Filmmaking Tips Use a Gimbal

Our Filmmaking Tips Use a Gimbal will level up your film production by showcasing truly professional shots and we are going to show you just how to use a Gimbal to stabilize your footage, whether you are filming with a GoPro or iPhone. Using your iPhone as your primary filming camera is a great idea. It has a sharp camera, is lightweight and offers some solid tech.

Gimbals are stabilizing devices that enable you to get a smooth shot, even while the camera is moving. From far away, it looks like you are simply attaching your smartphone to a stick. Look closer, though, and you will discover a sophisticated technology that links up with your phone to deliver smooth shots. This will be especially helpful in replacing a dolly. It may sound crazy to get a smooth tracking shot by hand, but for a few hundred dollars, it is now very realistic.

Using a Selfie Stick

If you essentially have no budget whatsoever, the entry level to smartphone gimbals is a selfie stick. There are plenty of extremely basically selfie sticks available for under ten dollars, but I feel it is worth spending a few extra dollars for the Fugetek FT-568 Professional High End Selfie Stick Monopod. Still less than twenty dollars, this advanced selfie stick can do a lot for a little investment. Firstly, this device is not just limited to smartphones. You can easily attach a GoPro or a DSLR onto this stick.

While you will not get the smoothness of a proper gimbal, the selfie stick still serves several purposes. It helps you get a more stable shot than just filming by hand. It can provide you with high and low angle shots that would be impossible without it. And it help you still an awesome crew photo at the end of your shoot! While the fact that this selfie stick has a bluetooth remote control is cool, it unfortunately only works for photos and not video. That aside, this is an excellent tool to make your production look more professional for a nominal amount of money.

Amazon Best Seller Gimbal

Amazon's top Gimbal pick is the 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer for iPhone X XR XS Smartphone Vlog Youtuber Live Video Record with Sport Inception Mode Face Object Tracking Motion Time-Lapse (say that 10x fast!). The stabilizer features a newly developed "inception" Mode that is able to vertically rotate your phone 360° spontaneously when filming, giving you the master-like video-making experience. It is the all-in-one tool for storytellers like you. You can also be a professional director from fast moving action, like sports, to vlogs and interviews, to documentaries and independent features, the hohem’s design sophistication and convertibility make it a unique production tool.

If you want to get serious with your iphone-ography, this next level DJI Osmo Mobile 2 Handheld Smartphone Gimbal is our top choice. The name DJI instantly rings a bell since they are one of the best known drone companies in the world.

Using an app that connects this device to your phone, your entire screen becomes involved. You can stop and start recording from a button on the Osmo handle, and control a variety of functions on the phone screen. This includes adjusting video resolution, shooting mode and much more.

For less than $150, your shots will go from shaky to stable. Using the Osmo’s ActiveTrack feature, built-in sensors and a brushless motor assist to provide a smooth shot. The Osmo has features to help you shoot great time lapses. And it goes even further, with MotionLapse. This lets you move with the camera while creating equally smooth video.

With just one hand on the Osmo handle, you can also get great zoom shots. This is achieved using the built-in zoom slider, providing you with a more fluid zoom shot.

While there are a lot of options out there to help smooth out your smartphone shots, both of the above choices will vastly improve the quality of the video you will be shooting. Either start small with a selfie stick, or get the best out of your iPhone with the DJI Osmo. Regardless, your production will be miles better than simply filming by hand with your smartphone.

Create Cinematic Movements with a Gimbal

About the Author

Sam Klein is a writer, producer, and director based in Los Angeles, CA. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America, has written and directed shorts that have been in festivals around the country, wrote the ‘Hipsters” series for Youtube star Anna Akana, directed internationally distributed commercials for Dunlop, and is a staff producer for Tennis Channel’s original content department.

Filmmaker Resources

Tell us What's in YOUR Camera Bag!

Do you have some great indie filmmaker tips to share with other aspiring or current filmmakers? Do you want to promote your latest film or service to a huge global network of filmmakers, producers, directors, potential investors and distributors? Here is a great opportunity to first pay it forward, and then promote your projects, products and services.

We want to hear ALL your best tips and ideas on raising funds, working with investors, best camera and equipment deals, editing software, distribution deals, crowdfunding, film festivals, grants, creative deals with talent and staff, product placement, fundraising....basically, anything at all that contributed to the bottom line that lead to the success of making your film.

Tell us What's in YOUR Camera Bag!

Start Your Financing in Five Minutes - 2020 is YOUR Year

Fast Track Your Film Financing Today!

Bronze

$99

Buy Now

Silver

Gold

NEWEST!

$499

Full Silver Package
+ Film PPM Investor Agreement (Reg $469)
Regular Price $683, Save $184

Buy Now

Testimonials

Check out some of our Filmmaker Reviews

Just want to thank you for your materials and help over the past year. I could not have raised the $1.5 million or made this film without the materials you provided -- and for $99? The bargain of my career!

James, Producer, Writer, Director
I'm now sending out my completed business plan/film proposal document to potential investors and the one comment I'm getting back almost immediately is that it's so well laid out and professional. Believe me, first impressions really do count.

Kathleen
This is perfect! I have potential investors but I had no idea how to prepare a professional investment package to present to them. (I'm an artiste', not a business person. :) ) The information is clear and easy to understand, and Melissa is very prompt in answering emails.

Balancing Act Pictures LLC
When I came across the Business Plan Tools and the Finance Guide, I felt like I could stop searching for the pot of gold...I’d found it. In one place, with clear, easy to follow materials and spreadsheets, my questions were answered.

Barry, Filmmaker
Hi Melissa! I purchased Package #3 a couple of days ago, and I feel like I'm taking a crash course in film financing. So far, what I've read and learned has been invaluable. Thank you!

Emily
I've made short films before, but this is my first feature, and the first film I've tried raising money for. This template, actually the whole package, has been invaluable and well worth the money I spent on it. So much information is packed into what I got that I'm almost dizzy from it all.

Wade