A new prototype rig from indie developer Tom Harris could put more vertical control into the hands of HD and HDSLR shooters

Independent camera support developer Tom Harris, a former aerospace engineer, noticed the lack of vertical camera moves in many of today’s projects and this made him wonder: What if he could create a lightweight, hand-held rig that would combine a Steadicam fluidity with the reach of a crane? And why move in with a zoom, he thought, when you can just move forward with the camera?


Tim Harris with his SHORT rig

It took him ten years to create SHORT, his prototype “camera positioner” that includes a two-axis servo smart drive. Instead of the typical pan and tilt axes, however, SHORT opens up the options for any number of shooting orientations. SHORT weighs about 17 pounds empty and has a payload capacity of 2 to 20 pounds and is ideal for HDDSLR cameras like the Canon 5D MK II, as well as 2/3-inch format HD cameras such as Sony’s EX3 and RED Epic.

That said, it also looks like a viable option for Sony’s soon-to-be-released F3, which Harris agrees would be an ideal fit. “I’ve been waiting for that camera for ten years,” he says.

Harris, a fine artist who has experience in vehicle design, performance and instrumentation, also builds his own bikes and airplanes and says he’s been able to borrow and bend structural techniques and materials from those areas for this prototype. He also has a license to fly both helicopters and gliders.

“For decades I wanted to place a camera out of arm’s reach as easily as I could place one within arm’s reach,” he says. “This technology is born of that continuing need.”

Since this is a prototype-the third “field-able” version-Harris has not yet determined pricing. He holds the patent on the rig and is intent on getting the concept out to interested manufacturers. “Eventually I want to lease the technology to the broadcast production and cinema industry operators for higher end application,” he says. “With the FP3 being a prototype and not a volume production design, I will be demonstrating it within the industry to interested entities (such as operators, directors and DPs) and seeking feedback on how it may be optimized as a tool for the craft, as well as what value they perceive it to have.”

To see more of what this rig may be capable of, watch his video here: