Camera Support Systems

Our team supplies camera support sized to your camera build and the ground it has to stand on. Fluid heads are tied to body and lens weight so moves stay smooth in the cold. We add extra sandbags, spreaders and ground spikes for setups on the loose volcanic sand and uneven lava that cover much of Iceland. For movement we give dolly and track systems, sliders, jibs, gimbals and Steadicam, with Easyrig support for long handheld days. Support stock comes from the skilled Reykjavik rental base.

Here is how this works in practice. For larger shoots we supplement remote heads, cranes and pro rigs from suppliers in the UK and mainland Europe under ATA carnet, since the country is outside the EU customs union. Everything is checked for cold-weather lubrication so fluid heads do not drag in low temperatures. Grease and bearings are serviced for the conditions. We weatherproof against blowing grit and glacial meltwater, can supply skilled dolly grips and gimbal operators, and stay on call with backup so a seized head on a remote location never stalls a unit.

Here is the short of it. Iceland's terrain rarely gives a flat, sheltered floor. A subarctic island on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, it presents black-sand beaches at Reynisfjara, broken lava fields around Myvatn and Dimmuborgir, glacial ice near Vatnajoekull and Jokulsarlon, and exposed Highland plateaus at Landmannalaugar and Thorsmoerk. Wind is a real production factor, set to moving a tall combo stand, so support gear is ballasted and braced for each setup.

Here is the breakdown. Weather changes fast and the Highlands open only in summer via F-roads needing 4x4 super-jeeps, while light swings from the near-24-hour Midnight Sun in June to four or five hours in midwinter. Productions including 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty', 'Game of Thrones' and 'Oblivion' have built dynamic camera moves across exactly this ground, and dependable, well-ballasted support is what keeps those shots stable when the wind picks up.