Eye in the Sky
From Mod Mania
EYE IN THE SKY
As there is a large variety of camera mounts that are available for motor vehicles, I chose to expand and look into another form of transportation rather then on land, I chose to develop an understanding of aerial camera modifying, focusing on helicopters, and certain scenarios where this type of camera modifying helps filmer’s create a more wide spread viewing platform, and helps viewers have an insight into the heads of each character that the camera catches.
Helicopters provide a wide spread viewing platform because of their abilities to provide a wide variety of angles, as a results of their aerial maneuver traits.
Helicopter camera mounts have been around since the late 1950’s. The most commonly used type in film today is the Tyler system.
Nelson Tyler invented the Tyler mount system in the late 1950’s. For his expertise in this field he was presented with a Scientific and Engineering Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures, for the development of the Tyler helicopter camera platform. As well, he more recently received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. The Tyler Helicopter Nose Mount offers full 360 degree side to side rotation, as well as a full body to body up and down mechanism. Today the Tyler helicopter mount system is the most versatile and commonly used camera system world wide.
As the Tyler system is the most commonly used and has been around the longest it was a simple choice for the Red Bull team to snatch up this system for their sponsorship of the NZ Messenger Race.
The Red Bull team created a new platform for their viewers to experience with introducing their Red Bull Eye in the Sky system. This system is basically a Tyler front nose mount camera to a Red Bull Helicopter. This system was used to capture the NZ messenger race.
The Red Bull Messenger race was held on the 12th of April this year in Auckland, New Zealand. It was a 6 checkpoint race, made up of 40 riders, where riders had to collect a token at each checkpoint. With an extra checkpoint added for riders that would run a brake. Each checkpoint was only to be visited once and could be in any order. Riders where to make their own way to each checkpoint. At the end the person to cross the finish line first after they had collected all the tokens takes the crown.
The riders that entered this race where from all around the world. They consisted of mostly American, Australian, and New Zealand riders ranging from novice to experienced. There were many fixed community groups from around the world that entered.
Mash SF, which is a San Francisco based fixed community who featured one of their most experienced riders, Rainier Schaefer, who took out the win. Winning by more then a kilometre in front of second place.
Akfixed, which is a New Zealand based fixed community group who entered some of their most experienced riders with Chris Macic, taking out the highest placing with second place.
With the race being open to anyone who wanted to enter, most of the riders where still from a base community group, wanting to represent their part of the world wide fixed community. They wanted to show the rest of the world their unique riding style, as well as their bike modding style. With each fixed community group around the world having their own unique signature traits, each community wanted to express and show it off to the rest of the world wide riders during this race. With some fixed groups focusing on bold bike colors and rims, their smart and strategic riding style, to groups that focusing on pure performance bike looks and parts, and genuine fast paced hard riding styles. They still have one thing in common, they love fixed gear bikes.
Even though there are so many different community groups around the world, Macaframa, Mashsf, Trackosaurusrex, Fast Friday, Bootleg Sessions, HK fixed, Cranky Sundays, Steady Rollin, and AK fixed to name a few, they are all interested in fixed gear bikes they still share common traits. They all love to share ones experiences and knowledge with one another, they love modding their bikes as well as they all love to ride this style of bike.
With the Red Bull Eye in the Sky camera system it helped to show these traits as well as an insight into how each riders has to perceive his/her journey throughout a city landscape. It provided great angles to show how each rider is dealing with the upcoming obstacles, like cars, traffic lights, pedestrians or hills. It showed how Rainier Schaefer’s style of riding helped him to be the victor in this race. Even though he was from a completely different country and was not familiar with the city he still took home the win. Because of his experienced in San Francisco with crowded and fast paced streets he was able to bring these factors into account to perform highly in this race. The Eye in the Sky cam helped us to see these traits, as well as the traits if the others riders.
Even though fixed gear community groups are only a new type of platform for fixed riders they are still growing exponentially. These fixed community groups might not even know each other or speak the same language but they all have the same themes, the love fixed gear bikes.
With Red Bull adopting their Eye in the Sky helicopter this presented another platform in which to help expand and give an insight into these different types of community groups throughout the world.
References: http://steadyrollin.wordpress.com/ http://www.tylermount.com/frameshome.html http://www.redbulleyeinthesky.co.nz/ http://akfixed.blogspot.com/
