I picked up a Glidecam 2000 a couple of months ago after talking with the Glidecam guys at NAB. One of the operators at the booth gave me a short course in how to use it effectively, which turned out to be very helpful as I’ve been learning the ropes.
I haven’t arrived by any means, but I’ve started getting some pretty fun and usable shots with it. My church’s VBS was a couple of weeks ago and I took the opportunity to have a bit of live practice with it.
Below is the VBS recap video we had for the parents the Sunday after.
The footage is a mix of handheld, Glidecam and static shots from the 5D Mark II and 7D. When you nail a shot with the Glidecam, it just looks killer – and I feel like I’m starting to get a handful of solid shots when shooting with this thing (and doing so on a more consistent basis). With the Glidecam, it’s so easy to put some foreground into your shots for some cool front parallax or pivot around a subject for back parallax, both of which produce some very cinematic-style shots.
Nick edited everything in Premiere Pro, which plays very nicely with Canon HDSLR footage.
The Lads is the band who you see in the video. They’re from New Zealand, but currently reside just down the road in Nashville. We’ve had them here for the last couple of years. They’ve been awesome with the kids and the kids absolutely love these guys.
I love the video. The many setups really make it zip.
I have a Glidecam 2000 and a 5D. They are a great combo. 1/2 the price of the Merlin, but sometimes I wonder if the Merlin would be lighter to carry around. Meanwhile I have been lifting weights.
Thanks Chris. I agree about the weight too. However, the more I have used it (especially when shooting with a light 50mm, the less I notice the fatigue on my arm and the longer I’m able to shoot with it.