Headrig

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A motorized mounting system fitted to a camera tripod that allows smooth, controlled panning and tilting during filming
2. An equipment rig attached to a tripod head that lets a film or video camera move steadily and precisely
3. A camera support device that sits on top of a tripod and enables fluid, powered movement of the camera during shooting

Etymology: A headrig is a motorised mount that sits on top of a camera tripod and lets an operator pan and tilt the camera smoothly, often under remote or programmed control. It is a plain compound of two English words, and each part explains a different piece of its meaning. "Head" comes from Old English "heafod" and, in camera work, names the pivoting top of a tripod that the camera is fixed to. "Rig" is older and less certain in origin. It appears in Middle English meaning to fit out or equip a ship, and it may come from a Scandinavian source, though the exact route is unclear. Film and video crews later applied it to any assembled set of equipment, so the headrig is the motorised part that carries the camera within a larger rig.