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For Chris Lynch, accessibility in filmmaking isn’t just a preference—it’s a necessity. That’s precisely why the London-based director, who has brittle bone disease, patented what he believes to be the world’s first wheelchair camera system.
“Filming wasn’t accessible, so I decided to create a camera system that could not only be viewed as a gateway to disabled filmmakers, but a product that would add production value to any set,” Lynch told the BBC in a recent interview.
Called Caerus, Lynch’s system comprises a Steadicam attached to the side of a self-balancing wheelchair with a mount. The equipment is operated using a control panel placed on the user’s lap, circumventing one of the biggest challenges faced by disabled filmmakers, according to Lynch: “Shooting was always a problem for me being a wheelchair user,” he explains in an Instagram post. “I always say, you need four arms: two arms to push yourself and two arms to hold the camera.”
While ideating Caerus in collaboration with Tilta, a cinematography equipment brand, Lynch prioritized a sleek, intuitive design that allows its users to quickly—and subtly—adjust their movements. “This is a brand new system and is the first of its kind being mounted to a wheelchair, which takes all the weight,” Jack Charge, a marketing manager at Tilta, remarked. “It means that you have a wide variety of situations you can use this in like live broadcasts, music videos or even fast tracking shots for long periods.”
Since filing the patent for Caerus last summer, Lynch has showcased the equipment to studios, filmmakers, and cinematography students alike. Jasmine Larkman, a current student at Liverpool Media Academy in east London, had the opportunity to test drive Caerus while at an arts conference. Due to her hemiplegia, a form of paralysis that affects only one side of the body, Larkman is unable to use her right side, but found that Lynch’s wheelchair camera offered an incredible solution to what previously could’ve posed a challenge.
“With this kit, there are so many ways you can use it,” she commented. “It’s really accessible for lots of people.”
Caerus has already been used for some productions, including Channel 4’s Paralympic Homecoming and the BBC documentary In the Driving Seat, which follows Lynch as he travels across Europe to explore the future of mobility and innovative wheelchair designs.
“It was great making this film and seeing some of those inventions,” Lynch said in a BBC radio segment. “There was a stair-climbing wheelchair that we went to look at in Switzerland, which was incredible. To allow someone who’s a wheelchair user to independently go up and down a flight of stairs is in itself a monumental achievement.”
Caerus recently made its official debut at BSC Expo, an international event for film and TV production equipment and technology held in London. The moment was special for Lynch, especially considering that people within the disabled community often “resign themselves to the fact that they can’t” perform tasks related to shooting or cinematography.
“That has been embedded for many, many years,” Lynch continued. “I’d love to see more and more people be able to access this equipment across the industry. It’s exciting and I can’t wait to see where it takes us.”
Chris Lynch, a filmmaker with brittle bone disease, has created what he believes to be the world’s first wheelchair camera system, increasing accessibility within the film industry.
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Chris Lynch: Instagram | YouTube
Source: Wheelchair camera ‘is milestone for disabled film-makers’
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