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Thaipusam 2009 @ Batu Caves in HD (High-Definition)
Duration: 3:11 Copyright © 2009 TV SMITH
YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu8YKOVCzpQ

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At the annual Thaipusam festival in Batu Caves, the celebrations and rituals invoked all the five senses of the observer. Six, if you are in a trance. With more than a million people there, there was hardly standing room on the steps leading up to the cave temple. The devotees endured the queues and the blistering sun patiently for hours. Hats off to them. (see more info on Batu Caves here)

To film the festivities and rituals, I decided to go very light for maximum mobility. That means the lightest, smallest and highest quality HD combo. The still/video capable Panasonic Lumix LX-3 hybrid camera fits the bill. It was mounted on a ModoSteady and counter-balanced in "Steadicam Mode" for single-handed operation. With this rig, I was able to glide the camera through the crowd and track the kavadi bearers intimately. The Modo Steady is a "transformer". It also functions as a stabiliser resting on one's chest. In its mini tripod mode, I was able to park it next to the railway track for the unique low-angle shot of the arriving and departing train. The LCD screen was fitted with a Delkin sun shade for easier monitoring under the bright sun. The front end is equipped with an oversized rectangular lens hood from my Betacam camera to accommodate the wide 24mm and 18mm focal lengths.

In Steady Mode
Chest Support
   
LX3 Tripod Mode
LX-3 on steroids. With a 32g SDHC card and 4 spare batteries, the cam is ready to take on almost anything. The thingy on the hot shoe is a multi-plane bubble leveler for setting up ModoSteady's counterbalance. The weights are hidden in the chest pad and can be trimmed by removing individual pieces. The handgrip folds out to become tripod legs with ballhead leveling.

Captured in 24p HD with Panasonic Lumix LX-3 and presented in 16:9 HD
Edited in native AVCHD on Thomson Grass Valley's Edius 5 NLE

See also: Information, Directions & Map Of Batu Caves
Watch also: Road To Batu Caves


 
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