📹 A Robot Shot a Film on the Roof of a Bus
Director Philip Barantini accomplished the seemingly impossible: he filmed a one-hour music film about Ed Sheeran in a single, uninterrupted take.
The biggest challenge was an 11-minute scene shot on the roof of a double-decker bus moving through Manhattan.
Under New York law, a camera operator is not allowed to be on the roof of a moving vehicle. To avoid breaking the take, the crew used a Cinebot Max robot.
The camera was passed hand to hand while in motion using custom magnetic mounts.
The bus passed under bridges with just 10 cm of clearance. The robot had to “duck” on the operator’s command, with the operator working blind via radio.
The system was powered by high-capacity batteries to avoid issues with grounding and generators.
Despite traffic jams and potholes, the robot replaced a crane, capturing both close-ups of the guitar and sweeping city panoramas. The project proved that robotics can create “living” cinema even in the most challenging urban conditions.
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