GEAR BUYERS’ GUIDE
MOTION APPROVED!
Controlled camera movements are vital for professional-quality films – we check out the essential kit SMOOTH OPERATORS
WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH
S ilky-smooth camera movements are one way to give your films a polished, professional production quality. Nothing looks more amateurish than wobbly footage – unless it’s used for creative effect, of course. It’s not just owning a great tripod and head with fluid- damped motion and perfect counterbalance – although this is a requisite of pretty much all filmmakers. Sliders, dollies, jibs, motion-control gizmos and motorised three-axis stabilising gimbals are pretty much stock-in-trade for most pros. So, we take a look at some of the coolest kit you can invest in to be a really smooth operator.
GRIP FACTORY MUNICH BABY JIB SET €5020 gripfactory.com
ACEBIL READY JIB KIT 2 £9005/$9150 acebil.eu
If you want to use some of the same high-end kit used to film James Bond’s No Time to Die , Squid Game and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood , then Munich’s Grip Factory is where you need to be spending your cash. You know you’ll be buying some of the best jibs, cranes, sliders and dollies in the world. The Baby Jib set is one of the least expensive products, currently €5020. It is a stable, compact jib with an arm length of only 45cm/18in, so is ideal for working off dollies and in confined spaces. It provides additional pan and tilt adjustment, plus smooth and vibration-free movements, weighing 16kg/35lb.
When you’re ready to step up to the big league, your motion device of choice should be an Acebil Ready Jib Kit 2. More than just a jib, it comes with Acebil’s Cine100A heavy- duty aluminium tripod and a special case. With rapid set-up and smooth, quiet movements, the jib takes a massive payload of 29.9kg/66lb. The arm itself is 13.2kg/29lb, so you’re getting a lot of metal for your money!
Pros: Simply one of the best
Cons: Price reflects quality
Pros: Heavy-duty tripod and jib for pro use Cons: Comes at a professional price
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PRO MOVIEMAKER
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