Z HEAD

**The manufacturers recommend the following safety procedures: in order to reduce the possibility of an accident, every camera crane with an arm range above 30 feet (9 meters) should be operated by at least two trained technicians (grips).

Because of its extreme versatility, the technocrane is often the only camera movement tool needed to acquire all of the shots on any given location, even for extremely simple camera movements and static shots. One of the biggest misconceptions about technocranes is that they're almost always an additional and unnecessary expense for a production, and that they're really just a fun toy for productions with large budgets. However, despite the up-front cost of technocrane rental and the cost of labor to operate the machine correctly, once it's all set up and ready to shoot, it's usually far quicker and more efficient than any other method of moving the camera around. Add to that the fact that the technocrane allows for everything between tiny adjustments to the frame to full-on improvisation, and it's no wonder why it's such a ubiquitous tool in filmmaking. Ultimately, the technocrane is an incredibly versatile tool that you're very likely going to encounter if you spend time on professional sets. For that reason, it's important for up and coming filmmakers to understand the basic terminology, capabilities, and limitations of the technocrane even if it's not something that you will use on a regular basis in your own work.