Why you shouldn’t use a gimbal.

OK so first of all, sorry about the clickbait title. Gimbals aren’t the devil and they are a fantastic filmmaking tool. TBH they’re probably one of the most important innovations in indie film making in a long time, definitely a bigger deal than 4K and slow motion (in my opinion). However! I do also believe that it is very easy to rely solely on a gimbal and shoot everything ever with one, which is what I disagree with.

I bought a mechanical gimbal years ago and used it a BUNCH when I first got it, but due to the weight and hassle of setting the whole thing up I quickly stopped relying on it and now haven’t used it in well over a year. I have used electronic gimbals and they’re much much better however I am out of the habit of relying on them now. I found that when I was using the gimbal my storytelling suffered, I was favouring these epic running shots with lots of sweeping landscapes but I didn’t complement those shots with the little details that make up a story.

I predominantly film weddings and I aim to create authentic films full of real moments. Cinematic for sure, but real. I’ve found that if I shoot everything with a gimbal then the personal feel to a wedding is taken away, the video starts to feel clinical and that is 100% not what I want. The solution was to stop using a gimbal, that way I’m able to create shots that have a natural bit of shake to them and they give a personal feel to films.

Alongside that, when I ditched the gimbal I became significantly more agile with the camera. I could move to a new angle or whip the camera up at a moments notice and that meant capturing more of those little moments that are what make a day memorable. I find myself using more and more shots that aren’t especially smooth or shake free but they are shots that have a quality to them that suits the overall film perfectly. I feel like it’s the same effect of using analogue film to take photographs. On a technical level they just can’t compete with digital however film has a certain feel to it that just can’t be matched by digital photography. Hand held shots have the same feel (when done well.)

Obviously there is a balance that can be met when it comes to using a gimbal or not, I choose not to use one in favour of a shot that is real and full of feeling but in future I’ll likely get a gimbal again, just reserving it for use in establishing shots and takes that suit it well.

This has been rather a short vlog but there wasn’t a whole bunch to chat about really. Just my 2c on gimbals…