Alright, I figured this would be a good way to start the blog given my introduction post-a little one-on-one about camera rigs. What you will notice about my approach is that I prepare for low-budget production, this does not mean the information is limited to such (you will never be on a production where there is no room for money-saving innovation). What this means is a DIY attitude, YOU CAN MAKE MOST EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD OTHERWISE COST AN ARM AND A LEG AND in some cases THE BLOOD OF YOUR FIRST-BORN CHILD.
So, things like camera rigs should come into the process during the storyboarding in the pre-production stage. Sometimes it can come into play during the technical script writing if the writer has a specific shot or shots in mind.
The first thing to think about is a tripod. For static (non-moving) shots, nearly any tripod will do as long as it can do the job of holding your camera up. On this point I've even seen people build there own basic tripods. For shots where the camera is moving on top of a tripod (rotates, tilts, etc) what you would reeeeaaallly want is a tripod with a FLUID HEAD which simply refers to a little contraption that uses compression to make the movements nice and smooth. That said, fluid head tripods are known to cost serious $$$ but this is one of the instances where the money is necessary and well worth it. You DO NOT HAVE TO get a tripod with the fluid head-it just makes a very noticeable difference for smoother tripod moves.
The next tool in your rig arsenal will be a more hand-held device for more dynamic shots involving the camera in motion. Filmmakers disagree about which kind works best but basically there are 3 types of hand-held rig:
STEADICAM
Steadicams are used by many professionals to achieve movement within shots but I've honestly only had so-so luck with them. The rig works with a counter-balance system-a weight at the bottom counters the weight of the camera at the top thus creating smoother movement. The one big flaw with this is that when you stop after moving the entire rig teeters where you grasp it and the camera bobs up and down.
FIG
This is MY RIG OF CHOICE; it is simple and easy to use. The principle behind this is that you mount the camera in the middle and hold onto both sides offering the greatest stability. This rig relies on your own stability with your arms and movement but after using it for a while you get used to moving with as little jerking as possible. The one downside to this rig, as well as the steadicam (though a little more-so with this rig) is that you have to hold it up and after a while your arms will get tired.
SHOULDER MOUNT
While this has become a staple of the industry as far as rigs, I'm not so convinced. the one big upside to this rig is that you don't have to hold up the camera rig the entire time. The major downside of this rig is that you will have a reeeeaaallly hard time, no matter how smoothly you walk and move, keeping the movement fluid. It also doesn't offer as much dynamic movement because it's more-or-less anchored to your shoulder.
Next you need to focus on rigs needed for specific shots. The two most used rigs out of this bunch are the DOLLY & TRACK RIG and the CRANE RIG. (though importance is really relative to what you're shooting and how you're shooting it.
The Track & Dolly rig allows you to smoothly move the tripod and camera along a predetermined path. This is best for keeping the camera steady while moving. Some simply use tripods with wheels which works so-so but if you're on uneven ground then you will feel that in the shake of the camera. By running along a track, you're assured the most camera stability.
The Crane Rig allows great sweeping camera movement and helps to create the most dramatic camera-work. Crane rigs can add a lot of impressive movement but should be used sparingly.
There is a trick you can use with your tripod to 'fake' crane shots which I have used in lieu of a crane many times.
There are quite a few other rigs from car mount to zip line but these are the main ones as far as I'm concerned (and I reeaallly don't want to go through eeevvveeerrry one of them) Now, going back to the portable hand-held rigs: For a good set of plans for a steadicam rig you can go here. For a fig rig go here. For a shoulder mount go here. You will find two of those links send you to http://www.instructables.com/ which is AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE FOR ALL CAMERA RIGS!!! It is free and quite possibly one of the greatest DIY resources on the internet. Another resource for a little money is the book (yay reading!) Killer Camera Rigs. Other than that just look on youtube and google for DIY camera rigs-there are plenty of resources you'll find when you go looking for them.
Welp, I think that's it for me for a bit, hope this was helpful.
No comments:
Post a Comment