Glidecam

Lately I have been trying to expand my DSLR accessories while trying to get the best deal because as many of you know video equipment is not cheap. Hell a replacement canon lens cover is 10 dollars. While we do have PPECS which is an awesome resource for now, we won't always have this access to equipment for free. I have been trying to decide what I should invest in next and I've come to the conclusion of some sort of stabilization system. While I could just buy a relatively nice video tripod for under a hundred dollars, a tripod really limits me to only be able to shoot so much, as well as not a lot of creative shots. What I believe the best investment is going to be is a steadicam, more specifically a glide cam.

A glide cam is a newer steadicam system which can allow you to get amazingly smooth shots, and the system, for what its worth, is relatively cheap to most other steadicams.

The picture above is of the Glidecam HD-2000. This is the medium priced model. There is a HD-1000, 2000, and 4000 and the difference between each of them is the amount of weight they can hold and the length of each unit. The 1000 can hold about 1-3 pounds which seems very impractical because while lenses and attachments most DSLRs will tip that scale. The 2000 holds about 2-6 pounds more weight and a little cheaper for those who are just beginning with steadicam use. Finally the 4000 can hold up to 10 pounds and extend to 28 inches. Now the HD models are the older brothers to the XR models. If you are looking to save a little bit more money the XR's may be right for you, however getting them to balance is a much more tedious process.

Glidecam Balance Tutorial

For a more in-depth look at the process visit the link above, it covers a lot of good information especially if you are looking to invest in one of these systems. This on Phillip Blooms website, an independent cinematographer, a lot of useful film tips can be found on this website, I suggest you take a look around.

The person to really get the name of this system out there is Devin Graham. Devin is a Youtube partner who creates some pretty insane videos using DSLRs combined with the glidecam. He films a lot of free running videos ,especially for the video game series Assassins Creed. Using the glidecam in this style of video is really cool because it makes it feel like you are running right with the character the whole time. The video is posted below.

Devin usually posts a Behind the Scenes video which really helps you see how they do all of the unique shots. The link is posted below.

Behind the Scenes

This is another video by Devin which is shot on the Canon 5D Mark II and the Glidecam 4000. The whole video gives you the feeling that you are almost flying.

Now the most expensive model of Glidecam is about 600 dollars with a little bit of hunting around the internet and in reality for a steadicam this is an extremely good deal. Just typing in steadicam to a google search the results show models ranging from 1000 dollars to about 9000, and they can go even high then that. There are also cheaper models but typically in video equipment you get what you pay for and thats quality. Another thing besides price to take into consideration is that steadicams do make your shots look good but you can't just pick it up and expect a beautiful shot, these skills take practice just like anything else. But if you want to start getting some hands on experience with this equipment for a relatively cheap price the glidecam cam could be the piece of equipment for you.

Insane Base Jumping and Great Camera Work

      Recently on Youtube, I saw a video titled "Insane Base Jumping, Falling with Style". The colors in the shots immediately caught my eye. My original thought was that it seemed as if it could be a car commercial because of how illuminating and bright the colors of the car and background were. Turns out Ford made this video happen by sponsoring the team. Anyways, I was mainly interested in how they got such cool shots of the individuals falling or jumping off the bridge or hot air balloon. Turns out Devin Graham, one of the main cinematographers for the video, said he simply used a Go-Scope with a GroPro connected to it. A Go-Scope is basically a pole you can get at any length, that you can use for a shot that you may not be capable of getting otherwise. 

        

      Certain shots that he got with this Go-Scope made it seem as if the viewer is falling with the base jumper. It is truly amazing. The aesthetic values on this piece is phenomenal. With all the light being natural and from the sun, the colors that the landscape gives off in each shot is breathe taking. It truly does look so beautiful it could be fake. The electronic music that goes along with the video is by Overwork, and fits perfectly with the continuous falling and landing. I think this video is extremely well done and definitely goes to show that even the toughest of shots can be achieved.   

DevinSuperTramp

I'm back again with even more YouTube videos. I've always loved all the cool stuff that there is on YouTube, and now that I have some experience with film making and editing, I love seeing what other people make and try to figure out just how they went about doing so. Recently I have been stumbling upon these awesome videos by the username Devinsupertramp. I know all of you have most likely have seen some of his work on YouTube due to the fact that almost every two weeks he makes YouTube's front page.

Devin makes these beautiful videos of all the adventures he goes on. There some are videos of cliff jumping in Hawaii and walking on a tightrope across canyons, while others are just a lot of footage of nature with a very nice music score. The equipment he uses consists of go pros, DSLRs, glidecams, and even remote control helicopters with video cameras. One piece of equipment I really am a fan of is the glidecam that he uses. Glidecams are a type of steadycam which makes a shot where the camera person is moving look as smooth as can be. The effect from the glidecam has a really cool end result. All of the variety and versatility of his equipment really pays of in the end.

World's Most Insane Rope Swing

Behind The Scenes

This video is just flawless and very enjoyable to watch. One of the things I enjoy the most about Devin's videos is that he edits very nicely to the music. When the bass drops in the song he usually makes a cut and it really gives the video some emotion. Also he makes use of the go pro action cam very well whether it is mounted on a pole to see the person's face while they are jumping off the cliff or facing outward to get the point of view shot. Another cool perspective in the videos are the use of aerial shots. The aerial shots that he gets using the remote control helicopter is used very tastefully and shows how intense the activity really is. In the behind the scenes video he really shows you every bit of the magic which is really cool to take pointers from. One point he made was that by shooting during "Golden Hour" his shots really come out looking beautiful. It is very cool to hear back on a creative level from a you-tuber. I hope you enjoyed these videos and I recommend subscribing to his videos because awesomeness is definitely ensured.