THE ART OFMOTION
“Having subjects in the foreground is ideal for gimbal or slider usage” other products in the Fast tripod range. The boom, which is priced at £185/$190 and fits Manfrotto or any gimbals with a standard 1/4-20 or 3/8-16 thread at the bottom, really gives you a good, comfortable grip on your gimbal. And it’s ideal for going from very low, ground- scraping shots right through to pseudo- overhead shots in one smooth motion. Having a gimbal on the end of a pole simply provides you with more freedom to create push-in shots, or even reveal shots, where you move past something in the foreground to uncover the real subject of the shot. Having subjects in the foreground like this is an ideal circumstance for gimbal or slider usage, as is getting very close to your subject to give a tight shot – especially if the subject is moving. The boom gives you enough distance to make this possible and more predictable, too. One of the most popular uses of a gimbal is a tracking shot, where you move along at the same speed as your subject. For example, this could entail you walking backwards, while your subject walks towards you. A gimbal can be used to replicate a pan shot without the need to stop and set up a tripod. Holding the gimbal steady and panning using the joystick is one option, but it’s usually better to turn your body and hold the gimbal steady. By slowly moving the gimbal sideways, you can get a similar look to using a slider. Or you can replicate a crane shot by holding it low and moving it upwards. Again, focus on being smooth. It’s usually better to stick to one bit of movement in a fake dolly, slider, jib or pan shot than trying to combine two or more movements as this looks very amateurish. It’s not always about movement. By holding the gimbal as still as possible, you can produce steady shots without a tripod. It may never be as good as a real tripod shot, but you can produce a decent enough shot in a pinch. And as always, take time to read the manual. All gimbals are different and have lots of different modes that govern how the camera is stabilised. There are also time-lapse modes, motion-control modes and lots more, often controlled by a free smartphone app that can help fine-tune the gimbal for balance, too. So, read the manual, try out the settings and remember that practice makes perfect for capturing shots that are truly moving.
ABOVE If you can fit a second handle to your one-handed gimbal, it helps take the strain, making smoother shots easier
If you set up the gimbal to be held out in front of you, in flashlight mode, then not only do you get a slightly lower angle, it also becomes much easier to keep the camera stable. And it’s the second handle that really helps achieve this. Nevertheless, the least amount of strain is usually to hold the gimbal downwards, with the camera near the floor. While, importantly, this makes it far easier to hold for longer periods of time, it also offers a really dramatic viewpoint that can work to great effect. Once you get addicted to low-angle shots, you may want to move on to a shot that involves the camera moving smoothly upwards, like a crane or jib shot, which is ideal for a slow reveal. Doing this with a basic gimbal is difficult to pull off physically though and there is a limit to the height you can reach. That’s where a boom pole comes in. The latest is the carbon-fibre Fast Gimboom fromManfrotto, which extends by twisting the middle section, similar to
legs, with focus on preventing the up- and-down motion whenever you can. There is clearly a learning curve to getting the best from your gimbal. The latest accessories can help in perfecting the art of motion. And best of all are the second handle and the boom. While lots of larger gimbals came with a cross brace in the past that made operation a two-handed job, the newer crop of gimbals are less bulky to suit lighter, mirrorless cameras. Single- handed gimbals are now all the rage. By adding on a second handle, ideally at the top of the gimbal, usage once again becomes a two-handed operation. This not only helps you keep the motion smoother, but it also makes it much less exhausting on your arms. The majority of filmmakers who use gimbals start out by holding the camera in front of them, pretty much at chest level, with the gimbal held vertically. This feels pretty comfortable, but it doesn’t offer a dramatic angle to improve your shots.
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