Mean Streets  (1973)

Question: Mean Streets was one of the first American films to focus on handholding in 35mm. Was this a difficult technique in the early 1970's? Kent Wakeford: It was a challenge. In the early 70's most 35mm cameras were noisy. Shooting handheld created a number of issues including disrupting sound and adjusting for the weight of the camera. 1970's cameras lacked the technical advancements of today. For Mean Streets, we secured the only Aeroflex BL sound camera in Los Angeles at the time. The camera was lighter, quieter than others. I built a shoulder unit and rigged the camera to my body to hold it in place. This process was just before the introduction of Steadicam in mid 1970's. Steadicam captures a similar visual effect--not as frenetic though. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kent-wakeford-redefining_n_171199