Wow, It’s Garrett Brown (Again)

If that’s all Garrett Brown had done it would be pretty impressive. But, like a TV infomercial, there’s more!

garrett-brown-steadicam.jpgI just filled out a website form and dropped a line to Garrett Brown. His name came up as I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about the camera rig that allows Olympic TV coverage to follow divers from the diving board to the water. As cool as the shot is, the device is even cooler in its simple use of Sir Isaac Newton’s observations about gravity. .

I know the name Garrett Brown and have for years. He invented the Steadicam (other shooting toys too)–no small achievement. This single invention made hand held shots for movies and television ‘do-able’ as never before. He won an Oscar for it.

The Steadicam isn’t quite as simple as the Olympics camera solution, but it is noteworthy and well known in the ‘business.’ You have seen the hand held film effect it enables hundreds of times. Garrett’s not only the inventor, he’s been the steadicam operator in major motion pictures.

If that’s all Garrett Brown had done it would be pretty impressive. But, like a TV infomercial, there’s more!

Garrett Brown was the male voice on one of the most effective radio ad campaigns of all time, for Molson Beer. The commercials featured giggling dialog between Garrett and Anne Winn. I went back and listened to their “Border Guard” spot a few minutes ago. It’s still one of the most creative ad series of all time–so good it ran for 13 years.

And here it is!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *