Motorized gimbals are the closest thing to magic that has come out for filmmakers in the past decade. Everyone can get super smooth footage without much effort or costs. It was amazing. Still, technique does matter and you should learn some of the best ways to make the most of your gimbal and get the most stable shot possible.
Coming from Momentum Productions is a nice roundup of techniques to make the most out of your gimbal. It also doesn’t matter which model you use as it is just as relevant with a WEEBILL 2 from Zhiyun-Tech as it is with a DJI RS 2.
Even though gimbals can make what would be terribly bouncy footage look smooth, it doesn’t fix everything. Even just how you walk can add a little bit of an up-down motion if you aren’t careful. That is why technique still matters.
Where you should start is simply how you hold the gimbal. When you grab the main handle you should use your dominant hand and make sure this is your strongest point of contact. Honestly, if you are a shooter you should try to make regular exercise part of your routine. Some weights will help you out in the long run.
Image Credit: Zhiyun-Tech
Your non-dominant hand should grab the grip underneath your dominant hand to give you multiple points of contact and extra strength. Then, you should position your elbows tucked in towards your sides and when you make movements you should move your entire body along with the motion. This will give you that smooth pan.
For walking shots if you are new you should start with lock mode. This keeps the camera fixed in the same position no matter how you move or turn. You will be better able to walk in a straight line. The fact that the camera will go off to the side of the gimbal if you start moving to the side will help you out. It’ll also help you train your eye and plan better for your shots.
Image Credit: DJI
Using small steps and keeping your feet one in front of the other will make sure you are keeping things straight. You should then just practice.
Keeping grid lines on on your monitor will help you watch what is in the frame to ensure you are keeping the shot straight and minimizing bounce. It’s very good for keeping a subject in the same spot in the frame.
This is definitely a beginner video and he promises more to come if you are interested in knowing more about using gimbals.
Do you have any of your own tricks for using a gimbal?
[source: Momentum Productions]
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