Filmotechnic Canada Ltd. is very proud to bring you the Sci-Tech Academy Award Winning , High Speed Gyro-stabilized Camera Support System: The Russian Arm, Flight Head and the ML55 Chase Car.
What is the Russian Arm System?
The Russian Arm System is the unique combination of the gyro-stabilized Flight Head on the end of a repeatable, pan & tilt, gyro-stabilized remote controlled crane arm.
It is safely operated via joystick consoles from within the ML55 Chase Car.
A high speed mobile crane arm used for photographing moving vehicles from just about any & every angle you want in all weather conditions. Shots are setup on the fly & adjusted instantly. Sequences can be as dynamic as your imagination.
Where is the Russian Arm System?
From our Home Office in Toronto we cover Winnipeg, Montreal, Halifax, New York, Detroit & Chicago.
From our New Office in Vancouver we can cover Calgary, The Prairies and the Seattle area.
History of the Russian Arm
Designed in Kiev, Ukraine in 1982 by Cinema Engineer Anatoliy Kokush, Yuriy Popovsky and Director of Photography Oleksiy Zolotarov.
In 1996 Filmotechnic introduced the Robo Arm to Hollywood, CA.
The Russian Arm was officially named the Auto-Robot Crane or Robo Arm. It soon was nick-named 'Russian Arm' due to the Russian spoken by Filmotechnic's Ukrainian Technicians.
The Russian Arm quickly became a preferred tool for shooting Car Commercials, Feature Films, and Music Videos.
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Executing Any Shot Is A Team Effort
The director gives cues to everyone on the iCom system.
Precision drivers control moving vehicle position & speed.
The crane op positions the arm.
The camera op frames the shot.
The focus puller keeps it sharp.
What Can You Mount the Russian Arm To?
Its principle mobile base is the ML55 Chase Car
The RA can be mounted to any picture vehicle that can support its 300kg weight:
Boats, Trains, Trucks, Buses, Camera Cars, Picture Vehicles.
Advantages of Russian Arm Mounted To ML55 Chase Car
With the Russian Arm on the ML55 chase car you can shoot another moving vehicle from just about any & every angle.
Shooting can occur in any weather because technicians are shielded from the elements inside the ML55 chase car.
Shots are setup on the fly and can be adjusted instantly.
Sequences can be as dynamic as your imagination lets them.
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System Features & Specifications
Robo Arm Standard Reach
Pan & Tilt axis are gyro-stabilized.
360° panning capability around the ML55 or picture vehicle.
Minimum safe operating camera height off the road surface is 12”.
Reach from the centre post is 14’.
Fulcrum sits 8’ off the ground.
Maximum lens height is 14’, armed off to either side of the ML55.
With an 18 mm lens a full frame top shot can be achieved.
Stabilization tail fin allows the Russian Arm to pan side to side, back and forth at high speeds.
Operating Tilt angle ±45°.
Speed 6 sec / 360°.
Max camera payload capacity 25 kg.
Weight 300 kg (RA, FH, Camera, Counter Weights).
Set-up Time on ML55 Chase Car: 1.25 hours (including camera).
Set-up Time on a Picture Vehicle: 2.5 hours (not including vehicle’s prep).
The RA is fully controlled from within a car and is capable of operating at speeds up to 180 km/hr.
The RA with a 19' extended reach now achieves a 19'-6" lens height armed off to the side of the ML55 Chase Car.
Brooklyn Bridge Certified
Our Toronto bases RA System has been specially rengineered to meet the standards & regulations of the Brooklyn Bridge Engineers (NYC) for weight and height (9') to enable filming with a camera car system on the bridge.
4 Axis Gyro-Stabilized Memory Head.
Auto Horizon always keeps camera level even in hi G turns.
Pan axis travels through 360° with back-pan compensation.
Roll axis travels through 270° with auto horizon.
Tilt Axis travels through 200°.
Gyros can be turned off for a dynamic effect.
Preston FIZ plugs into head console to give Zoom control on the left joy stick.
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