Montclair Magazine May 2022 | Page 26

HOWTHEY DO IT
technology
LEGENDARY During John Legend ’ s performance at the Academy awards , RailCam ’ s SpeedWinch system dropped down from 60 feet , then lifted up and disappeared as the other camera came around for more coverage . This camera , says Travisano , is often used to see the faces of award winners as they walk up to the podium . ( Inset ) RailCam ’ s setup at the Biden Town Hall shows how their bendable FlexTrack system ’ s movable joints and continuous flexible rails can get around tight spaces like these curved seats .
HOWTHEY DO IT
RailCam Robotic Systems suppliesRailCams , RopeCams , RailTowers , RailArms , SpeedWinches , towers , two-point system overhead camera dollys , remote heads , Furio tracking systems and TechnoJibs . Each item allows angles to be captured where no camera operator can easily stand . While they bring all the equipment , he says , event producers will sometimes provide a camera operator , and RailCam will work the dolly , tower , and the rest of their equipment .
Travisano says not many companies have the same kind of cable management as RailCam . They have a special chain that drags the cable inside the track being used to prevent any kind of tangle or mishap . “ So when this track is going left and right , like adolly car , there are no cables getting hooked ,” Travisano says . He says much of their equipment runs similarly to fiber optics , eliminating the need for batteries or radio frequencies , and reducing their margin of error .
and get the desired shots . “ It was smooth as glass ,” says Travisano .
Smaller settings present their own problems , he says . He and his partners had to figure out how to fit RailCam ’ s equipment into a small elevator to film The Killers singing at the top of Rockefeller Center for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon ; though it was anightmare in terms of the equipment , it was also “ just really cool ,” he says .
For Travisano , one of the most rewarding events he ever worked at was covering President Joe Biden as he gave his acceptance speech after winning the presidential election . He says Biden came around and thanked every person for all their efforts .
The company is currently working on the YouTube Upfront presentation slated for May 17 , for which RailCam will create a custom tracking system . The company will continue to cover performances at The Met .
THE BIG PICTURE
While Travisano ’ s job can take him all over the world , he says it can be a struggle to find a balance between his family , personal and work lives . Owning a company , he says , means that “ You can ’ t say no to things , so it does become a real pain in the butt sometimes . It is as all entrepreneurial businesses are . They can be very timeconsuming .”
But just as the time investment is oversized , so is the payoff . “ Everything we do is so special . It ’ s very expensive . Everything is difficult ,” he says . “ But it ’ s rewarding .” The true excitement , he says , is the
successful finish of a production when he ’ s achieved a shot he wanted , or everything performed perfectly .
“ Often I set up gear , sometimes for days , and then , if I ’ m not operating the camera for that show , I have moments where I step back , take it in , and have close views of , say , Paul McCartney orJoe Biden going about their business ,” Travisano says . “ Or views of amazing fireworks or musical events happening before my eyes , like at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame . You get these moments where you stop and say , ‘ Am I standing here right now , seeing this ?’ It is a wow moment .” ■
LEGEND : COURTESY OF IMAGE GROUP LA ; INSET : COURTESY OF BRIAN SHEID
24 MAY 2022 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE