I think we can all agree that gimbals, tripods, and other camera stabilizers are excellent cinematic tools for keeping footage nice and steady. However, for those who may not have the money, access, or desire to get their hands on one, it's important to understand how to keep their camera smooth when shooting handheld. In this video, filmmaker Peter McKinnon gives you a bunch of tips on how to do just that. Check it out below:

If you've spend any amount of time shooting without a stabilizer, chances are you have your own approach to getting smooth shots. However, McKinnon unloads a ton of great tips, so there's bound to be a few that you haven't yet tried.

  • Shoot with two hands
  • Keep your camera close to your chest when recording
  • Maximize your points of contact (hold your camera against your chest/face, or use a camera strap)
  • Use a lens with an image stabilizer
  • Use Warp Stabilizer in Premiere Pro
  • Try out the "PM Rock-n-Tilt" technique
  • Moving your camera (panning, tilting, etc.) can hide camera shake
  • Shoot wide
  • Avoid changing settings while recording

How do you keep your footage stable when you shoot handheld? Let us know down in the comments.

Source: Peter McKinnon

stabilizationhandheld
Cinematography & Cameras