Big shoutout to Dirk van Sloten, Director of Photography. He hauled his Steadicam to the shoot. Those action scenes were a total game-changer with the fluid camera movement. The scenes were five times better.
Dirk’s shooting style for this film is influenced by director John Woo’s action movies. Dirk furnished a steadicam 4000 rig with Glidecam x-10 vest and arm. The Steadicam rig provided smooth motion to suit the comic book style of creating images with precise framing.
Below the steadicam maestro Dirk van Sloten tracking “The Man in the Mask” before a kill.
Dirk rocked that rig with fluid accuracy to enhance the energy of the fight scenes. Actors engaged in brawls over longer stretches of city turf than what a tripod would allow.
Below is the longest steadicam sequence in the film.
The fluid moment was built on teamwork.
Dirk glided through the driveway. Behind him the gates locked silently.
Off-screen, Tank and Vinny—the “killer” dogs—burst loose after the actors.
In the final moment, “The Man in the Mask” quickly grabs and shoots Otto’s gun.
When I finally saw this video in the editing bay I wished we tried more shots like this.
The Assistant
One time Dirk was down with some bug. Dave Oplinger stepped up and kept the Steadicam rolling.
