Learning to hate the tripod ...

8salacious9

8salacious9

So having shot quite a few things now and still producing for my film, I have learned that static tripod shots even if panning are boring.. infact I now am wondering why I bought a decent tripod set up.

however what I have found is that if you don't have a rig and your crap at handheld then get a light photo tripod, with a fat head then use the handle to rest on your shoulder so that you have more stability, this is my current preferable way of shooting and im close to mastering it.

the way I walk with it is representative of that of a tai chi session, my legs bent and ample with my upper body moving like the grace of god.

im not saying tripod shots shouldn't be used because I do use them, however I grow more and more to dislike really still frames even if they include panning, id rather move the camera myself than pan.

maybe its time to re-invest in some sort of rig .. not sure what do you guys think?
 
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For my most recent short we used:

- Tripod with fluid head (you know my setup)
- Steadicam Merlin (great little tool)
- Steadicam Merlin deliberately loosened to provide a juddery effect
- Shoulder rig with FF - one shot from this was absolutely beautiful
- Clothes rack on wheels - we put the DoP on the clothes rack and pulled him backwards.
- Handheld
- Handheld from a motorbike

All were excellent tools based on what was necessary at the time in terms of the pacing, movement etc...

I now need to learn to rollerblade for those tricky shots.
 
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I think the use of a tripod just depends on the feel you are going for. There are some pretty cheap shoulder rigs on the market right now that work decently.

Assuming you are shooting with a DSLR, this rig does the trick for the money:

http://www.amazon.com/CowboyStudio-Shoulder-Support-Camcorder-Camera/dp/B0036NMQ7S

I haven't personally used this, but the reviews are decent:

http://www.amazon.com/Adorama-Camco...3898381&sr=1-1&keywords=camera+shoulder+mount


I highly recommend checking out some DIY film equipment sites, you could probably build a nice rig fairly cheap.
 
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8salacious9 said:
So having shot quite a few things now and still producing for my film, I have learned that static tripod shots even if panning are boring.. infact I now am wondering why I bought a decent tripod set up.

however what I have found is that if you don't have a rig and your crap at handheld then get a light photo tripod, with a fat head then use the handle to rest on your shoulder so that you have more stability, this is my current preferable way of shooting and im close to mastering it.

the way I walk with it is representative of that of a tai chi session, my legs bent and ample with my upper body moving like the grace of god.

im not saying tripod shots shouldn't be used because I do use them, however I grow more and more to dislike really still frames even if they include panning, id rather move the camera myself than pan.

maybe its time to re-invest in some sort of rig .. not sure what do you guys think?
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The use of tripod needs some solid framing and composition without which shots looks boring and dull. That's why you feel the way you feel.

On the other hand, handheld shots draw the viewer's attention onto other stuff. It's still poorly framed and looks just as awful but it's less obvious.
 
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Probably boring shots... try a little movement.. start with a slider for those oh so subtle push ins.. a tiny bit of movement can go a long way..

Also, I just bet your too wide in your shots. I always start too wide. get in there.. get close..
 
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8salacious9 said:
So having shot quite a few things now and still producing for my film, I have learned that static tripod shots even if panning are boring.. infact I now am wondering why I bought a decent tripod set up.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blocking_(stage)

A static shot is only as boring as it's blocking. *shrug* YMMV. Ok, also include composition, content, etc etc. Basically if the shot is boring, it does not follow that your tripod is the cause, necessarily.
 
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Tripod shots can be just as interesting as moving shots.

It's exactly what David said: if a shot's boring it's not necessarily because you're static.
There are plenty of static shots in all sorts of movies that are still interesting. If you just throw your tripod anywhere and try and frame something up, then maybe it will look average, but if you have interesting blocking and interesting coverage, you can design an interesting frame that will look good even if it's static.
 
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To make up for it in more traditional Hollywood fare, you'll note a lot of smoke/steam in the background/foreground of shots. These add movement to the frame with out having to move the camera more than just a reframe. Extras perform the same function as well.

For many of us, extras and environmentals aren't as easy to come by, so camera movement is where we can make changes in the background of the shot. The Tai Chi statement is a big one though, being a handheld cam op isn't just about pointing the camera... it's about moving the camera through space as well... this is an action which needs to be rehearsed just as much as the actor's blocking. And the director (if you have a separate one), needs to direct that motion and timing as well, so the DP/Cam Op needs to make sure they're asking if they are giving the director what they need/the Director needs to speak up if the shot could be improved by adjusting camera blocking.
 
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also editing comes in to play here. The brain needs at most 10 seconds to get all the data out of an image, maybe if you cut to the reverse sooner letting dialogue overlap the cut (J & L cuts) you'll feel your shots are less boring

For long dialogues get lots of reaction shots so even if one person talks for a long while, you can cut to the reaction of the other(s) listening.
 
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regardless of the shot, whether the frame is interesting or not, I just feel that having a camera on a tripod that's planted to the ground gives a less authentic feel, it feels boring, I don't know why, I think im at the stage where im crafting my look that's personal to me, Im sure I saw somewhere some directors prefer certain camera angles and have it in most of their films etc..
 
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8salacious9 said:
I think im at the stage where im crafting my look that's personal to me...
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This is the exciting part to me... I know precisely what I want in a shot now, but I also remember exactly when I started to figure that out... and it wasn't something I started out knowing. It was only through screwing it up constantly and trying to figure out what I didn't like about my images that led me to whittle down to what I wanted. The first 4-5 shorts, I can point to 1-2 shots per film that I actually like and wouldn't mind presenting as mine (I presented them in their entirety anyway).

Do you have an example of your "best" shot so far? I'd love to see it.
 
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knightly said:
This is the exciting part to me... I know precisely what I want in a shot now, but I also remember exactly when I started to figure that out... and it wasn't something I started out knowing. It was only through screwing it up constantly and trying to figure out what I didn't like about my images that led me to whittle down to what I wanted. The first 4-5 shorts, I can point to 1-2 shots per film that I actually like and wouldn't mind presenting as mine (I presented them in their entirety anyway).

Do you have an example of your "best" shot so far? I'd love to see it.
Click to expand...

I don't have anything as of yet that is my best shot so far, I have a fav shot which was purely by accident...
 
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I'm normally pretty good at just watching a movie, without over-analyzing it from the mindset of a filmmaker. I'd like to think I'm pretty good at it, anyway.

However, I'd just read this thread, RIGHT before going to watch Kings of Summer. Couldn't help but pay attention to which shots were on a tripod, vs those that weren't. The overwhelming majority of them were most definitely on tripod. And the movie has a very nice aesthetic quality to it.

Low budget movie. Very successful at festivals. Modestly successful theatrical run. That kind of success is what folks like us dream about, and they used tripods. :)
 
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I think the best set up is a tripod dolly, and mini-jib. That way you can have a little more range in your pans and tilts, and just put the fluid head on that. This doesn't go for all shots of course, but it's better than a tripod only.
 
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I am doing the feature film now and the whole movie (about 70 minutes+) will not have any camera movement at all, only cuts between different image sizes and all the shots are from tripod.

It does not look boring at all to me:)
 
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