When the creative vision for a project involves dynamic movement, immersive tracking shots, or a sweeping flow that makes your audience feel like they're right in the middle of the action, it’s time to call in the cable cam.
What is a Cable Cam?
A cable cam is a camera system rigged on a cable, allowing smooth and controlled movement along a predetermined path. It’s often used to capture wide, sweeping shots or to follow subjects over a distance without the jitter or limitations of handheld or traditional dolly setups. This piece of equipment is especially useful in outdoor environments where the terrain is uneven or where large, steady movements are necessary, giving filmmakers the flexibility to add breathtaking dynamic shots with precision.
When to Use a Cable Cam
Cable cams are ideal for shots that need a sense of movement, flow, or continuous tracking of a subject. Whether it’s athletes riding loamy trails, capturing the energy of a fast-paced event, or showcasing the natural landscape, a cable cam offers a fluid motion that brings the scene to life.
They are especially useful when:
-Highlighting movement and flow in sports and action scenes.
-Creating dynamic tracking shots of people or objects over long distances.
-Capturing expansive wide-angle views that follow the landscape or environment.
-Enhancing the viewer's sense of energy, speed, or motion in the scene.
Tips for Using a Cable Cam
If you're planning to bring a cable cam to your next project, here are some tips to ensure you make the most out of it.
1. Use a Range Finder
Setting up a cable cam requires precise planning. A range finder is essential for calculating the exact distance between trees or any other anchor points, which will help determine the ideal path for the cable. It saves time and ensures you won’t run into complications when securing the cable or calculating its tension.
2. Bring a Laser Pointer
Cable cam setups can stretch over considerable distances, so communication is key. Using a laser pointer helps crew members communicate effectively. “ Tie the rope to that tree.” Which tree?” “The brown tree…” Clear communication can save time and prevent errors in the setup process, use a laser pointer to pick lines of site and laze endpoints for communication.
3. Budget More Time for Setup
Don’t underestimate how long setting up a cable cam can take. Depending on the terrain and complexity of the shot, setup can take anywhere from 45 minutes to several hours. Make sure your production schedule accounts for this. The setup includes rigging the cable, adjusting tension, testing the camera's motion, and fine-tuning any potential obstacles.
4. Maximize Your Coverage
Once the cable cam is set up, use it as much as possible. Get creative—take shots in different directions (up, down, wide, tight), and switch between slow-motion and real-time footage. While you have the rig in place, maximize your coverage: capture nature shots, reset shots, or even use the setup to film behind-the-scenes content. This helps ensure you get the most value and versatility from the time invested in the setup. Using a zoom lens with a wireless iris and zoom control is critical for time-saving efforts.
5. Don’t Forget to Bring a Ladder
It might sound simple, but a ladder is crucial for adjusting and fine-tuning the cable cam’s height and angles, especially if you're working in a remote location where natural elevation isn’t easily accessible. A ladder will give you the reach you need to make adjustments safely and efficiently.
6. Shoot in Between
Depending on the framing of your cable cam, it’s often possible to slip one or two hand-held shooters into the action to capture cutaways or detail inserts. Remind the crew to wear earth-tone colors before the shoot and tuck them behind bushes or behind trees to increase the coverage of the shoot.
A cable cam adds an exciting and immersive dimension to any project, bringing energy, flow, and movement that few other tools can match. But the risk of using a cable cam is that it’s easy to rely on the energy of the cable cam to replace the importance of good creative or a good story. We used a cable cam in our film Biketown to highlight the groundbreaking new trail system that was being developed in Pacific City, Oregon. This footage was used amidst a story of mountain bikers fighting for legal trail access across the nation as they sought to not only ride their bikes but transform their communities in the process.
Read more about Biketown and how the film raised $136,000 for local trail organizations around the country.
