Advanced Steadicam & Gimbal Techniques for Filmmakers
It's throwback Thursday so we thought we'd share one of our older educational videos from TréCrED, our educational and inspirational filmmaking Tumblr! It features some fairly advanced steadicam techniques for filming, but with the technology of motorized longboards and "hover boards", a lot of filmmakers are turning to these methods of transportation to achieve super smooth shots. This film below shows some techniques to use with a steadicam like a Glidecam HD4000, but they can also be applied to a three axis stabilizer like the Ronin M.
If you do know you need some fast moving shots in your film, a three axis stabilizer is definitely your best bet. With the brushless motors, it wont be affected by the wind like a steadicam will. Here's an example of a quick film that was we shot testing out a new gimbal on the market to show the difference between it and the steadicam. Much smoother and that horizon always stays level which makes for an amazing look!
If you love skate films like the two above, check out this commercial piece we produced back in 2013 for NordBoards.com featuring the Penny Nickel Cruiser. All that was used for the smooth flying shots in this film was a glidecam and a skateboard, super fun!
Lastly, for more in-depth about steadicam technique and tips (also applies to gimbals), see this post here where we shared 7 Steadicam Secrets! Go out there and get some fast moving dynamic moving shots! If you have any questions, post them in the comments below and I'm glad to help!