Lift for a film and photo set: camera and lights from the platform

For a film or photo set you choose a cherry picker (aerial work platform, MEWP) according to where the camera stands: in an interior, hall or studio an electric scissor lift of 7.7–14.3 m, outdoors on grass and gravel a diesel articulating boom lift 4×4 from 16 m, which extends the platform over an obstacle. From the platform you shoot static shots and shots from above, set up lighting at height and photograph buildings, crowds and landscapes from a few to a dozen or so metres. It does not replace a film crane or a drone for moving shots. Below: which machine for which shot, how to calculate the height, lift or drone, and how to plan a shooting day.

Which lift for which shot?

• Electric scissor lift — studio, hall, warehouse, lobby, auditorium: camera and lighting at a height of 7.7–14.3 m. The large platform holds the camera operator, an assistant and tripods (Haulotte Compact 8: 8.2 m, capacity 350 kg, platform 3.22×0.8 m; Genie GS-3246: 11.75 m, capacity 318 kg, platform 2.26×1.15 m). Quiet, emission-free and on wheels that do not mark floors: important when recording sound and in buildings that must be handed back clean.
• Diesel scissor lift — a large platform, when a whole lighting crew is to work in the platform: Haulotte H12SX (12 m, capacity 700 kg, platform with extension decks 6.00×1.89 m), Genie GS-3384 RT (11.94 m, 1,134 kg, 3.98×1.83 m). These are rough terrain machines weighing about 5.4 t, for a yard and hard-surfaced ground outdoors.
• Diesel articulating boom lift 4×4 — outdoors: camera over a fence, ditch, water or planting, shots of a building from the side and from above. Manitou 160 ATJ: 16 m, horizontal outreach 8.3 m; Haulotte HA20 PX: 20.65 m and outreach 13.5 m. The platform carries 227–230 kg, that is a camera operator, an assistant and a small kit.
• Electric articulating boom lift — 15 m (Manitou 150 AET2, outreach 8.86 m; Haulotte HA15 IP, outreach 8.65 m), for a hard-surfaced yard, a courtyard or a large hall, where a scissor lift cannot reach over an obstacle and exhaust fumes and noise are a problem.
• Telescopic boom lift — when the machine has to stand far from the frame: Genie S-45 (15.7 m, horizontal outreach 11.2 m), Genie S-85 (27.9 m, outreach 23.3 m). A straight boom, so the platform cannot go round an obstacle in an arc as with an articulating boom lift.
• Self-propelled vertical mast lift — JLG Toucan 10E L (10.10 m, machine width 0.99 m, capacity 200 kg, 2 people indoors): small interiors, narrow passages, a single light or a camera on a tripod.

How high should you place the camera and how do you calculate the machine height?

The working height of a lift is the height of the platform floor plus about 2 m of arm reach, so the camera lens on a tripod will be lower than the catalogue figure. Start from the height above the ground from which the shot is to be taken, and add a margin for the tripod and the person in the platform. For example:

• a shot from about 5–6 m (first floor, studio ceiling): a machine of about 8 m,
• a shot from about 9–10 m (hall, auditorium): a machine of about 12 m,
• a shot from about 13–14 m (roof of a low building, treetops): a 16 m articulating boom lift,
• a shot from about 18 m and above (panorama of an estate, a square from above): a 20–26 m articulating boom lift or a telescopic boom lift.

Outdoors, horizontal outreach is just as important: the distance from the parking position to the point of the frame, measured over the obstacle. The machine has full outreach only at part of its height; the reach chart shows this. We describe the choice of height in the article how to choose the working height.

A lift or a drone: which is better for shots from above?

These are two different tools. A drone does long fly-pasts, shots from a great distance and a bird’s-eye view, but its flights are subject to aviation rules and it does not lift heavy lighting. A lift is less mobile, but it gives you:

• a stable point for several hours, in the same place and at the same height,
• a place for a camera operator or photographer who reacts to what is happening in the frame,
• the ability to set a light, reflector or flag at height and to change its position,
• work around people and in enclosed interiors, where a drone will not fly.

A good arrangement is a drone for dynamic outdoor shots and a lift for static shots and lighting. On a set with people, a drone is not flown above them without checking the regulations; that is a matter for the drone operator, not for the lift rental.

Can you light the set from the platform and work handheld?

Yes, with reservations arising from the construction of the machine:

• Stability — a scissor platform is more stable than a platform on a boom. With an articulating or telescopic boom lift, arm movement and wind make the platform vibrate, so for sharp pictures the tripod is placed on the platform floor and the machine is held still for the duration of the shot.
• Capacity — towards the platform limit count the person, camera, tripod, lights and cables together. Power supplies and heavy floodlights are better left on the ground, or a larger scissor platform chosen.
• Guardrails — they protect people and are not a mount for equipment; cameras, lights and tripods are not attached to them or leaned against them (permitted loads are given in the machine manual). Equipment is secured against falling onto people under the platform.
• Sound — an electric lift is quieter than a diesel one; when recording sound on set it is worth choosing an electric one, or planning shots with a diesel machine so that its noise does not spoil the recording.

How do you plan a shooting day with a lift?

• Positioning the machine before the crew — delivering and positioning a heavy machine takes time; it is better to have it on site, checked and positioned before shooting begins than to reposition it during the shooting day.
• Ground — in a studio or hall a scissor lift needs a level floor with load-bearing capacity (weight from 1.5 t to over 5 t; see how much does a lift weigh); outdoors on grass and soft ground, a 4×4 machine, with plates under the outriggers.
• Zone under the platform — fenced off and kept clear of people and equipment while work at height is going on; changes of platform position are agreed with the machine operator.
• Consents — shooting on private land requires the consent of the owner or manager; occupying a carriageway, pavement or road reserve requires a permit from the road authority (we describe the rules in the article on work beside roads).
• Wind and weather — the wind speed limit from the machine manual applies at working height; large reflectors, flags and banners act like sails.
• Operator and harnesses — the machine is operated by a person with a UDT certificate; film crews usually take it with an operator. People in the platform wear harnesses with a lanyard.

In the enquiry it is enough to give: the height from which the shot is to be taken, the distance from the machine’s parking position to the frame, the type of ground (floor, paving, grass), the number of people and the amount of equipment in the platform, and the date. We will choose the model, arrange its delivery and collect it when shooting is finished.

Frequently asked questions

Which lift should I use on a film or photo set?

Indoors, in halls and in studios, an electric scissor lift: quiet, no exhaust fumes, with a platform for the camera operator, an assistant and tripods; in our fleet 7.7–14.3 m working height. Outdoors on grass, gravel and mud, a diesel articulating boom lift 4×4 (from 16 m), which extends the platform over an obstacle, or a telescopic boom lift when the camera has to be placed far from where the machine stands. The height is matched to the point from which the shot is to be taken, plus a margin for the tripod and the person in the platform.

Can you shoot moving shots from the lift platform like from a film crane?

No. A cherry picker platform is a working platform, not a stabilised camera crane: with the boom extended the platform vibrates, and the movement of the arm is not as smooth as that of a film crane. It works best for static shots and slow changes of height from a positioned machine: a view from above onto the set, a panorama from height, a frame over a fence or a crowd, lighting set up at height. For smooth camera moves, equipment designed for the purpose is used.

A lift or a drone for shots from above?

A drone will do a long fly-past, a shot from a great distance and a bird’s-eye view, but it cannot hold a heavy light, it cannot carry a person, and its flights are subject to aviation rules (including restricted zones and requirements for the operator, particularly over people). A lift gives a stable point for several hours, a place for a camera operator who reacts to changes in the frame, and for lighting; an electric one is also quiet, which matters when recording sound. The two are often combined: the drone for dynamic shots, the lift for static shots and lighting.

How much equipment fits in the lift platform?

The platform capacity covers everything at once: people, camera, tripod, lights and cables. The platforms of the articulating boom lifts in our fleet usually carry 227–270 kg, electric scissor lifts 227–565 kg, and diesel scissor lifts with a large platform 450–1,134 kg. Two people with a camera, a tripod and one light fit in the platform of an articulating boom lift, but several floodlights with power supplies are a job for a scissor platform. Equipment is secured against falling and is not leaned against the guardrails.

Who may operate a lift on a film set?

A person with a UDT qualification certificate for mobile elevating work platforms (UDT is the Polish Office of Technical Inspection). Film and photography crews usually do not hold such qualifications, so they rent the lift with an operator, who positions the machine and changes the height at the crew’s instruction while the camera operator works in the platform. People in the platform wear safety harnesses with a lanyard attached to the anchor point.