GorillaPod is a handy tool for photographers, and pretty popular among the vloggers. But, you can use it in many different ways when shooting video. It can help you mock a slider, a camera rig and even a drone (sort of). Jordy Vandeput of Cinecom.net shares five tricks you can pull off using just the GorillaPod. Although they’re mainly aimed at filming, photographers can use some of them as well.
Mini jib effect
The first trick lets you recreate the mini jib effect for filming small items. Bend two legs to the front and one leg to the back. Put the two front legs on the table and slowly push forwards while holding the back leg. For more control, you can try rolling on the first knob. This will give you smoother movement and let you move more slowly.
Steadycam
Extend one leg to the middle and the other two to the sides. Flip the camera upside down, and hold the leg in the middle. Hold the last knob with two fingers and reduce heavy footsteps while walking. This will reduce the camera shake and make the footage more stabilized.
Since you’re filming upside down, flip the footage in post. And to improve stabilization even further, you can fix it in Premiere Pro or any other software you use.
Camera rig
Bend one leg to the back and the other two in an arch to the bottom. Support the back leg against your shoulder and hold the other two legs while pressing your elbows against your body. Now you’ve got a sort of a camera rig that will help you make more steady shots.
You can build upon this idea and bend the back leg. Attach it to your shoulder, while the other two legs rest on your chest. If you’ve done everything right, the camera will stay on your shoulder and you’ll have your hands free. This is handy (no pun intended) for point-of-view shots, like product reviews.
Different perspectives
The GorillaPod can help you put your camera in otherwise inaccessible places, such as on a tree. You can wrap it around the branch, for example, and get a different point of view. Also, if there’s a long stick lying around, you can attach the camera to it and fake the drone effect (like here). Jordy used it in one of his videos to wrap the camera around the broom while cleaning the new studio.
Mount other things to GorillaPod
Other than using GorillaPod to mount the camera, you can use it for other gear as well. It can serve as a mic stand for recording product reviews, tutorials and the like. You can also a small LED panel onto it if you film in a tight place.
I find all these applications of GorillaPod pretty useful, and I’m sure there are plenty more. One of the pretty awesome ones was this lazy overhead photo setup. Do you have any filmmaking or photography GorillaPod tricks to share?
[5 Creative GORILLAPOD Hacks | Cinecom.net]
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