Cameraman Down and EasyRig

D

dazapper

Well-known member
After being blessed with 35 years of TV news and sports production mostly freelance at the network level, and after spending that time with minor back and shoulder issues, the big one finally happened. While shooting a corporate event on August 14 with a pesky and nagging back ache, I threw the camera up on the shoulder and a searing intense pain went rifling down my left leg. At that moment I was to later find out I herniated the L5 disc. For the next week I was on the couch not able to move, get comfortable, or even walk. I took a cortisone shot to the site a week into the episode and was finally able to walk but with pain. I'm still down and place my recovery at about 40%. I have a surgical consult next week, am going through massage and acupuncture regularly in an effort to get over this ASAP. As a freelancer every day down is a day of lost income.

Two questions. Anyone have similar issues you'd like to share and commiserate with? Anyone have luck with the EasyRig or is it just too cumbersome? I'm thinking one might help down the line when I'm finally up and working again.
 
The Thing on The Sticks

The Thing on The Sticks

PRO user
In my case I was lucky enough to have not herniated anything but I strained the SI joint where my spine meets my hips. It was really a stupid thing I was removing a old cast iron sink from my house and bent at the waist. I didn't even notice it past the initial jolt but the next morning after the swelling sat in, I got out of bed and literally fell to my knees in pain. Spent most of the next two days laid out on the floor waiting for it to go down enough to go see the doc on Monday and get the bad news about my disc (or so I thought).

As I said I got lucky, but even with the Physical therapy to get it back it took closer to a year and a half to be what I would consider as good as or better than before. In my case I started learning Steadicam about 6 months ago and had reached out to Stephan Press for advice on a physical regimen. One of the things I was advised was to do was always reach bend forward and touch your toes when you take the rig off and don't go the other way. Basically to stretch the spinal region.

I started doing this as part of my regular routine especially after longer or more taxing handheld shots. Since then I can honestly say that my flexibility is better than it has been in at least 10 years, (I can now touch my toes.) And my back is overall doing better than it has in as long as I have been shooting. It took some time to show results but when it did I was shocked.

Sometimes it is the simple things that make a huge difference.
 
cameragod

cameragod

Well-known member
I though this post was going to be about this guy:



Don't ever put an Ezyrig on a Segway its just stupid.
 
B

Berkeley Shooter

Active member
Love the EasyRig!!

Many years ago I had a straight down crash in a hot air balloon on a shoot. 5 years later I discovered I had lost an inch and then suddenly started having all the symptoms of MS. Turned out I had a bulging disc pressing on my spinal cord in the thoracic spine. I had surgery and still have minor deficits mainly in my legs. So, for the past 19 years I've been successfully working with a bit of a spinal cord injury (don't tell my clients). I feel like the only reason for my longevity in the field is because of the EasyRig. I absolutely aways use it when hand held. One of my main gigs is House Hunters. Long days of following people around. I would have been long since retired without it. If you have questions email and we can talk. Also it is imperative that you get into some kind of body work to keep flexible once you get back into shape.

Disclaimer:I do not and have not ever worked for EasyRig. I did except a sweatshirt from the company at this years NAB.

Robin (Berkeley)
 
Last edited:
R

Robin

Well-known member
Got got an easy rig cinema 3.. F5 with CN7 gets heavy very fast.. compared to PMW500 and ENG zoom.. had a long shoot when I first got it,a lot of HH.. and it really was a killer..
Easyrig is a bit of compromise.. you cant squat down.. tilting up or down is a bit weird ..
But compared to not being able to work its a very good compromise ..!! Not cheap but the only way to go really..
 
C

Capt. Slo-mo

Well-known member
I popped an L5 disc when a snowmobile I was shooting from ended up in a snowbank. That was nearly 30 years ago. I wish I could tell you it'll fully recover, but it may not. However; with some luck, physical therapy and a new way of approaching work mechanics you should be able to continue to shoot.

Get some PT on it once things feel better, and really, really focus on your body mechanics as you lift stuff up in the future. Almost no more bending over into the Pelican case--take a knee. Any time you bend over, one hand for you to relieve torque on the lower back, one hand for whatever you're grabbing. Those kinds of things. Everything needs to change, from how you hoist a light kit to how you tie your shoes. Doing your back stretches and core exercises religiously is essential.

I've never used an Easy Rig, but I know a fair number of shooters with back/shoulder issues who swear by them.

I hope it works out for you. None of us like to be reminded of our mortality.
 
D

dazapper

Well-known member
Well, tomorrow will be four weeks since my injury and I'm still out of work though at least now I can walk, drive, go food shopping, and sleep comfortably. I couldn't do any of these things the first week after it happened. I was wrong in the earlier post, it's actually L3 that was compromised, and I say that because the docs aren't really sure if it was a true herniation or a bulge even after two MRIs. Bottom line is that they don't recommend surgery but rest, PT, and then exercise. Haven't started the PT yet, but acupuncture is still helping. I'm told it'll be a long haul and I've applied for TDI so hopefully that'll help in the short term but the paperwork is exhausting. Hope to see everyone out on the pavement real soon, and then I'll decide about the EZRig upon my return though it's highly likely it is in my future work, whenever that may be.
 
R

Run&Gun

Well-known member
Looks like their version of the MK-V AR/Steadicam rigs. There are some very cool shots floating around(pun intended) out there that have been done with them. The behind the scenes footage of the guys that fly them is more interesting than the shots, and some are mind blowing.
 
D

dazapper

Well-known member
Update

It's been almost four months since my injury and I'm finally on the verge of returning to the fray but only at a pace conducive to my continued convalescence. Today my doc gave the go-ahead for adjusted duty and I'm afraid most people don't fully understand what it is we do for our livings. What I am most afraid of is going out, having to go all out, then getting re-injured. The pain experienced in early August was the most intense I've ever had and it happened while doing something I've done for 35 years on the most innocuous shoot. I was one who for a long time avoided one-man band shoots and it looks as though going back to the way things were just prior to the injury is pretty much out of the question. I'm likely going to invest in an EasyRig and the new FS5 to have a lighter camera in the arsenal, but running and gunning without assistance would be foolish and stupid. We'll see how it goes in the coming months, please wish me luck.
 
R

Run&Gun

Well-known member
I'll throw in a Good Luck, too. I'm pretty sure we've all hurt our backs(and shoulders and knees and necks and wrists and...) to some degree and had to still shoot. It's not fun. Besides the creative and mental aspects, this is a physical job that requires us to have our full physical capabilities to be at our best. I won't pretend that I know how the serious level of injury and debilitation that you've been through felt, but I can certainly relate and empathize, because I know how just the mundane, like being overly sore from a workout or just a "tight back" can negatively affect you and make things seem exponentially harder while trying to work.

Good luck, get well and take care, brother.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top