Libra Technician

A gorilla streaks across a busy street, trying to catch the film’s screaming heroine. The camera tracks the chase in one gliding movement, and then soars to pick out the flock of eagles swooping down to carry the unfortunate woman away. On screen, it might seem like the camera is magically flying, but in reality, all it takes is a special piece of equipment. As a Libra Technician, you operate that equipment.

Before filming begins, as the Libra Technician, you study the script at length, and meet with the Director to discuss how the shot should look in the completed film. To truly capture the Director’s vision, the Libra Technician may produce drawings of the shots, showing where the camera will be placed and how it will move.

On shooting day, you mount the libra. If you’re filming high, sweeping shots, you mount it on a crane. To capture low action shots, you mount it on a car. Once the mount is secure, you attach your camera to it and hook the equipment to your computer.

After the connections are complete, you run many tests to make sure everything is working properly. Sometimes, you program the libra to make the same sorts of motions over and over, creating an array of motion shots. Other times, you prefer to control the libra as the action unfolds.

When shooting starts, you use your computer to control where the libra is pointing, how the camera is focused, and how the camera is moving. As the shoot progresses, you can see the film on your computer. The Director often comes to look at these shots, too. You may film the same shot over and over, making subtle changes between takes.