speed shark video was a janky bike hoop connected by ropes to the boat. Hey, it worked.... eventually. The high speed shoulder mount was homemade with a doorbell button to fire the record trigger.

I couldn't help but think the hours they spent shooting with that setup must have been pretty miserable. The ergonomics of the camera, the swaying boat, never knowing where exactly a shark will pop out of the water, hitting the trigger at the right time. What a monumental task of a shoot. There are things that could have made that easier, but after watching, I was impressed by the shots and the resolve to get those shots.

[Buck]

I'm man enough to admit I would have ran away screaming like a little school girl had I been on that bat crap - cockroach floor shoot.