A baby carrier that has been saving the backs of millions of parents worldwide has been fast gaining traction for a more unlikely kind of cargo.
Camera operators have been coming out of the closet in their droves, lauding the Hipseat for its ability to support heavy camera equipment.
The Hipseat is the founding product, as well as the ‘Hero’ in the portfolio of a much-respected baby business, Hippychick, and has won countless awards as a genius back supporting belt which fastens around the waist and provides a padded seat on which a toddler can perch comfortably and up close.
The Hipseat’s use as a camera prop has come to light through a series of unsolicited emails from camera operators. Patrick Acum, from silvernitratefilmsltd.com said: ‘I’ve just ordered my second Hippychick seat, as I lost my first one on location. I know a number of camera operators have been using the Hipseat as a camera platform for shooting from the hip. It’s a fantastically useful bit of kit. my favourite shooting style is handheld. When you’re filming someone standing, it’s easy to have the camera on your shoulder, but if you’re shooting people round a table, you need to have the camera at eyeline but still be able to move, so you can’t just sit down. This is where the Hipseat is amazing and there’s not anything else I’m really aware of that fills this niche. The Hipseat is really well made and easily stands up to the rigors of filming – the belt and rigid frame work very well. It’s also fantastic value for money compared to film kit which is always insanely expensive.’
Gareth Gwynn, a South Wales based freelance broadcast camera operator said: ‘I bought a Hippychick Hipseat on a recommendation from a fellow cameraman and found it to be invaluable in supporting the weight of the broadcast camera whilst filming ‘hand-held’. This of course isn’t what it was intended for but can I just say thank you for creating a sturdy well-build product!’
Julia Minchin, Hippychick Founder and Managing Director said: ‘This is not an initiative that we’ve orchestrated. These camera operators are a new audience that have grown entirely organically. We understand that many of them have upcycled their Hipseats which they originally purchased for the purposes of baby carrying. As a business entirely committed to sustainability, we are delighted to know that our products are being kept alive in such an inventive way, instead of being discarded once they’ve been outgrown.’
The Hippychick Hipseat is now available for baby wearing as well as camera carrying at www.hippychick.com and are priced at £39.95.
