Kessler Motion Capture & Playback using Oracle, ElektraDRIVE Motors, Shuttle Pod, & CineSlider

I have returned from my Indiana trip and I am very tired! I have been experimenting with Kessler motorized gear and Canon 5d mark 2 DSLR cameras. Eric Kessler, the man behind the products, has been working with me to field test these innovative production tools. In addition to shooting time lapses with motion, Eric and I experimented with motion capture on the Oracle. This feature is sweet, easy to use and I am going to explain why it is important. I have just scratched the surface! I hope you come up with even more creative applications and show me up!

The ability to record and playback motor movement is very exciting. I have to admit, I did not think this inexpensive system was going to be frame accurate, but I was wrong. The Oracle records exactly and perfectly the joystick action and allow the user to playback that motorized memory over and over. You must keep the shots exact and consistent. Do not move or bump the track and camera. The most important thing is that you must start the dolly carriage in the exact same spot before you playback the move. By doing this, you get exact replica motion playback with slow-downs, stops, fast speeds and more as you dolly the camera down the track.

Eric and I wanted a long dolly move, going right, stopping and then going left. Using the Shuttle Pod mounted on two tripods, we were able to get the travel we needed for the dynamic motion capture shot. We recorded the move and played it back six times while the 5dmk2 was recording video. The first pass was an empty scene, then the next five passes included me… popping up and jumping from concrete tubes on the edge of a soy bean field in the middle of nowhere Indiana.

Later, in post, all you need to do is line up and layer the clips (or plates) in the time line and dissolve between them!

I wanted to demonstrate how smooth these ElektraDRIVE motors are as the 5dmk2 slides down the track. I set up a CineSlider and mounted a 65mm f2.8 macro lens to the camera. I placed tiny items on my kitchen table and slowly hovered the DSLR over them. I used a Bogen Magic arm to mount the 5dmk2 upside down to scrape the subject matter. This type macro work is not forgiving. Anyone who has used a macro lens before knows that even the smallest vibration is amplified ten fold. But, it worked much better than expected and the results are in the video below.

You can also watch this video on VIMEO by clicking here.

More to come! I will be working on editing the timelapse video blog in the next few days. Eric and I shot day and night timelapses using the Shuttle Pod, Oracle and ElektraDRIVE motors while we fought the dark and deprived ourselves of sleep. Stay tuned!

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