Guest Ebrahim Saadawi Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 It's a bit of a weird question I am aware, but I want to know if there are technical or creative rules for when to shoot handheld or locked-off. I've been dealing with this issue on every single shoot! Should I do it handheld or locked off, it's a weird problem to face during a shoot right?! And fyi, I find myself shooting liking my handheld footage MUCH better than my locked off ones. So I usually end up shooting everything handheld. I like the results but I mean, that can't be right! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzynormal Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 liking my handheld footage MUCH better than my locked off ones. Looks like you figured it out on your own. I shoot handheld mostly myself since I've been working on documentaries, but I'll admit it takes more skill to create a compelling edit with static shots. It is more difficult; not technically, but most other ways. However, the older I get the more I'm attracted to an informed "quiet" lens. My next short is going to be an exercise in all static shots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ebrahim Saadawi Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Thanks for the input fuzzynormal. Yes to me "my" (and only mine) handhold shots are much more alive than static ones. Though I find that some people can make static shots also alive, and I want to know how! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy lee Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I depends on what you are shooting and what lenses you are using. what style of filming you are doing Dirctors like Paul Greengrass , Kathryn Bigelow shoot their films mostly hand held (Bourne, Captain Philips, Hurtlocker Zero Dark Thirty etc) and it has a look and feel that is very real documently style , you are in there with the Actors. Directors like David Fincher and the great Alfred Hitchcock always shoot locked off on tripods (legs) and they have a more formal approch to film making and you can see that style in House of Cards (Netflix) Girl With the Dragon Tattoo , The Game , Fight Club etc Vertigo , North by Northwest etc etc The camera does not move much and the action is framed alot of the time around a 'standard lens' if you are shooting hand held get a shoulder mount rig to stabalise out your shots as actually holding the camera in you hand induces rolling shutter skew as your hand gitters about , so I awlays shoot on a shoulder rig for my hand held shots. (even with IS lenses) Damphousse 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael1 Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Just my opinion, but I think it is much harder to get hand held shots to not look amateur, than those shot on a tripod. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HurtinMinorKey Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Use handheld only when you have a very good reason to. And don't compare handheld shots to static, compare them to slides, pans, tilts, ..etc. Damphousse 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damphousse Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 if you are shooting hand held get a shoulder mount rig to stabalise out your shots as actually holding the camera in you hand induces rolling shutter skew as your hand gitters about , so I awlays shoot on a shoulder rig for my hand held shots. (even with IS lenses) Man, this is so true. With a global shutter things wouldn't be as bad but with a rolling shutter all those tremors, shakes, and jerks just make the video go to heck with distortions and jello. And when you try and fix the shakes with warp stabilizer it just turns into a sureal mess. This is one of the reasons I use image stabilized lenses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ebrahim Saadawi Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Use handheld only when you have a very good reason to. And don't compare handheld shots to static, compare them to slides, pans, tilts, ..etc. -What would you consider "a very good reason", Hurtin? To you. And good point. I seem to "never" use static motion (pans slides jibs) even though I have all the tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quirky Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 It's a bit of a weird question I am aware, but I want to know if there are technical or creative rules for when to shoot handheld or locked-off. Does it really matter whether there are rules or not, if you are to ignore them, anyway? Why bother with such things in the first place? Just turn off the computer and go shoot something. With a camera, that is. Whatever floats your boat. If you fancy your own footage but are still in doubt, anyway, show your stuff to a suitable target audience and ask for feedback. They'll probably tell you if they agree with you or not. Then, get a monopod, tripod or some simple rig. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ebrahim Saadawi Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Just turn off the computer and go shoot something. With a camera, that is. ;) Cracked me up! :D Great advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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