The Track and Dolly
With the track and dolly I wanted to experiment moving towards and backwards from a subject (as this is something I am considering in my own project). I did this both with and without going through the archway. Going through the arch definitely works better as the camera is moving past objects to reveal more of the set. As well as this, I did attempt a contra-zoom but this proved to be too difficult as I was unable to keep the focus whilst tracking in and zooming out (even with another person helping with the camera operations, this didn't work).
With the last experiment I wanted to track the subject as they walk past the camera. I think it would have worked better to have Jason walk behind the post instead of in front of it to give the shot more depth, but I still felt it worked well.
Experimenting with the track and dolly was really helpful as this is a piece of equipment I am considering using in my project to track out from my subject and different objects. The only issue I may have with this is being limited to the distance I can track out from the subject due to the distance of the track. However, I may still use it for certain shots.
The Fig Rig
With the fig rig I wanted to try out following people at different paces. I started off by chasing Jason and then turning around to face Alex. This worked really well as the fig rig eliminated some of the shake that would have come with handheld footage. I discovered that I really liked the effect of just moving the camera to follow a different subject - it worked almost as a reveal. Because I liked the effect of moving from one person to another, I directed Jason and Alex to walk past each other whilst I experimented with switching from following one person to the other. I think I got some good shots that were smooth without having to stabilise them. I am unsure whether this kind of shot will be used in my project but I am keen to use it in the future.
I also attempted some 'Stranger Things'-esque shots where I rotated the camera until the subjects were upside down. This was particularly difficult to keep stable as you had to adjust your grip on the fig rig (which then jolted the image). I think with more practice this could be pulled off really nicely to create a strange / unstable / eerie feeling.
The Jib
The final piece of equipment we got our hands on was the jib. I wanted to try some subtle movements with the jib - so that the movement is almost unnoticeable to the viewer. I thought this may be quite a nice technique to use in projects to reveal something either above or below the character. I did this by slightly lowering the jib whilst tilting the camera upwards. I thought this worked really well and it is a technique I am very keen to use.
Experimenting with the equipment has definitely given me more ideas of how I can move the camera in my project. All of these pieces of equipment allow for really stable and steady moving shots which will be important to the quality of the work. At the moment it is looking likely that I will use the track and dolly in my project to track away from my subject and maybe a couple of objects - however I still need to develop my idea further. I may also consider using the fig rig as this allowed for some stable footage and doesn't have the limitations that come with the track and dolly of having to move within the limits of the track.
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