(+1) 234 567 21

The Nearly Lost Art Of Live Crane Work…

•

Eyes Of A Generation.com


The Nearly Lost Art Of Live Crane Work…

I can’t write this without thinking of our friend John Pinto and his talented crew on the Chapman Electra at ‘Saturday Night Live’. In the US, that is the only show left that uses a stage crane. The BBC’s equivalent to John and his predecessor, the late Al Camoin, is the late Ron Green. In this great video, Ron shows us how it’s done. The first part is the performance and the second, an overhead view and split screen of Ron shooting the performance with amazing grace (no pun intended). Enjoy and share. Thanks to Bill Jenkin in the UK for sharing this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rteHG-m5BwE&feature=youtu.be

Ron Green shows how it was done.

Source

12 responses to “The Nearly Lost Art Of Live Crane Work…”

  1. Roy Fechter

    It gave me goosebumps to watch the talented Ron Green and his Mole crane crew. Such talent!

  2. Dickie Bunn

    I think our Mole was left outside in Southampton and went for scrap, sad. The studios were demolished too.

  3. Howard Malley

    I agree–Al and John were/are the best! It’s too bad this great piece of equipment is practically retired.

  4. Dickie Bunn

    Rob Balton, every respect for those new skills. I’ve had a few “goes” at remotes and it’s very tricky! I think I “got away with it” ok I was ok but… Sitting on a crane for 2+ hours “as live” with no chance of a retake on an opera takes some beating for adrenalin rush! Of course the wrap parties were even better… if I could remember.

  5. Dickie Bunn

    The Mole crane was a big part of my life for over 25 years. At TV centre I was a regular member of the “mole” crew on many productions especially at Television Theatre on crew 3 and latterly 11 with Roger Fenna a superb and demanding senior cameraman on the mole. I moved to Southern in 73 where my experience at the back end soon caught the eye of music director Dave Heather. I worked on practically every music programme he directed nearly always sat on the Mole. We even took the mole to Glyndebourne! Later when TVS took over we used two cranes. They were great times and teamwork was the watchword. A big thanks to those who tracked and swung the arm for me; Mike Hutton, Graeme Wall (who was totally fearless on the arm, not sure how we never killed the leader of Bournemouth Symphony Orch!)

  6. Ryan Balton

    It’s definitely advanced… just look at who they would let operate the camera 20 years ago!

  7. Rob Balton

    I beg to differ that live crane work is a lost art. It has simply moved to the next level. I started my career driving and swinging Chapmans. I learned from masters of live TV Jake Ostroff, Ron Washburn and Mike Lieberman. Now I operate the camera from the other end of the crane and some of the cranes can do on air extension! The art isn’t lost it has been advanced!

  8. Bill Jenkin

    There is some information about Ron Green here http://www.tech-ops.co.uk/page157.html
    and also here – http://www.gtc.org.uk/media/fm/Zerb%20articles/Ron%20Green.pdf

  9. Terry Ricketts

    Oops …..cable “basher” and a bar counting production assistant.

  10. Zach Camerino

    Amazing!

  11. Terry Ricketts

    Wonderful! Also shows the talent of a “

  12. Eyes Of A Generation.com

    It’s quite possible that the crane in the video is the same one recently rescued from the old BBC HQ building by John Wayre who owns Cinephonics Prop Hire.

Leave a Reply