ACO Workshop - Geared Head & Crane at Sunbelt

A & B Camera Dolly Session

Last weekend I had the privilege of joining a workshop run by the Association of Camera Operators (ACO) at Sunbelt Rentals here in Manchester. The focus was the geared head - that mythical set of wheels you’ve probably seen behind the scenes on classic films.

The session was led by Richard Bevan and Rodrigo Gutierrez, two hugely respected operator whose career spans across drama, commercials and features. Roddy’s known for his incredible precision and calm presence on set, and he has spent decades mastering this craft. To learn directly from someone of his calibre was both daunting and inspiring – the kind of experience that reminds you why our industry has these professional guilds in the first place.

The ACO, for those who don’t know, are a professional body supporting operators across the UK. They run training, networking and advocacy, but more than that they preserve the traditions of our craft – and invite the next generation to learn. I can’t thank them enough for including me in this session.

Geared Heads

The geared head looks deceptively simple, two wheels connected to a tripod-like base. The left wheel pans, the right titls, and both are linked to precision gear trains inside the head. Turn a wheel and the camera glides with absolute control. No friction fluid, no free-floating resistance – just pure mechanical precision.

Arrihead

That precision is the defining feature. Every move can be marked, repeated and refined. If you need to hit the exact same frame ten times for visual effects or to match a dolly pass, the geared head will do it flawlessly. And yet, it’s not just about repeatability. The way it moves feels different.

Geared heads and fluid heads differ in how they balance and control the camera's movement due to their different center of gravity and operational mechanisms. A geared head's mass is centered around its head, providing stability that keeps the camera still when not in motion, making it ideal for precision work. In contrast, a fluid head places the camera's weight on top of its fulcrum, using hydraulic fluid to create drag for smooth, controlled pans and tilts, which is excellent for certains shots, but very different in the way they feel and move.

One of the big questions during the workshop was how to actually get time on a geared head. These aren’t tools you stumble across on every job and with day rates running into the hundreds, renting one just for practice is unrealistic. But there are ways in.

• Talk to a rental house
  Most major kit houses keep a geared head in stock, often tucked away until a feature or commercial calls for it. Many are surprisingly open to letting operators come in for a few hours of hands-on time. A polite email or phone explaining that you want to practise can go a long way.

• Try virtual wheels
  If you can’t get physical time, training tools such as Rexy Wheels mimic the feel of a geared head - it’s a solid way to build muscle memory for pan and tilt coordination.

• Practise the basics
  Start simple. Tape a square on the wall and try hitting each corner with the frame. Pan across a line of objects and keep them centred as they pass through shot. Combine moves by tilting down while panning across and aim to keep the speed even. Timing your moves to music or staging some action is another great way to build timing.

At first it feels impossible. Your brain fights against the counterintuitive wheel directions and the moves cross over in confusing ways. Then something clicks. The muscle memory sets in, and suddenly you’re not fighting the head anymore—you’re choreographing with it.

Sunbelt

At Sunbelt Richard and Roddy set up a series of exercises: static shots, dolly moves and choreographed sequences. The beauty of the head revealed itself most clearly on the long lenses. Mounting a hefty Angénieux 290mm required us to engage reduction gears – smaller cogs that effectively increase the number of turns required to move the frame, giving you far more control. It’s like downshifting in a classic sports car: slower, smoother, but infinitely more precise.

We played through a variety of scenarios – slow tilts from feet to faces, controlled follows across a dialogue scene, even tracking with a dolly where we combined lateral movement with a timed boom up. Each time, the head responded exactly the same way, letting you focus on rhythm and storytelling rather than fighting inertia.

The following day shifted us into the digital age of remote heads. These are fly-by-wire systems where pan, tilt (and sometimes roll) are electronically controlled by hand wheels. Instead of being present with the camera, the operators works remotely while the head – mounted on a dolly, tripod, or crane – obeys every command.

We again worked on a mix of setups from static platforms to a 35ft Scorpion crane. The crane work was supported by Vincent McGahon, an incredible operator. Seeing that arm swing gracefully across the studio with an experience grip team and Vince on the wheels was breathtaking. The camera can move through space in ways no other platform could safely follow, while still delivering precise, repeatable moves.

Scorpio 35ft Crane

A remote head is a motorised camera mount. Instead of gears or fluid drag, it uses servos and electronics to translate operator input into camera movement. Key points:

• Precision & Safety: Ideal for stunts, VFX and action where you can’t stand near the rig.

• Flexibility: Mountable on cranes, tracking vehicles, or dolly arms.

• Control Options: Operated via hand wheels (mimicking a geared head), pan bars, or joysticks.

Even modern gimbals, like the DJI Ronin 2, can be used in a similar way. Rigged on a crane or dolly, the Ronin can function as a lightweight remote head, offering stabilisation and remote control together. While not as robust as a purpose-built Scorpio or Libra head, they give productions an accessible option with some of the same benefits.

Strengths, Weaknesses and Purpose

What I learned is that the geared head is not just another tool – it’s a language which needs to be practised. Operating is difficult, especially hen you’re more used to a. fluid head. Its strengths are obvious to me, the stability, repeatability, durability. It can handle the heaviest setups and deliver movements that look designed, not improvised. The weaknesses are equally clear: it’s heavy, expensive and comes with a brutal learning curve. But that’s part of the point. You don’t pick up a geared head for convenience – you pick it up to join a lineage of operators who shaped the visual style of cinema.

Remote heads and cranes extend that language into the modern era, adding range, flexibility and safety while keeping that same demand for precision at the heart of the shot.

For me, this workshop crystallised a way of thinking about some of the tools we choose to make images, at least at the high end of what I do. The geared head is a bridge between operator and the fluidity of making a frame that draw audiences in - it’s a mechanical conduit for intention. Every turn of the wheels carries with it a sense of having seen this motion before. Mastering it is not just about skill, but about stepping into that tradition with respect and curiosity.

And stepping onto the remote head and crane the following day showed me how that tradition continues – how the wheels of cinema have evolved from mechanical gears to digital servos, without ever losing the need for craft.

So, thank you to Roddy, Richard, Vince, Dan, Stuart and the team of ACs for their generosity in teaching, and to the ACO for opening the door. I walked away humbled by the incredible skill my fellow operators had on a tool, and how much I need to practise and develop. I have a lot of new respect for this part of the craft, and the knowledge that those iconic movements I’ve grown up watching on the big screen aren’t just “moves” – they’re the product of years of practise and experience with precise tools that make cinema feel cinematic.