There's a line in the film The Girl Next Door where Eli (Chris Marquette) says his three friends are a tripod and "that if you knock out one of our legs, WE-ALL-FALL!"

When it comes to camera tripods, that's not entirely true. And in some instances, you can get some pretty cool shots just by using two of its legs.

Don't believe us?

Let Jordy over at Cinecom walk you through 10 different shots you can get by using a tripod alone. 

Let's Recap

There are a lot of creative shots you can get with a tripod that are not just your mundane whip-pans or static shots. Let's highlight the ones from the video:

  • Place a blanket or cloth under the tripod to turn it into a slider 
  • Place a cloth underneath and tie a rope to a leg so you can pull it as a dolly (just be sure to add weight to the tripod so it doesn't tip over)
  • Extend one leg to use to pull the entire tripod for a tracking shot 
  • Mount the camera sideways so you can rotate as you tilt the camera 
  • Attach a foreground element to a leg to add depth to a shot 
  • Turn the tripod into a jib by mounting the plate to a long piece of wood, then mount a second head to attach the camera
  • Extend the tripod and place it horizontally on a chair to use as a jib, add weight, and control it via the head
  • If your tripod has a rubber feed, you can use it to film up against a wall (just be sure to tie safety rope)
  • Mount it upside down using C-stands for top view angles 
  • Extend two legs to create looping swinging shots 
  • Use the tripod as a shoulder mount 

Have any different tips on how you can use a tripod for creative shots? Let us know in the comments below. 

Source: Cinecom

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