When shooting any kind of video, whether it’s a full-length movie or a shorter piece for social media, variety and creativity are important. Shake up your style with unique angles and tracking shots to keep your audience’s interest! But how will you pull off these amazing feats of camera work? A rig system, courtesy of Glide Gear, could be your best friend. Learn how you could benefit from an overhead rig system as you make your decision. Your choice of equipment could be the key to cinematic success!

Bird’s-Eye View

An overhead camera rig helps immensely with top-down shots. Filmmaker Wes Anderson often uses these shots to focus on hands and desktops, in particular. If you want to be able to open a book and read the contents on camera, an overhead shot works wonderfully.

Omniscience

Focus on a character from above, then slowly pull back. Executed properly, an overhead shot can show the vastness of the space around that character and make them look tiny in comparison. This style is similar in purpose to an airplane or satellite view but stays closer to the action. Using an overhead camera rig will help make these shots smooth and professional.

Action and Movement

Try using an overhead shot for chase scenes or fights. It will capture the motion of all the characters involved without getting too close to them. Similarly, overhead shots can show action that an audience would miss if you shot it horizontally. Director and choreographer Busby Berkeley created elaborate dance sequences that, when shot from above, produced a kaleidoscopic effect.

Object Photography

Overhead shots are absolutely mandatory if you’re shooting a cooking video or any kind of tutorial. Set up an overhead ring above the workstation. This way, you’ll be able to see everything on the table, as well as the host’s hands as they work. The rig keeps the camera completely stable and saves you the excruciating labor of holding the camera still by yourself.

Different camera rigs produce different effects and, depending on your style, you can pull off fantastic shots. An overhead rig has a lot to offer, so consider picking one up from Glide Gear before your next filmmaking venture. You now know how you could benefit from an overhead rig system, so start your shoot with the right equipment!