Fleming’s 1939 American film The Wizard of Oz is an early pioneer of the use of innovative techniques in camera work, music, visual and special effects in modern day movie production.  The musical-fantasy classic has also become a firm favorite among the American public and coupled with its influence in the film industry, it should be regarded as the most significant American film of all time.

Today’s moviegoers revel in the thrill of highspeed car chases and high octane explosions. It is for this reason that engineers, designers and expert cameramen work continuously to bring us closer to the action. One new development by the Adventure Equipment group is the use of “a gyrostabilized, camera-mounted, remote-controlled crane system attached to an SUV” –  affectionately referred to as the Ultimate Arm. The pan/tilt/rotation capabilities of the camera coupled with the motor’s ability to reduce turbulence and wind resistance enable the camera crew to capture steady footage from a variety of angles during even the most intense chases. The audience is transported “directly into the flow of traffic.” Much has changed since the day Dorothy first rode a tornado into Munchkin City. In 1939, audiences were stunned by the sweeping camera movements as they followed Dorothy and company along the Yellow Brick Road. It is clear that today’s techniques are a bit more complex but with so much progress constantly being made over the years, we can only imagine what lies ahead in the world of filmmaking.

NASA Tech Briefs. "Motor Used to Stabilize Remote-Controlled Camera Crane." NASA Tech Briefs.
       (Aug. 2006). NASA Tech Briefs. Findarticles.com, 1 Dec. 2008. .