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What makes a lift good to film?

Let's face it. When you go to a major city, you could expect to ride at least one lift while you're there. However, did you know there are many unique features of the lift that you're riding that you are not paying attention to during your trip? These features are called characterful elements which are only paid attention to closely by lift enthusiasts.

The three categories which make a lift good to film include character, class & style.

Character

  • Character mostly refers to how uniquely a lift runs from its nearby neighbors.
  • Shared character mostly refers to how uniquely a lift model runs from its competitor models (e.g. Otis Gen2 vs. ThyssenKrupp Endura).
  • Sometimes, the slowest lifts found inside the shortest buildings have the most character!
  • The modern lifts that have the most character are mostly hydraulic or MRL overhead & usually found in the shorter buildings.
  • Even some modern lifts tend to have some character.
  • Some modern day lift models have their own shared character. For example, most Gen2 lifts could have semi-intelligent leveling, while most Kone EcoDisc lifts could have very loud clunking brakes.
Ask your self these questions:
  1. Does it have fast acceleration? Is it GENUINELY fast (no slow deceleration or leveling to make it seem fast)? Is it awkwardly slow?
  2. Does it have old fashioned 2-speed PLOP leveling (not VF leveling)?
  3. Does it have a loud variable frequency motor?
  4. Does it have loud clunking brakes? Old fashioned clunking brakes? Relay controlled?
  5. Does it have a loud hydraulic motor?
  6. Does it have a loud DC/AC generator?
  7. Does it have loud slamming doors?
  8. Does it have predoors, semi-intelligent leveling or full intelligent leveling? Does it have hard starts & stops like a single speed lift?
  9. Does it have a strong s-curve or pre-start?
  10. Does it have a loud bell or floor passing chime?
  11. Does it have acoustic bells?
  12. Does it have a rare or unique floor passing chime?
  13. Does it make strange shaft noises normally nerve-wracking to non-lift enthusiasts?
  14. Is it a bouncy hydraulic?
  15. Does it accelerate & decelerate in chunks? (Example = relay controlled 80s Dover traction lift)
  16. Does it have three or four speed leveling? 
If a lift meets ANY of the 16+ criteria above, then it has character!

Style

Style mostly refers to how uniquely a lift car looks from its nearby neighbors. This can include rare or unique lighting effects & car interiors not normally seen on most lifts in modern skyscrapers.

Ask yourself these questions:
  1. Does it have old-style fluorescent lighting?
  2. Does it have tray lighting?
  3. Does the car look old-fashioned (up to early 1980s)?
  4. Does it have yellow-hue lighting?
  5. Does it have flickering lights?
  6. Does it look "scary"?
  7. Does it have beat up doors?
  8. Is the metalwork rusted or corroding?
  9. Does the car look modernly unique (even current-day)?
  10. Does the car have a metal or heavy duty interior?
  11. Is it gated?
  12. Does it have a partial window in the door?
If a lift meets ANY of the 10 criteria above, then it has style!

Class

Class mostly refers to how the button panels are uniquely laid out from its nearby neighbors. This includes basically any generic 3rd party lift button that doesn't look bad on a lift. The two most US lift community-hated lift buttons, Monitor TR & EPCO SSL/MML do NOT give a lift class. In fact, they take away all other characterful elements. These 3rd-party buttons give the lift class (all models except for EPCO SSL/MML lookalikes):
  • CJ Anderson
  • PTL
  • Monitor PC1040, HPS1300 (Some situations)
  • MAD
  • Innovation all, including Security & Universal
  • GAL
  • EPCO WN, WNR, WRN VR (Found in Canada, extremely rare in US), SPR & OIP
  • ALL touchscreen fixtures
Ask yourself these questions?
  1. Does it have unique-looking buttons, such a concave buttons, reflective buttons or glowy buttons?
  2. Does it have vintage-style black, white, metallic, or colorful buttons?
  3. Does it have a touchscreen?
  4. Does it use destination dispatch from a REAL COMPANY (not a Generic company)?
  5. Does it use capacitive/touch sensitive buttons?
  6. Are the buttons classic in general?
If a lift meets ANY of the 6 criteria above, then it has class!

I have created this guide based off of lifts that I have found on YouTube & paid close attention to the videos, first-person experiences & feedback from other lift enthusiasts. While this is not the most accurate guide, it is a good reference to finding which kinds of lifts would probably be the largest candidates for the most subscribers to your YouTube channel.
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