Even now in the age of 3-axis brushless gimbal stabilisers flying off the shelves and totally dominating the market many filmmakers still prefer to use some of their good old and well-trusted tools that have been serving them well for many years. Sliders, for instance, are still a very powerful and efficient piece of equipment that is favoured by numerous run-and-gun shooters, time-lapse videographers and enthusiasts alike.
If you still haven’t dropped out this tool from your kit, here is another really simple and super efficient technique that will put a new perspective on how to utilise your slider in a little bit different and definitely much more efficient way. In essence, the following video from Awesome Cinematography series produced by Premium Beat demonstrates how to achieve a jib shot using a slider.
Everything you are going to need for this simple set-up is a tripod, an excellent solid slider, two video heads and your camera. First attach the slider on the top of the tripod using one of the video heads and mount the camera on the other. Tilt the slider all the way down and lock it. Then turn your camera sideways, unlock the slide and push the camera all the way down, then lock it again. If you’ve done all the things the right way your set-up should look like this:
In order to have a working combo the pans of both heads need to be locked whereas the tilts should be moving freely. Eventually, you can unlock the pan of the head that is placed between the tripod and the slider to add even more dynamics to your shots. As we can see this is a great way to capture a specific look while still keeping your camera on the tripod without any further adjustments.
Utilising similar off-beat techniques is always a great way to experiment and enrich your skill set. Being inspired and working to the best of your ability should always be the main motivaton for you as an artist and it’s also an integral part of the learning process.
Furthermore, this is one of the most exciting aspects of the art form making the craft even more interesting and rewarding as it gives us an excellent opportunity to become better and more experienced at what we love doing most every time we face a new challenge.
[Source: Premium Beat]
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Nice.