One of the most grueling jobs on set of any production would probably be the one of a Steadicam operator. Not only do you need to be able to learn how to use all of the newest, and constantly changing equipment quickly, you need to be able to physically withstand the demands placed on your body to get the shots – bending, stretching and being on your feet for long hours each day of filming.

Steadicam operator Jon Beattie knows full well the requirements for his job, especially after working on set of the first 24 hour video, Pharrell Williams’ hit song, ‘Happy.’ This overly catchy, clap along tune found on the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack, is the basis for 24 one-hour long music videos and an interactive website depicting everyday people and some stars in Los Angeles dancing in a long, never-ending loop.

[REWIND: A TIMELAPSE VIDEO ABOUT A MAN, A BEARD AND A 4646KM WALK THROUGH CHINA]

happy-music-video

The video below is the first of a series called ‘Walkumentary” created by sports brand, Hi-Tec. It documents Beattie’s experience while filming the ‘Happy’ video project and the stats are astounding:

  • 7 miles a day of walking backwards
  • Carrying 100+ pounds of equipment
  • 10 days of filming
  • About 250k steps
  • 24 hours of original content

And if that weren’t exhausting enough, he did all this while listening to the song about 400+ times. And you thought your 12 hour wedding yesterday was rough…

To make things even more fun, most of the footage in the video is in reverse.

Watch ‘Happy – A Walkumentary from Hi-Tec – Episode 1’

[Via PetaPixel]