Colin has learned from the best, starting with the inventor of the Steadicam, Garrett Brown, and then from the many other top operators, and slowly created his own "outside the box” approach. Throughout the years he developed a command of a wide range of camera tools which brings versatility and instincts to produce the needed shots in the least amount of set up time.
In addition to his extensive work on feature films, Colin also helped define the visual feel of Homeland, as well as shooting the only four Steadicam shots used across the entire run of Mad Men — a show known for intentionally avoiding the traditional "Steadicam look.”
Being a drummer for over 30 years, Colin has a strong sense of rhythm that lends itself to camera movement, especially in music-driven productions like the feature film Burlesque. He has shot over 100 music videos including acclaimed single shot videos like Weird Al Yankovic's “Tacky” and White Stripes’ “The Denial Twist”. Most recently he worked with Lady Gaga on the Grammy Award-winning "Abracadabra.”
In addition to his operating and Steadicam skills,
he has filmed his own short film while jumping out of a plane over a 100 times and is eperienced in underwater photography with an Advanced Scuba license. He is also is one of the few operators in the industry who has filmed for Zero-G, the only company in North America that recreates weightlessness in parabolic flight maneuvers. And finally, among his other innovative camera stunts, he has hung 70 feet beneath an Akela crane to simulate the point of view of Tiger Woods’ golf ball, been thrown against a wall by a grizzly bear, and immersed in over 250,000 rounds of gunfire while shooting a scene (lit solely by muzzle flashes) for RoboCop.
Taken all together, his camera work combines extensive experience, a zest for innovation, comfort in a wide range of equipment, versatile adaptation to challenging environments and most importantly... he has the situational awareness for what the DP and Director are "both" looking for—especially when the shot has to be right on the first take.
Gear
Tiffen Sled/Volt 2 stabilized gimbal
Pro sled/Volt 2 (back/up and running rig)
Pro Arm
Pro Vest
Preston Hand Unit 3/MDR 3
Remote Preston Iris
Remote Preston Zoom
Gyros
Easy Rig With Mantis
Butt Dolley
CineSaddle
Betz Wave
And Additionally:
Action Dolley (for fast running, lens scraping the floor, and super smooth linear dolley shots when there's no time to lay track)
Rogue Remote Head with back pan compensation and Zoom control on the wheels.
Behind The Scenes
