The Right Tool…
There is an old saying that says you should “always use the right tool for the right job.” In the production world, that old adage is especially accurate when we choose what we take on shoots. Take what you need and use what you take is efficiency at its best. Why go big when you can stay little?
Recently, PentaVision acquired a MICRODOLLY Jib System to add to our equipment arsenal. It is a very sweet little jib system that can fold down into a carry bag that is only 34 inches long and weighs just 11 pounds. That’s small enough for us to take on airplanes and travel with it (much like our MICRODOLLY dolly and track). It uses the tripod and head that we are already using and once set up (which literally only takes 4 minutes), it can put the camera lens 7 feet in the air!! That packs a lot of high quality production value into a very small package and that’s exactly why we have it.
We already have a full size electronically controlled Jimmy Jib III that will extend from 6 to 20 feet in the air but with a rather large footprint. Now that certainly has its uses but what happens when we’re in a classroom or small office and just want to do some small camera moves off of bookcases or countertops. Maybe we want to get an over the shoulder, looking straight down shot of a fetal pig dissection in a college lab (yes, we really shot that the other day).The Jimmy Jib at its smallest is still about 7 feet long, a little unruly in confined spaces.
Enter the MICRODOLLY Jib and all that its “compactness” brings with it. In its smallest set up, the overall arm length is about 40 inches. To increase reach, the Jib boom can telescope from 33 inches to 52 inches. It’s perfect for use in bus, RV or other vehicle interiors, home and office interiors, classrooms or other confined spaces.
Here’s a video clip from MICRODOLLY showing how much a simple jib move can add to your production value. There’s some dolly moves and car mount footage mixed in there as well but that’s okay because we have those in house too!!
http://www.youtube.com/user/MICRODOLLY?blend=9&ob=5#p/u/13/UuSzk4BXe38
So now the right tool for the right job is guaranteed. If we want to go for big high sweeping camera moves with full electronics, the Jimmy Jib is our ticket. If we want to stay small and compact but get visually interesting footage in tight spaces, the MICRODOLLY Jib is the perfect choice. Your production won’t lose either way; just adding some camera movement to your program will keep the viewers interested and make it look even more fantastic. Now we can go big, or go…MICRO!
That’s a wrap!!
