This isn't really a challenge, but a serious question: how much do you think you could get done within a 24-hour shooting period? If it was five years ago I'd say, "Psh! Probably not much," but now that there are so many compact, easy-to-use, and inexpensive cinematic tools to help you move your camera, the indie film set has never been more efficient.

This short film called Open Your Eyes by director Sheldon Schwartz and DP Michael FitzMaurice was shot in just a day using several motion control/stabilization systems from DJI, like the S900 hexcopter and the Ronin gimbal stabilizer, which not only shows just how quickly a film crew can work, but also how great the S900 and Ronin can make your footage look.

Check it out below:

Here is a BTS video to show you how it all was done:

I think it's fair to say that grabbing a Ronin, an S900, and a few of your filmmaker friends may not be enough to pull off something of this magnitude. (Seriously, my monthly grocery lists are shorter than the credits for this 3-minute short) However, it's interesting to see the kinds of shots you can pull off using tools like the Ronin and the S900 -- everything from aerials to complex tracking shots. 

DJI, which we typically associate with drones and quadcopters, like their popular Phantom drone, came out with the Ronin back in April and we've been watching it closely ever since. Probably the main reason for this is because it offers users something not yet seen on other gimbals: versatility through 3 different operational modes. Not only that, but DJI slashed its price in half six months ago, so it's now $3000 -- one of the most inexpensive on the very saturated gimbal market.

I think it goes without saying that there isn't just one perfect piece of gear for every single project you work on, but if you're in the market for a new gimbal, copter, or some other motion control system, you might want to take a look at what DJI has to offer.

[Disclosure: DJI is a No Film School advertiser.]

Source: DJI

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Cinematography & Cameras