A cinematographer has posted an Instagram Reel of himself recording a music video using a 55-inch on-camera monitor, handheld. That’s like walking around with your living-room TV on the hotshoe of your camera, for goodness sake!
The LA-based creative, Brian Beckwith (@bbthedp), appears to be courting some kind of world record, having tagged Guinness World Records in the Reel's description.
I can only assume that nobody else is crazy enough to have repeated this feat, but then again – why stop at 55 inches when you could go for 60 or 65? C'mon, Brian, at least commit to this!
Of course, I jest. I really don’t know what’s more impressive, the fact that Brian managed to rig this system up in the first place (I’d be wanting an Adamantium mount or something) or the fact that he’s strong enough to hold the camera and monitor aloft in the first place, let alone frame and film a video.
At one point, he even starts spinning around. Take a look at this wild feat:
As you’d expect, the comments are nearly as entertaining as the video, with one claiming: “That’s an on-monitor camera”, and another joking: “All right guys I know we only have 30 minutes for lunch but I need you to help me with a Instagram video [sic]”.
To put all of this into context, the best on-camera monitors for consumers tend to be around seven inches in size. These monitors are used by videographers to display a camera’s live view on a brighter and larger monitor than a typical rear LCD.
Because videographers don’t tend to use viewfinders, the boost in brightness is essential for daylight viewing, while the larger display allows for more accurate exposure and focusing. On-camera monitors also provide a better playback viewing experience, especially when footage is reviewed by multiple crew members at once.
So, as ridiculous as this exercise looks, in some ways it's also wildly practical – with a monitor that size, the entire crew can see it even if they're nowhere near the set!
You might also like...
Interested in video? Check out the best cameras for video and the best cinema cameras. If you're looking for an affordable camera with great video specs, check out the Fujifilm X-M5.
