Okay, CC bloggers, I just got a new EZ FX jib for my Z1U. Having never used one before, I thought that a blog exploring how to use a jib would make a useful addition to the blogs. So, any ideas on how to best use the thing? I also have the "pedestal" option, and man it's a beast! I'm using it for the first time this morning, so talk now!! I'm stoked but a little bit out of my league as far as skill on using this thing, so any suggestions would be very welcome. TJ
The ServoCity pan/tilt unit has left me wanting a little more.
My experience with the unit has been very disappointing for following live action shots. I spent two days shooting ballet performances, and the non-intuitive joystick just didn't work for me. I wish I could count how many times I went the wrong way, but I don't have that many fingers, toes, and friend's toes.
Hats off to a little Kansas company that tried to compete with MC100s and such. They made a nice attempt, and I hope they get a more stable, smoother system in the future.
In the meantime, I'm moving into a JonyJib Pro system (or JimmyJib) in the next few months with a nice pan/tilt head, because running jib is just too much fun!
TJ McCormick
Inside-Vegas producer
www.Inside-Vegas.com
Okay, got the jib, and love it!!
It seems like using a jib is an intuitive process. Since my last posting, I've used a 6' configuration and a 12'. Both have their plusses and minuses, but I must say that either way, working a jib is a rush!
In the 6' config, I shot limousines at the LCT 2008 show in Vegas. Definitely enough jib for this purpose, I got some great shots. My favorites are when I reveal something in the foreground after a nice high start.
In the 12' configuration, I shot a live event. I got shots of a band, dancers, and event MCs, but my favorite shots were when I shot from the lights and boomed down into the audience. The shots were very elegant, and added a lot to the evening's production. The shots were featured on screens and recorded. I'll try to get more up soon, but here's a short example, heavy on my lead actor, Harvey Blanc.
http://inside-vegas.com/atpf_iv.html
Having a dependable remote head is essential as well. My current unit is the ServoCity 985 Series System pan tilt. I'm still working the bugs out with the company, but this system could be very legitimate in the near future.
So, I guess the best way to learn jib is, well, to do jib. I'll let you all know what i learn in the future, so jib guys and girls, stay in touch, and let's share some great footage!
TJ McCormick
Inside-Vegas producer
www.Inside-Vegas.com
http://servocity.com/html/pan___tilt_packages.html
Just tried the 985 Series system Pan-Tilt remote head from ServoCity.com out for the fourth time. I'm still having some problems with it, but ServoCity is currently addressing the issues. Since this product is still new and under development, I have faith they will work out the system to a satisfactory engineering solution for a general video production pan tilt system.
The remote head allows you to pan, tilt, and eventually roll your camera with some nice robotic servos. The craftsmanship of the remote head is top notch, with aircraft-grade aluminum throughout. The website claims the unit will withstand 150 lbs of force, and I tend to believe them. However, my Sony Z1U camera with a wide angle lens adapter, weighing in at around 11 pounds, gives the servos a run for their money. I would use only pro-sumer cameras under 15 lbs for this pan-tilt.
My main issues involve the controller and control cables. The joystick does not "clutch" or stay in one position while my jib is tilted. When I boom up or down, the controller can actually slip, forcing the camera into undesirable movements. There is no speed control on the joystick, so any variable speed adjustment is impossible. The motors drive the unit too fast, so smooth pans and tilt are impossible. The footage I shot shows a jerky motion at start and stop on pans and tilts. The movement during pans and tilts, though, seems to be smooth, which gives me hope that ServoCity will soon work out smoothness during movements.
I had to spend $70 and about 2 hours to find a company capable of mounting my 985 Series remote head onto my camera plate. The way ServoCity has the unit currently is a series of inline holes on a rectangular open-ended box that really don't help when mounting to a round ball-style mount. My fabricator missed several holes due to the rectangular nature of the pan's mounting plate. A round plate to accommodate a 100 mm ball mount would be a nice change.
Last, the cables ServoCity uses to connect the control box to the servos have small fragile connectors, and connect both ways, so there is no telling if the unit is properly plugged in properly or not. I have to connect four extension cables together, so the connection process is tedious. I suggested to them a single cable that connected both pan and tilt functions, patterned like the MC100 extension cable. I hope they consider this small yet effective change.
This pan-tilt unit will be good for use on a camera jib, in an installed house system, or on a tripod with a multi-camera robotic system. I personally use it on a 12' EZ FX jib, and when it works, works well for camera positioning. They still need to correct the speed issues, to allow smoother, slower movements acceptable for corporate video work.
I don't fault the company, since they are still new at this game, and still getting feedback from their users. If you buy a unit now, feel free to consider yourself a beta tester of sorts. If they keep the price around the $800 range, this would be a great alternative to a $3300 VZ MC100 or similar unit, at well below half the price. And, if they work out the issues, you should have a unit that can compete with others in this class.
In conclusion, I can't recommend this unit currently, but watch out for the new and improved unit. In the near future, the 985 series pan tilt system will make a great remote head for your production tool chest.
TJ McCormick
Inside-Vegas producer
www.Inside-Vegas.com
okay, all, get this one before they figure out how much it's really worth...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGbk4UEO9ck
servocity.com
I need not say any more, except silky smooth pan/tilt/roll for around $1000.
TJ McCormick
Inside-Vegas producer
www.Inside-Vegas.com
Think about what you want to use the jib for. Generally you don't want to shoot a whole video with it.
When we use it, it is for one of the following purposes:
1. Beauty shot - be it a car, a swimsuit model, a house or a set of encyclopedias, you can use the jib to do subtle or dramatic moves. Check out Kitchen Nightmares on Fox - they use a jib shot as an establishing shot on the restaurant, but then that's it until the night time establishing shot.
2. Show something happening. Let's say your talen is pouring milk into a pitcher then carrying the pitcher to the table to pour into a cereal bowl. This could be a cool sequence all in one shot, but you will need to block this out and practice with the talent.
See what I mean? Where in your shot list is a jib called for?
In the end, TJ, it's what ends up on the screen...
If it looks bad, then it is bad.
What looks great in Star Wars looks like crap in a serious drama, and vice versa. So a big arching sweep that looks great in a spaceship shoot-out scene is going to make the audience puke if it happens in a romantic comedy.
So, practice is the answer and it's kind of hard to describe to someone what they should be doing when in the end the only way to tell if it's being done right is to be there and critique the actual shot as it appears on the screen.
But I do have one piece of straightforward advice for you: Keep it simple. A 180º arch is going to make your audience airsick but a simple move from high to low or from low to high is going to fit far more scenes than a tilt and pan sweeping arch designed to follow a starship shoot-out.
Shoot with it. Look at what you captured. Does it look like crap? Then it is. Looks good? Then it is.
Okay, i've heard practice doesnt make perfect, but PERFECT PRACTICE makes perfect!! If you practice wrong, you get bad results. Practice well, and perfect the craft.
So, I'd like to know what moves to do, then practice to do them well. Until I see, understand and master some basic moves, there is no way I'll be able to practice.
I've spent years perfecting my camera technique, mostly by learning from things I've seen in movies and television that I like. For example, I like how Law and Order uses "jiggle cam" for a lot of its shots, and how many urban music videos have their talent lean into the camera lens.
I guess what I need is the "how-to" guide for basic jib moves. i haven't really looked hard, but i have yet to find the book on jib handling. Maybe it still needs to be written.
I guess I could sift through the hundreds of movies I have, and look for the best crane shots, then pare them down to a 12' or 6' jib shot book or DVD. I just hope something out there exists that would help with basics, so I would have a nice foundation to start. I don't want to learn bad habits right away...
And, set-up/take down of the EZ FX jib is about 20 minutes. It's really fast, and has only a few connection points. It stores in a very small area, too. I'm a total fan, especially after hearing stories from other jib users.
TJ McCormick
Inside-Vegas producer
www.Inside-Vegas.com
The key to success with any kind of camera stabilizer is lots of practice before the gig. I bought a steadyshot 2000 or some such thing a few months ago, and it takes a while to get the balance just right, let alone figure out how to get cool shots. We used to use a Jimmy Job, without the power adapter. Aside from being heavy to travel with and needing an hour to setup, it took time to master. However the results were great.
