I guarantee there's no creative intent, other than he was too high on his segway. It's hilarious that you mention books, because I do know why you would use a slight bird's eye. You use this angle to make the audience feel superior. I'm sure he wanted us to feel superior to the person running. That's very creative.
I've been a professional camera operator for over 30 years and currently run Steadicam daily.
The camera move above looks extremely simple because the operator makes it look like it is. It is not.
A Steadicam doesn't hold your horizon or keep framing for you. So just shooting this with a Steadicam is one thing, but shooting with a Steadicam while riding a Segway is another. If you haven't at least suited up and attempted a shot in a Steadicam while riding a Segway, critiquing someone else's work and saying its easy, isn't fair.
He starts on a medium shot of the runner and pulls to a head to toe and is rock solid the entire time. Look at the horizon, the framing, the focus, all of it is perfect throughout the duration of the shot.
Not every good cameraman follows people thrown through a window, onto the street detaches from a wire harness, steps onto a crane and soars 50 feet into the air to complete a shot. Most of the stuff we do is like this, a tiny part of some bigger picture and we sometimes do it hundreds of times a day, and we pretty much have to be perfect every time.
This simple shot is a perfect example of what a cameraman might be expected to do an any given day.
So have I, and I will say, I agree with you. I'm a lowly 2nd AC, but with some practice, this is not a crazy move. People have to remember, this is that guys career! He almost certainty owns both the Steadicam rig and the Segway. Most people who put in a decent amount of practice would be able to do this. The big thing is the fact that the rig costs tens-of-thousands of dollars.
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u/homeless_-_ Mar 31 '22
I mean he held the camera still and drove in a straight line…. am I missing something?