As video and filmmaking are fast becoming regular creative ministry tools in many church weekend services, it's always a good idea to keep improving the quality of videos you deliver and increasing production value in order to increase the effectiveness and impact your videos have on your audience. This might start with upgrading cameras with better image quality, upgrading your post-production plug-ins to achieve better color correction and grading, and even upgrading your audio gear for better audio quality. One of the best ways you can improve the production value of your videos is investing in camera support gear. The basics start with a good tripod or a shoulder rig, but if you want to create really compelling videos or films, get your camera moving. Many of the best Hollywood directors will use camera movements in their shots to create energy, add visual interest, exaggerate perspective and add intimacy.
1. Lock and Load
A locked down tripod in many cases will do the job, but that can get pretty boring really quick if that is the only way you shoot. The most common times I use a locked down shot would be 1) an interview A camera medium shot where the subject is stationary and I don't have to be at the camera 2) a time-lapse shot 3) a special effect shot such as a green screen or a shot where I have to add in effects later to the composition. Other than these crucial shots where lock down is necessary, I try to always move my camera as much as I can without distracting from the story I am telling. Moving your camera adds visual interest and creates an energy in your footage that draws the viewer into your story.
2. Handheld
The very basic way to break out from the locked down tripod feel is hand-holding your camera to create more of a documentary look and feel with your camera. Many documentaries are shot this way and many action sequences in movies are shot handheld. The biggest thing to avoid is exaggerating handheld shots or shaking the camera on purpose where the movement looks unnatural, unless you are going for that look. In most cases you want to let the camera rest naturally in your hands and not introduce any unnatural movement. Hand-holding a camera means you become the stabilizer. It takes practice, but the more flexible you are, the better your results will be. Try bending your knees and elbows and lowering your center of gravity on tracking shots. You can also add in a three-point shoulder brace to increase stability. This basically moves some of the camera weight onto your shoulder and gives you handles to maneuver your camera.
3. Old faithful
A simple tripod with a fluid head can be a great way to start moving your camera, and with practice can be an effective way to add simple subtle movement to your next production. Granted you are limited to pan and tilt motion so you will not be able to create any parallax in your footage, but any movement you can create is a good place to start.
4. Dolly
One of the most effective ways to move your camera is a dolly. There are many different iterations of a dolly but the basic camera move is the same. A dolly lets you very smoothly move your camera in a horizontal motion. A “dolly” shot in relation to the subject, basically moves forward and backward and a “trucking” shot moves left or right, usually on a track and a stable platform on wheels to make the shot as smooth as possible. On the largest scale, you will have a dolly track with a platform large enough for a camera, tripod and one or two operators. This can be scaled down to slider dollies which do the same thing, just in a smaller movement and smaller form factor. The trade off is that sliders are less expensive and more portable, but have a limited range of motion. I generally use a slider dolly in interviews on a tight B camera that is trucking slowly left to right, usually keeping the subject framed the same and creating parallax in the background. It just adds some visual interest and I think it is more engaging to watch than a static shot. I often use a slider dolly on wide b-roll just to give my shots some subtle energy and movement. It's important to note that on trucking dolly shots moving horizontally, you usually need to have some vertical objects in your frame to make the movement effective, such as the interview subject or windows and doors, or trees and light poles. The vertical lines in your shot helps create the parallax look that is visually appealing. You would not get the full benefit of a dolly move if your subject is on a solid backdrop or on a green screen. You need visual contrast and vertical lines to get the most out of your dolly moves. For a classic example of a dolly trucking shot with vertical lines watch the opening desert excavating scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).
5. Jib
A jib is basically an arm that puts the camera at the end of a lever and fulcrum. Depending on how large the jib is, allows you to get perspective shots higher than an operator's height as well as cover an elevation range unlike any other piece of support gear. Many jib shots have now been replaced by the use of remote controlled drones, which I will cover later. The advantage of jibs over drones is that they can accommodate heavier, higher end cameras and in many cases allow more precise control over what you are shooting. Large cranes are often used as jibs and depending on the scale of the scene, can produce some breathtaking results. Perhaps one of the most well executed crane jib shots is the opening feather sequence of Forrest Gump (1994).
6. Gimbal and Steadicam
Ten years ago, all we had was Steadicams and their respective operators, and unless you had access to a helicopter, you didn't hear the term gimbal. In the last few years, the advancements in handheld gimbal stabilizers have grown leaps and bounds and finally the low budget filmmaker has access to amazing camera stabilization technology that did not exist five years ago. Granted, there are so many companies out there who develop and manufacture gimbal stabilizers and the prices have come down so much that virtually anyone can afford them now --- which means that just about everyone is using them. Gimbal stabilizers like the MoVi and the DJI Ronin are fantastic tools for the filmmakers arsenal, but can be easy to overuse. These tools allow you to capture ultra-smooth handheld moving shots that can add dynamics to your shots and engage your audience. In many cases a gimbal can eliminate the need for a dolly or a jib and allow an operator to pull those types of shots off handheld. You can use them in conjunction with cars, bicycles, cranes and other support gear. Gimbals can also allow you to go where dollies and Steadicams cannot and get shots unlike any other piece of support gear. A gimbal is a special tool that can give you really effective Steadicam-like shots without a lot of training. You can create some unbelievable shots and they can be well worth their weight in gold, but be prepared to get a gym membership to build your upper body strength, you will need it. Perhaps one of the most famous, long Steadicam shots is the Copacabana scene from Goodfellas (1990).
7. Drones
The past few years have seen the advancement of radio-controlled drone helicopters adapted for use in video and film production. Higher end models now have built in multi-axis gimbals to make the shots you get from drones very smooth and stable, and almost as effective as full-size helicopters. Drones can be tricky to operate, but with practice you can create some amazing shots. Mainly because a drone can capture a different perspective than we are used to seeing in real life, and the biggest advantage is capturing aerial shots and perspectives you cannot get with traditional support gear. As great and practical as they are for many applications, it is easy to overuse them. As long as they support and enhance your story with out being a distraction, or a safety risk, put your camera to flight.
A motion picture can be emotionally moving, and a moving camera can elevate the emotional impact of the story you are telling. Anyone can move a camera, but moving your camera effectively without distracting from your story will come with practice and is the ultimate goal. I would encourage you to break out of those locked-down shots, be bold and get your camera moving and create videos that move people.
