Camera Movement and Grip
Moving the camera with purpose: the language of movement, tripods and fluid heads, geared, remote and stabilized heads, dollies and dolly grip craft, track and dance floor, sliders and motion control, jibs and cranes, telescopic cranes and cable cams, Steadicam, gimbals and handheld rigs, vehicle rigs, and the grip department, rigging and safety.
CINE-230 Year 2 3 credits 12 lessons · 5 h 3 min
Offered by HSM University · Cinematography
This is the American version of this course. See the Canadian version.
What you'll learn
- Explain the language of camera movement, its history, parallax, judder and motivation, and plan moves with blocking and marks
- Set up tripods, high hats and fluid heads, balance counterbalance and drag, and operate smooth pans and tilts
- Compare geared, remote, stabilized and nodal heads and manage latency, balance and soft stops
- Choose and operate dollies, including steering modes, arms, payloads, riders and timed moves to marks
- Lay, level and check straight and curved track and dance floor, and calculate track length
- Use sliders, motorized and time-lapse moves, pedestals and motion control for small and repeatable moves
- Balance and operate jibs and cranes using moment calculations, bases, crews and swing zones
- Plan telescopic crane, cable camera and other remote system moves, including reach, access, loads and exclusion zones
- Explain Steadicam principles, static and dynamic balance and drop time, and plan safe Steadicam shots
- Choose between handheld, shoulder rigs, support rigs and motorized gimbals, and balance and tune gimbals within payload limits
- Plan vehicle filming with mounts, suction rigs, process trailers, camera cars and LED volumes under safety principles
- Organize grip department work, rigging with rated hardware and safeties, fall protection and a complete movement and rigging plan
Course content
12 lessons · 5 h 3 min total · final exam
- 1 The language of camera movement 26 min · quiz
- 2 Tripods, fluid heads and the static frame 25 min · quiz
- 3 Geared heads, remote heads and stabilized heads 25 min · quiz
- 4 Dollies and the craft of the dolly grip 27 min · quiz
- 5 Track, leveling and dance floor 25 min · quiz
- 6 Sliders, small moves and motion control 26 min · quiz
- 7 Jibs and cranes 25 min · quiz
- 8 Telescopic cranes, cable cams and remote systems 25 min · quiz
- 9 Steadicam and body-mounted stabilizers 25 min · quiz
- 10 Gimbals, handheld and shoulder rigs 25 min · quiz
- 11 Vehicle rigs and specialty camera systems 25 min · quiz
- 12 The grip department, rigging safety and capstone 24 min · quiz
- E Final exam 20 questions
Requirements
Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.
Description
Moving the camera with purpose: the language of movement, tripods and fluid heads, geared, remote and stabilized heads, dollies and dolly grip craft, track and dance floor, sliders and motion control, jibs and cranes, telescopic cranes and cable cams, Steadicam, gimbals and handheld rigs, vehicle rigs, and the grip department, rigging and safety.
Part of the Film & Photography stream, typically taken in year 2.