Motion Picture Marine, a marine production services company based in Venice, Calif., has recently upgraded their award-winning camera stabilization head, the Perfect Horizon. The Perfect Horizon, a construct of long-time marine Production Coordinator and company Founder David Grober, has undergone several improvements since its debut in 1999.

Originally named the Hydro Gyro, the Perfect Horizon was designed when Grober recognized a need for a small, robust, lightweight camera stabilization system.  Earlier marine camera stabilization systems were either large, bulky systems or unresponsive to camera operation; the Perfect Horizon sacrifices neither sensitivity nor stability.

“The real key issue to the system’s uniqueness is that it allows the cameraman to be hands on with the camera because the Perfect Horizon mounts on top of the tripod and then above the tripod goes the fluid head and the camera,” says Grober. “When you’re on a moving vehicle, we’ll take out all the pitch and roll with the Perfect Horizon, so the cameraman can operate the camera in a hands-on role.” The secret lies in the stabilization head’s gimbal, which adjusts to movements so that the camera always remains level.

In the latest modifications, the external electronic control box of the Perfect Horizon is placed into a single 3.5-inch box, which sits at the center of the unit itself.  “The actual gimbal system is about the same size as before,” explains Grober. “The unit is fully contained within the actual gimbal system. ” With the external control box integrated into gimbal system, the system itself is smaller, lighter and more accurate than before.

As the Perfect Horizon evolves technologically, production professionals have adapted the stabilization head for many different applications. Though designed for boat-use, many productions have utilized the system for other vehicles, including jet-skis, golf-carts, cars, snowmobiles and helicopters. During the production of Die Another Day, the production team mounted cameras onto the back of waverunners to capture footage of surfers. “We shot 50 to 60 foot waves,” recalls Grober. In Harry Potter: Prisoner of Azkaban, the Perfect Horizon kept a camera leveled while sitting inside a speeding, erratically-driven triple-decker bus. The creative use resulted in a scene that captured all the chaotic swaying, tilting and pitching of the bus.

The Perfect Horizon’s versatility has lead to a significant diversification in its clientele.  While typically used on feature films and television – such as GI Joe: Rise of Cobra, Perfect Getaway, Couples Retreat, and the upcoming Moby Dick feature – Perfect Horizon has seen increased usage across different platforms.

“We started doing a lot of natural history projects for the Natural History Channel, the BBC, [and] National Geographic type of shows,” says Grober. “Natural history shows and documentaries are now finding [the Perfect Horizon] particularly valuable.”

In addition to enjoying widespread use on a global scale, the Perfect Horizon has earned two of the entertainment industry’s highest accolades: an Oscar (2006) and an Emmy (2004).

The latest version of the Perfect Horizon is available now. For more information, visit the Motion Picture Marine website at www.motionpicturemarine.com.