Gimbals are now as much of a consumer item as they are a high-end professional one, which means far more videographers are using them. Although stabilized footage is the goal, you can get extra creative with how you use it, and these three techniques can really help you stand out.
It isn't that long ago that gimbals were expensive, cumbersome, and rarely seen outside of reasonably large productions. Now, even your mobile phone can have one that does a great job. With the reduction in size and cost, as well as increased accessibility, we are seeing far more creative and interesting shots as a result.
In the summer I reviewed a mobile phone gimbal and even with that, I was surprised at what you could pull off. For example, I wanted to see if I could run down a sandy hill to a 6-foot drop, jump off it, and keep moving without the footage being utter chaos. To my surprise and pleasure, even the large jump looked more like the cinematic effects to simulate movement than the sudden jerk and loss of focus I had expected. This led me to think just how much can be achieved with the more expensive, prosumer gimbals, and the sort of wild and unique moves you could do with them.
This video shows three different techniques with a gimbal and all appear to defy physics, but are unexpectedly easy to do!
