Here are four ideas to make your gimbal shots more creative

If you’re using your DSLR or smartphone to shoot videos, you probably use a gimbal for all kinds of shots. In this video, COOPH gives you four fun ideas for using the gimbal in your videos. They will add creativity to your shots and help you tell the story better.

1. The hover cam

For this shot, start by fixing a clamp to a pole and then attach your gimbal to it so it hangs from the pole. Have two people hold the pole and more the pole horizontally, which will allow you to film along inaccessible paths (for example, along a conference table). You have probably seen shots like this in movies, but also in ads.

2. Path cloning

This is another fun idea, and I believe it can work great in music videos. First, place your gimbal in a fixed position; the best solution is to attach it to a tripod. Set an automated rotation path and place your subject for the first rotation. You will repeat the path several times, and place the subject each time where you want them to be. When you take all the shots, mask them together. You’ll end up with the same subject appearing several times in one “long take.”

3. Matching on action

Once again, I think this would work great for music videos, maybe ads too. As I was watching the example in the video, I imagined Fatboy Slim’s Weapon of Choice playing in my head.

Hold the gimbal low and track your subject as they walk and jump. Change the location several times, and in the end cut the shots together and link up the movements.

4. Underworld transition

Have you watched Stranger Things? It has some awesome transitions, and this one reminds me of this TV show.

First, find an elevated location where you can get below ground level. Make space for camera movement and set your first scene. Then, transition out of it by rolling the camera below the ground. Then, find the second location and roll up into the “other world.” Mask the shots together, add some effects…  And welcome to the Upside Down!

Make sure to watch the video to see the examples of each shot, and have fun with them in your next video project.

[4 fun ideas to film with a gimbal | COOPH]