Question about using a tripod.

[harmonica44]

Sometimes when shooting an action scene, such as a character being punched, then falling against the wall, I like to move the camera, to follow the character, as they fall back fast. Action with a still camera, can be kind of boring. However, when I try to move the camera with the tripod lever, the movements are kind of jerky. That is because in when you turn the lever, there is a bit of a jerk at first. So the movements aren't as loose. Are all tripods like this or can you get one that is very slippery and moves with a lot more loose slick?

 

[Lucky Hardwood]

Yeah but some have said before on here the best way to do it was to shoot everything from different angles, then see which shot lists work best in post. But I still will make an ideal shot list beforehand. The DP who is working with me has a steadicam, so he will use that instead of hand held, plus the tripod when it comes to still scenes.

Is he any good with the SteadyCam? I'm just asking because bad SteadyCam can be as bad, or worse, than hand held.

 

[harmonica44]

Here's the thing. Let's say we can't use the steadicam cause we're not good enough, and hand held is better. Does that mean the cam should be hand held for all of it, or should we use a tripod during the non action scenes, and the audiences won't find the shift from still to hand held distracting?