When & how to take advantage of a DSLR shoulder rig

 I need not to refer the importance of DSLR stabilizer for professional filmmakers. There are actually many different sorts of products to select from. Older, heavier video or film cameras had a weight to them that helped stabilize hand-held work. Nonetheless, even those older and also heavier cameras were usually mounted on the camera operator??s shoulder to help further stabilize the shot.



A DSLR shoulder rig is a dynamic piece of equipment that moves with the camera operator. It??s not static like a tripod plus it allows you, the filmmaker the flexibility of movement, which can actually help increase efficiency during production.

 As with any type of camera movement, the decision to use a shoulder rig will be decided by what type of story you??re trying to tell. Shoulder mounted camera movement places the audience in the scene let??s them experience the scene as a sort of voyeuristic participant. This style of camera movement can also be used to give the scene a frenetic feel full of energy not to mention can even help visually punctuate a chaotic moment. Take e . g . the film The Hurt Locker, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, which won Best Picture at the Oscars.

Some filmmakers don??t like the hand-held look ?C not to mention that??s fine. They claim it makes them dizzy together with nauseous. But some incredible films are being shot using this style of movement so we shouldn??t reject it as a legitimate shooting style. Essentially, a shoulder-mounted camera helps filmmakers create a sort of visual metaphor for something happening in the narrative of the film.

It??s not a polished look, but it??s not ??lazy filmmaking??, as some of the opponents of this type of movement would call it. Sure, it??s an efficient way to shoot a film, but that isn??t a bad thing plus it surely doesn??t mean that the filmmaker was sluggish. And in this case, the movement genuinely complements the action within the story.

A steadicam shot would have allowed the same freedom for the camera operator to adhere to the action within the scene, but steadicam shots would have been much smoother, which would have taken away a little bit of the image??s edginess. If you??re working on a film or documentary project, where you think that this aesthetic would complement your story, then a shoulder mount is the tool to help you get there.

Luckily, there are a few effects that you can use to try to smooth out these shaky shots (such as the smooth-cam effect in Final Cut Pro), but as we teach our students in our intensive online filmmaking program, it??s ALWAYS best to try to capture the strongest raw images possible while you??re shooting. Trying to upgrade ??unusable footage?? to ??bad footage?? in post production is a bad habit to get into.

 There are many different options when it comes to choosing a DSLR shoulder rig and the ??best?? option will be one that compliments your camera, your current gear not to mention your budget. Many enterprises offer various ??rigs?? or ??bundles?? where you can purchase a shoulder mount as well as additional add-ons (follow focus, matte box, lens support, weights etc).