5 Ways to Move Your Gimbal for More Creative Shots

This means, of course, that it's in your best interest to learn all you can about shooting with a gimbal, in case a client, project, or shot requires the use of one. If you're new to shooting on a gimbal, or if you just want to learn a few new tricks, this tutorial from Cinecom teaches you 5 creative moves you can use the next time you shoot.

Here are the 5 tricks in case you don't have time to watch the video:

Trick #1: Better Camera Tilt

If you're shooting from the ground and want to tilt your camera up, Cinecom suggests offsetting the handles (one adjusted toward you, the other away from you) to make the move easier on your wrists.

Trick #2: Fake a Jib Shot

One of the great benefits of shooting on a gimbal is that it can do the work of a bunch of different camera stabilizing tools, including a jib. It does take a little finesse, but you can get a pretty nice "jib shot" simply by lifting your gimbal up over your head. You can get creative with this move, too -- I've seen an operator stand on a balcony and lower their gimbal down over it until it reached the ground (and then subsequently picked up by a second operator to continue the shot), which turned out to be a pretty spectacular "jib shot".

Trick #3: The Telephoto "I've Lost My Son" Shot

Okay, I feel like every film in which a parent loses a child in public, the camera circles them with a telephoto lens. No? Just me? Didn't think so. Gimbals are perfect for this shot. Not only do you get great depth by using the parallax effect (when the background elements moves faster than the foreground elements), but you also make the shot more dynamic by including smooth camera movements, as well as a telephoto lens.

Trick #4: Get Up Close and Personal

More of a friendly reminder than a trick, but you don't have to constantly capture all the action in long shots. Yes, gimbals allow you to get straight up athletic with your camera work -- acrobatic even, but they also allow you to get in close and capture the nuance of your subject.

Trick #5: Camera Roll

Even though gimbals let you pull of some insane camera moves, they don't allow you to roll your camera -- unless you use this little hack. Here's what you do: Start with your gimbal off and your camera rolled on its side. Hit record on your camera, then power your gimbal on; it'll automatically roll your camera right side up. This obviously isn't going to give you a perfect effect, since 1. you can't control the speed of the roll, 2.) you can't really anticipate exactly when the roll will occur, and 3.) your gimbal might not even do this to begin with.

Diversity and freedom of motion all depends on what kind of gimbal you have. For example, gimbals that have different operational modes, like the DJI Ronin, allow you to shoot in different positions, which makes modifying your shot easier. The more options you have, the more creative you can get.

What are some tricks you use with your gimbal? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Cinecom.net