Easyrig and SKF easing the load for film crews worldwide Behind every iconic film scene stands a team working quietly in the background. Camera operators and sound technicians carry heavy equipment through long, intense working days. For many, the strain on arms, shoulders, and back is constant. For Johan Hellsten, it eventually became unsustainable. While working as a cameraman on drama, documentaries, reality shows, and news, he noticed the toll it took on his body. “After long days on set, my back and shoulders were exhausted. I realized that if I wanted to stay in the industry, I needed to do something about it,” he says. That insight became the starting point for one of the Swedish film industry’s most appreciated innovations: Easyrig, a support system now used by professional film crews in nearly 120 countries and in all bearing positions, SKF bearings are used for highest reliability and lowest friction.

From homemade prototype to global standard The first version of Easyrig was simple — a harness and support arm designed to take the weight off a camera that could easily approach 20 kilos. Johan let colleagues test the prototypes, but the road to market was far from straightforward. “I struggled in the beginning. I worked incredibly hard to build a network of ambassadors and agents in different parts of the world who could sell, open doors, and handle local distribution.” The patent was approved in 1994. Since then, Easyrig has evolved through several generations and become an essential tool for professional filmmakers worldwide. The latest model, the Vario 6, is lighter, more flexible, and now launches globally. The company also manufactures the Easyrig Boom Rig, a specialized system for sound technicians working with boom microphones.Today, Easyrig has a team of just over a dozen employees who manufacture and distribute the equipment from the company’s purpose-built facilities just outside Umeå — a building that Johan and his colleagues have expanded step by step as the business has grown.

Innovation in constant motion In the development department, Johan works alongside Robert Olofsson. Here, new rigs are tested, prototypes are built, and ideas flow freely. “When you work with this kind of product, new ideas and solutions keep coming. It’s a flow that never really stops,” Robert says. Each harness and support arm contains around 15 ball bearings that reduce friction in the moving parts. For Johan, the choice of components is crucial. “Our customers should have the best. Low friction, reliability, and quality are essential. That’s why I use SKF bearings exclusively in our products. SKF delivers exactly what I need, and I get excellent support whenever I have questions.”

From Hollywood to a workshop in northern Sweden. Easyrig products are used today in everything from major Hollywood productions to documentaries and news reporting. Occasionally, Johan and his colleagues visit film sets to meet crews and see the equipment in action. “It’s incredibly satisfying to see the gear in use, and to know that it helps operators and technicians extend their careers.” When asked which film he is most proud to see Easyrig used in, he smiles. “When I happened to come across an article in an Australian film and photography magazine about the making of Star Wars — and realized the crew were using my equipment — I felt both proud and delighted.”

Fact box: SKF and film history   The connection between SKF and the film world is older than many realise. On 6 October 1948, Victor Hasselblad launched the world’s first single-lens reflex medium-format camera with interchangeable lenses and magazines. Hasselblad cameras were used extensively by NASA — including during the 1969 moon landing. Twelve cameras accompanied the astronauts, all equipped with SKF bearings weighing only 6.7 grams. To save weight for the return journey, the cameras were left on the moon. They remain there to this day.