Riggin Design Inc - telescopic camera cranes
15:30 runtime
Rat Park is a short narrative film produced on a deliberately modest budget. It is not intended to represent the scale or resources of large studio productions, nor is it meant to compete visually with high-budget feature films.
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Instead, the film functions as a controlled demonstration of what can be achieved when preparation, responsibility, and engineering replace excess manpower. The entire production utilized custom camera control and motion systems supplied by Riggin Design, designed specifically to reduce crew size, compress schedules, and eliminate technical uncertainty. The project was executed over four production days with a skeleton crew, while still achieving results that have received cinematography recognition at multiple festivals.
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The film was structured as a technical showcase as much as a narrative one. Every shot was designed in advance to demonstrate repeatability, precision, and efficiency using the same engineering principles and equipment deployed on larger professional projects. The difference was not capability or intent, but scale of budget.
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The project was directed by Elizabeth Bluhm, who was making her first film while also performing as the lead actress. In that role, it was neither realistic nor appropriate for her to micromanage the technical execution of the production. The success of the film depended on a clear division of responsibility and trust placed in the director of photography and the company supporting the photographic execution.
This dynamic is not limited to first-time filmmakers. Even experienced directors and producers routinely work outside their primary technical domains. What matters is full engagement and accountability rather than transactional participation. The work is approached as a shared responsibility rather than a paycheck-driven obligation.
For producers and directors of photography operating under real-world constraints, Rat Park represents that philosophy applied at a microscopic scale. The equipment, engineering approach, and production mindset are identical to those used on larger projects. The results demonstrate what is possible when responsibility is clearly owned and preparation is taken seriously.
When production begins, the objective is execution, not damage control.