FILMMAKING RIG - Reasons FOR & AGAINST - Sony A7sIII & A7IV CAMERA RIG for CINEMATIC VIDEO

does a rig really make you a better filmmaker?   i think the better question here is when  will a rig make you a better filmmaker   because if you don't use it in the right context  it might actually cost you let me explain what's up youtube in this video i'm going to  share my reasoning behind how i rig up my camera   but also why i sometimes prefer to leave it behind  every shoot is different and should be considered   in its own context over the past 12 years i've  shot a variety of genres and i've also made my   fair share of mistakes when it comes to gear  choices which has led me to a more simplistic   approach to help you avoid some of these mistakes  i've compiled a checklist of 4 things that reason   for and against using a rig and i still use this  on all my shoots no matter how big or small full   disclosure smallrick didn't pay me to make this  video i simply love their gear and i've been using   it long before they reach out to me they were kind  enough to send me some accessories but have no say   in the final outcome and the views reflected here  are 100% mine back to the checklist the number one   reason that will make me reach for a rig is  the ability to attach a monitor or external   recorder here i ask myself do i really need it or  is it only a nice to have a monitor for me is a   non-negotiable when i'm working with the director  using just the camera screen is not sufficient for   a director to judge the performance of talent or  the overall feeling of a shot in this case a rig   is a non-negotiable because i don't like attaching  the monitor directly to the camera shoe i also use   a monitor to expose more accurately for slog3 so  if you haven't seen that video yet you can watch   it up here a monitor helps you to shoot in harsh  light and can help you spot small things you might   miss by using the native screen if you feel like  these three things are important to your shoot   you can get that rig ready reason number two a rig  is guaranteed to give you more stability because   of the extra weight and the ability to attach  your own handles which makes operation a lot more   comfortable not only does the camera feel better  in your hands but you'll find yourself getting   more stable movements because of the extra weight  if your camera doesn't have some form of in-body   image stabilization a rig is also non-negotiable  but even with ibis the top handles enable you to   get better low down shots with more stability and  ease this alone is a reason for me to use the rig   even if i'm not using the monitor but it  depends on the shoot final focus control if   you're shooting a piece with complex focus pools  or using a manual lens a rig is essential because   it allows you to add a follow focus i only do  manual focus pulls about five to ten percent of   the time but when i need it not having it can be a  headache i'm referring to shots with exact timings   some intentional pulls difficult to obtain with  autofocus like this shot of the baby monkey the   intentional focus shift draws the viewer into  the shot with precision timing the small rig   mini follow focus is really easy to set up and  comes with an adjustable focus ring that fits   on any lens when adding the follow focus i shift  my handle to the right with my left hand taking   grip on the bottom of the rail which enables me  to get stable focus pulls if you're shooting sony   you can also rack focus with autofocus by  having the handle extend over the screen   which makes touch operation easier here your  settings has to be exact for the scene and you   might not get the same performance on unscripted  shots which can make your focus feel too clinical   i made a whole video just about autofocus and how  to achieve optimal results without a follow focus   you can check it out here reason number four a rig  will literally make people take you more seriously   as much as i hate this we can't escape the  notion that some clients and potential clients   will form an opinion of you by how professional  your gear looks i've seen it time and time again   the momentary comes out people would comment on it  and i can sense their positivity towards my gear   in the same way i've received negative feedback  from clients when i rock up with just the camera   body even after they've seen all my work now with  this i'm not saying that you should use a rig   just to look the part but if that was the  only reason on my checklist i'll compare it   with my four reasons against using a rig which  brings me to my next point reason number one   will it slow me down there are many ways a rick  can slow you down but here you need to consider   the following from initial setup time to cable  management charging monitor batteries remembering   monitor batteries tightening bolts and getting  their rig ready for action takes time time that i   didn't account for when i first started using rigs  so you simply have to ask yourself if you're able   to manage the rig and still get all your shots  on time this goes for those unscripted shoots   or events where you need to get a larger variety  of shots in a small amount of time or when you're   at the mercy of natural light the best example  of this is on a recent launch video i shot with   the sony a7 mark iv even though the entire sheet  was scripted with a shot list and a clear vision   i still ran into a time issue the first day went  pretty well and apart from a few gimbal shots   i used the rig because we had enough time to do  gear changes on day 2 however the weather turned   completely against us and we needed to get a whole  bunch of shots in a short amount of time before   it got really bad and we couldn't shoot outside  anymore both me and the director agreed that not   using the rig would be the best option because we  also had to make several swaps over to the gimbal   and this leads me to reason number two how  much are you planning to use the gimbal sadly   you can't simply slap the rig onto a gimbal which  means you have to take the camera out of the cage   and swap plates which can be detrimental when  you're faced with time constraints if i plan on   using the gimbal a lot and i don't have an ac to  assist me with swapping i would actually consider   not using the rig on the fx3 launch video i  had an assistant doing the transition for me   while the director and i were discussing the shots  but that is a luxury most of us don't have in our   day-to-day shoots in defence of a rig i can also  say that the majority of my shots are hand held   because it feels a bit more organic and i only get  the gimbal out where the movements will motivate   my story reason number three be incognito a rig  has the ability to quickly draw attention to the   operator and this can cost you in some scenarios  i found it particularly helpful to go all natural   when shooting in public spaces and areas where i  want the least amount of eyes on me when you shoot   just with a body you can easily be taken for  just another tourist or hobbyist with a camera   this works really well in documentary work or when  you need to get a shot in a public space without   a commercial filming permit for example here in  south africa i can get away with almost anything   if the crew is below a certain number and i'm not  obstructing the movement of people and traffic   reason number four traveling light i sometimes  find myself on a shoot where travelling light   is the difference between good and great  here i'm referring to projects that involve   a lot of hiking or constant moving around where  the actual weight of the rig can be cumbersome   when we launched the sony a7s mach 3 in 2020 i  did exactly this and decided to go just hand out   because of the sheer amount of walking we had to  do with a lot of stops on the way setting up the   rig and breaking it down for every shot would be  a major inconvenience so in this case going just   with the body was the better option so now you've  heard the good and the bad rigs are amazing and   can really elevate the production value of your  shoots but it's important to be realistic about it   the last thing i want to do is tell you that  you simply can't live without a rig and then you   find yourself on a shoot losing out on precious  shooting time because you weren't prepared for the   setup and management that goes into using a rig  the good news is the more shoots you do with your   rig the easier you'll find a workflow based around  your own requirements and set up an operation will   go much faster so there's no right or wrong way  but merely a context to consider and having the   option to use a rig is really where you want to  be if you still have questions let me know in the   comments and i'll do my best to answer thanks so  much for watching and i'll see you in the next one

Channel: Jacques Crafford

Views: 188,980

Keywords: 4 reasons, reasons you need a filmmaking rig, reasons why you need a filmmaking rig, 4 reasons you need a filmmaking rig, 4 reasons why you don't need a filmmaking rig, reasons why you don't need a filmmaking rig, do I really need a filmmaking rig?, does a filmmaking rig work, does a filmmaking rig make you a better filmmaker?, filmmaking camera rig, reasons for a camera rig, Sony A7iv camera rig, Sony A7siii camera rig

Id: oRdhr8PSOQQ

Length: 8min 16sec (496 seconds)

Published: Mon Dec 13 2021