Equipment set up. Who doesn’t love it? Well, I don’t. Actually, I loathe it quite a bit. But in our profession, set up is necessary. Be it lighting, sound, tripods, or whatever else, setting up is the way of life and figuring out ways to do so more quickly is always a positive.
In the film industry, set up is even more intensive and extensive than photography. The key to video is getting a smooth shot and getting a smooth shot can be obtained by using a dolly on a track or a steadicam/stabilizer. Another option is to use a jib. All have their advantages and disadvantages. One of the newer ways to pull off a smooth shot is with a gimbal.
There is no one right tool, but the right tool for your given situation.
[REWIND:Â HOW TO CREATE THE DOLLY ZOOM FOR TIMELAPSE AND HYPERLAPSE]
In the following video, Eric Stemen of Ocean Llama shows us how he uses the DJI Ronin 3-Axis Brushless Gimbal Stabilizer in a ‘run and gun’ type of situation. He wanted to shoot the fall colors in Kentucky and had about 2 hours a day to do so. Using his bike rack, he was able to get his gimbal set up and start shooting within 3 minutes after parking. This is how he did it:
After initially balancing the gimbal I would leave as much of the gimbal built up as possible and stow it in the trunk of my car.  When I found a nice looking place to record, I would place the gimbal on my car’s bike rack which acted as the gimbal stand and then slide the camera onto the gimbal’s quick release hitch and connected the rest of the cables.
The second part of the video gives some quick tips and tricks for operating a gimbal for those of you who are new to it and the final part of the video covers wireless monitoring options. A useful video indeed for those that are dabbling in the filmmaking world. Visit Eric’s website , Vimeo or Youtube to see more of his work.
Watch Ronin Gimbal Setup – Run & Gun + Wireless Video Feed
[Via Eric Stemen]
