does a rig really make you a better filmmaker?
i think the better question here is when will a rig make you a better filmmaker
because if you don't use it in the right context it might actually cost you let me explain
what's up youtube in this video i'm going to share my reasoning behind how i rig up my camera
but also why i sometimes prefer to leave it behind every shoot is different and should be considered
in its own context over the past 12 years i've shot a variety of genres and i've also made my
fair share of mistakes when it comes to gear choices which has led me to a more simplistic
approach to help you avoid some of these mistakes i've compiled a checklist of 4 things that reason
for and against using a rig and i still use this on all my shoots no matter how big or small full
disclosure smallrick didn't pay me to make this video i simply love their gear and i've been using
it long before they reach out to me they were kind enough to send me some accessories but have no say
in the final outcome and the views reflected here are 100% mine back to the checklist the number one
reason that will make me reach for a rig is the ability to attach a monitor or external
recorder here i ask myself do i really need it or is it only a nice to have a monitor for me is a
non-negotiable when i'm working with the director using just the camera screen is not sufficient for
a director to judge the performance of talent or the overall feeling of a shot in this case a rig
is a non-negotiable because i don't like attaching the monitor directly to the camera shoe i also use
a monitor to expose more accurately for slog3 so if you haven't seen that video yet you can watch
it up here a monitor helps you to shoot in harsh light and can help you spot small things you might
miss by using the native screen if you feel like these three things are important to your shoot
you can get that rig ready reason number two a rig is guaranteed to give you more stability because
of the extra weight and the ability to attach your own handles which makes operation a lot more
comfortable not only does the camera feel better in your hands but you'll find yourself getting
more stable movements because of the extra weight if your camera doesn't have some form of in-body
image stabilization a rig is also non-negotiable but even with ibis the top handles enable you to
get better low down shots with more stability and ease this alone is a reason for me to use the rig
even if i'm not using the monitor but it depends on the shoot final focus control if
you're shooting a piece with complex focus pools or using a manual lens a rig is essential because
it allows you to add a follow focus i only do manual focus pulls about five to ten percent of
the time but when i need it not having it can be a headache i'm referring to shots with exact timings
some intentional pulls difficult to obtain with autofocus like this shot of the baby monkey the
intentional focus shift draws the viewer into the shot with precision timing the small rig
mini follow focus is really easy to set up and comes with an adjustable focus ring that fits
on any lens when adding the follow focus i shift my handle to the right with my left hand taking
grip on the bottom of the rail which enables me to get stable focus pulls if you're shooting sony
you can also rack focus with autofocus by having the handle extend over the screen
which makes touch operation easier here your settings has to be exact for the scene and you
might not get the same performance on unscripted shots which can make your focus feel too clinical
i made a whole video just about autofocus and how to achieve optimal results without a follow focus
you can check it out here reason number four a rig will literally make people take you more seriously
as much as i hate this we can't escape the notion that some clients and potential clients
will form an opinion of you by how professional your gear looks i've seen it time and time again
the momentary comes out people would comment on it and i can sense their positivity towards my gear
in the same way i've received negative feedback from clients when i rock up with just the camera
body even after they've seen all my work now with this i'm not saying that you should use a rig
just to look the part but if that was the only reason on my checklist i'll compare it
with my four reasons against using a rig which brings me to my next point reason number one
will it slow me down there are many ways a rick can slow you down but here you need to consider
the following from initial setup time to cable management charging monitor batteries remembering
monitor batteries tightening bolts and getting their rig ready for action takes time time that i
didn't account for when i first started using rigs so you simply have to ask yourself if you're able
to manage the rig and still get all your shots on time this goes for those unscripted shoots
or events where you need to get a larger variety of shots in a small amount of time or when you're
at the mercy of natural light the best example of this is on a recent launch video i shot with
the sony a7 mark iv even though the entire sheet was scripted with a shot list and a clear vision
i still ran into a time issue the first day went pretty well and apart from a few gimbal shots
i used the rig because we had enough time to do gear changes on day 2 however the weather turned
completely against us and we needed to get a whole bunch of shots in a short amount of time before
it got really bad and we couldn't shoot outside anymore both me and the director agreed that not
using the rig would be the best option because we also had to make several swaps over to the gimbal
and this leads me to reason number two how much are you planning to use the gimbal sadly
you can't simply slap the rig onto a gimbal which means you have to take the camera out of the cage
and swap plates which can be detrimental when you're faced with time constraints if i plan on
using the gimbal a lot and i don't have an ac to assist me with swapping i would actually consider
not using the rig on the fx3 launch video i had an assistant doing the transition for me
while the director and i were discussing the shots but that is a luxury most of us don't have in our
day-to-day shoots in defence of a rig i can also say that the majority of my shots are hand held
because it feels a bit more organic and i only get the gimbal out where the movements will motivate
my story reason number three be incognito a rig has the ability to quickly draw attention to the
operator and this can cost you in some scenarios i found it particularly helpful to go all natural
when shooting in public spaces and areas where i want the least amount of eyes on me when you shoot
just with a body you can easily be taken for just another tourist or hobbyist with a camera
this works really well in documentary work or when you need to get a shot in a public space without
a commercial filming permit for example here in south africa i can get away with almost anything
if the crew is below a certain number and i'm not obstructing the movement of people and traffic
reason number four traveling light i sometimes find myself on a shoot where travelling light
is the difference between good and great here i'm referring to projects that involve
a lot of hiking or constant moving around where the actual weight of the rig can be cumbersome
when we launched the sony a7s mach 3 in 2020 i did exactly this and decided to go just hand out
because of the sheer amount of walking we had to do with a lot of stops on the way setting up the
rig and breaking it down for every shot would be a major inconvenience so in this case going just
with the body was the better option so now you've heard the good and the bad rigs are amazing and
can really elevate the production value of your shoots but it's important to be realistic about it
the last thing i want to do is tell you that you simply can't live without a rig and then you
find yourself on a shoot losing out on precious shooting time because you weren't prepared for the
setup and management that goes into using a rig the good news is the more shoots you do with your
rig the easier you'll find a workflow based around your own requirements and set up an operation will
go much faster so there's no right or wrong way but merely a context to consider and having the
option to use a rig is really where you want to be if you still have questions let me know in the
comments and i'll do my best to answer thanks so much for watching and i'll see you in the next one