The Tiffen Company was honoured with an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering, Science & Technology, for the development of the Steadicam Volt. The live ceremony at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Saban Theater was hosted by the dynamic actor/writer Kirsten Vangsness. Engineer Steve Wagner accepted the Emmy for the product development team which included Garrett Brown, Jerry Holloway, Robert Orf, Ty Hargroder, Andrew Tiffen, and Steven Tiffen.
The Volt utilises electronic stabilisation technology to assist Steadicam operators in achieving and maintaining smooth, consistent and level shots. When mounted on Steadicam or other brand of camera stabiliser, the Volt helps maintain a level or preset horizon and filter out unwanted camera movements without affecting normal Steadicam operation or control. Steadicam Volt consists of two main components: A “brain” that is mounted fixed in relation to the camera, which houses all gyro and accelerometer motion-sensing components and a gimbal-mounted “motor drive” unit to apply corrections to the tilt-and-roll axis of the camera stabiliser.
Difficult shots that involve high-acceleration camera movement — such as running or fast lateral movements — are now easier to obtain smoothly. Operators do not need to focus as much on inertial influences or external forces, such as wind and how they affect camera positioning. The Steadicam Volt enables a camera operator to better focus, react and interact with dynamically changing or challenging shooting environments to produce better framing of shots.
“We are thankful to the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for their recognition of Steadicam Volt’s contribution to the industry,” says The Tiffen Company President and COO Andrew Tiffen. “This award is made possible by our entire team here at Tiffen and the thousands of operators around the world who choose to help tell stories with Steadicam.”
