American History X
"That Night", By Charles Papert
This shot tracks Norton and Furlong down a staircase and out into the street where Norton encounters a group of prowlers. It is an excellent example of great operation on stairs.
Operator's Commentary
The toughest stairs shot I've done to date (hopefully a record never to be unseated)! It starts in Missionary pushing at Ed Norton, then I turn right to precede him down the stairs while panning left into Don Juan. I hit the landing (avoiding a light in the corner) and continue under an amazing low header--watch a few seconds later as Ed ducks his head under it--and come to a stop mid-step as Ed pauses on the landing. When he starts up again, I hit the ground floor and pan right with him as my body counter-rotates back into Missionary, then I follow him to the door. We did dozens and dozens of takes with different focal lengths. Quite a night. The scene continues here, mostly with handheld and conventional shots, although there are a few Steadicam bits once Ed runs out to the street. Powerful scene!
Equipment Used
Model 3 Steadicam, Model 1 arm and vest (modified)
Arri BL3, Zeiss superspeeds
Shot Elements
Stairs
Running
User Comments
A powerful scene, because a powerful shot (and actors). I like the moment where you can see Ed Norton putting his hand on his brother's arm (i.e. protecting his brother) while preparing to kill ... looks realistic, feels as if you are in that room. Submitted by: Pieter Mali on 9 Jan, 22