In addition to utilizing the Wesscam system normally (i.e., with controlled, level, vibrationless results), it was also necessary in the script to duplicate the high-speed "banking" effects of the "Speeder" spacecraft in combat situations with the "Walkers" on the surface of the Ice Planet. For this it was necessary to use the Wesscam in a configuration somewhat at odds to its design. However, vibration clearly was not desired, so the system would have to be married to the helicopter in terms of roll (banking) and yaw (turning left or right) but without a total hard connection that would transfer vibration into the camera. To do this, three of the five systems relating to elimination of movement were taken out of service and the camera, in effect, became an extension of the aircraft, turning, banking and diving with good vibrationless results even at camera speeds of six fps. Tilting control of the camera was retained so that the horizon could be positioned where required in frame.
The entire equipment preparation, including the making of the new camera platform, was done in four weeks of long days by myself and camera assistant Margaret Herron who, by the way, became very adept at operating the vertical milling machine.
A test flight and camera test were done to confirm proper operation of all systems prior to actual scheduled filming.
The day finally arrived when we rendezvoused with the helicopter in Voss, a small town about 40 km from Finse. The aerial crew consisted of Marc Wolff, pilot; Michel Vautier, helicopter engineer; Margaret Herron, camera assistant; and myself. We installed the equipment and flew the short distance up to the location in fine, sunny, -10 weather.
For the next two days the weather held and we managed to film quite a good number of plates including eight or nine versions of a background shot that was, at that point, intended for the opening of the film. This shot involved climbing to 15,000 feet altitude and falling in "auto rotation," with no power from the engine going to the rotors of the helicopter. In such a state the machine can fall at 2500 feet a minute or approximately 30 mph and when this is multiplied by four and combined with a forward effective speed of 400 mph as the camera levels out over the snow at between three and six feet, the result can be quite effective. As it turned out, however, the fine weather didn't really match with the majority of the other "Ice Planet" footage so these long takes ended up being used as supplementary short background plates.
The work load at this point fell squarely on the shoulders of Marc and Margaret. The flying was very demanding. Maximum high speed effect is, of course, obtained at the lowest altitudes possible. Trees or any other type of obstruction did not exist for the most part but the exact distance over the undulating snow field flying past at 100 mph was very critical, especially when our average height was four feet or so. It was possible for Marc to be oriented to height only when he could discern a texture on the snow surface below, and for this, hard or bright sun was required to give some contrast. Therefore, flying became impossible on many days due to "white out" or at least "gray out" conditions when the horizon blended invisibly into the sky.
Margaret, in addition to her normal camera duties, had the quite unique and difficult job of riding shotgun on the camera speed. We discovered, quite to our concern, that the camera speed was relating to some of the maneuvers that Marc was putting the helicopter through. It became clear that the camera would lose speed as G forces increased and gain speed as G forces lessened. On most shots we and the equipment were subjected to between 0 and +2 G's. When we were in steady and level flight, the camera would run perfectly constant. We concluded that the higher G's increased the pressure between the horizontally lying feed side roll and the bottom of the mag, thereby increasing friction and slowing the camera and vice versa. So, Margaret's difficult task was to anticipate these G force changes and maintain constant camera speed and, therefore, exposure.
At the outset, we sat down and divided the shot list up into four categories. The support arms that we have for the Lama allow the camera to be mounted on either the left or right side and, although the change can take as little as 10 minutes, we decided to avoid changing back and forth unnecessarily. Since the camera is not centered in the dome, it is better to shoot forward-looking shots with the system on the left of the helicopter and rear-ward shots with it on the right, as the camera is positioned farther away from the helicopter and there is less possibility of getting a portion of the machine in the shot. Therefore, we divided the shots into: 1. left normal functioning, 2. left "banking" function, 3. right normal functioning, 4. right "banking" function.
[ continued on page 4 ]