This was unexpected.
I'm quite happy with the shoulder rig I have managed to mock-up using the old rod system I had lying around. The video tutorial for the rig and messed up test shot created with it can be found here, or alternatively to watch the tutorial only click here.
The video (click here watch in HD):
Aaron, my flat mate, is a eccentric man to say the least. He is a very fun guy most of the times, but he has his moments of sheer craziness, which makes him quite unpredictable. Today, while I was testing my rig, he barged into the house very angry with some cocksucker hanging out at the end of our driveway. The camera was on the shoulder rig and I decided to follow Aaron around while he finds out who is the stranger. It wasn't pretty.
As for the shoulder rig: I like it so much I think Ill use it in almost everything Ill shot (when the fluid movement suits). It is pretty shabby, but I don't have clients or shit like that and the fact that the camera doesn't jitter and I have some support for the weight of the rig makes it so much easier to shot for longer periods. The more I'll get used to the rig the better the footage Ill get out of it. This test shot was literally the first thing I shot with this rig and it wasn't easy. Why? Ill tell you:
1. It takes time to get used to doing so many things together. Untill you prctice enough with a new rig, your footage will look all over the place (see the test footage)
2. Nikon 24mm f/2.8
The good: Great little lens with aperture ring. Light.
The bad: Very short travel on the focus ring which makes it very hard to find the focus point. Prime lenses usually have a longer travel on the focus ring.
4. The Huco gear box.
The good: Kinda cheap (37$ in Australia, much cheaper in UK and USA)
The bad: Has a serious lag. No damping.
3. The eye piece from VFinder (the guys who make carry speed straps) from http://www.carryspeed.com/ is a good value for money but takes lots of practice to get used to.
The good: Cheap and helps you focus.
The bad: Eye piece comes out of its base quite easily. There's a significant light spill where the finder attaches to the camera which makes it quite hard to work in bright conditions. No diopter.
4. Technicolor cinestyle
The good: No idea (yeah yeah, larger dynamic range, I couldn't care less about that when shooting this)
The bad: Makes it really, but really hard to focus because the footage is very flat.
So to sum this test-shot up: The biggest problem I had was focusing. Framing was not easy either, but I might be asking too much from first time use of the rig. The more I practice with it, the better I get, which bring me to the best advice I can give: Go out and shot! Don't wait for something to happen, make it happen. So call some of your buddies and practice your shooting technique and your story telling talent. Don't you give a damn about how bad or basic it looks. All I ever ask my self when I edit my footage can be summed up into one question: 'Is this footage better then the previous thing I shot?' If it is, well, then I'm on the way to becoming a better filmmaker. Fingers crossed.
Rafa.
Camera: 5D mark II
Lens: Nikon 24mm f/2.8
Editing: PPro CS5
Grading: Magic Bullet (based on the bronze preset)
