YESSSSS!!! I’ve been doing this for YEARS!!! I’m so glad FINALLY SOMEONE is bringing this technique to.... light (pun intended)😂 they called it the “ROLL-STEP”. Anyone who was in marching band will know this... love it!
Yep! Learned roll step when I got to college. My high school was a swing band though, so it was all squad drill and chair step. Would not reccomend doing that technique for filming!
This is great! I also used to be in marching band a long time ago and play the coronet. This is a great technique that takes practice, but oh man, if you’re not used to it you better be up for some sore ankles until you get it down. I hope that outtake wasn’t real. Noooooooooo! 😁
I'm pretty much brand new to filming, but I did DCI for several years marching with very high precision. When I started walking with the camera I started marching and others laughed. I figured if this roll step method could hold me steady enough to play the incredible precision required of us out of a tiny (trumpet) mouthpiece, I figured it'd hold a camera decently. Ironically the 'ninja' walk is very similar to jazz running often required of us going to far distances, but I found it weird to do that going so slowly.
As someone who is in marching band, I can say this does help a lot! Although, I really need to work on doing this better with a 16mm CP-16 over my shoulder!
Roll stepping is key! Learned it playing sax 🎷in the marching band, and also learned similar skills when stalking prey in Boy Scouts! Who’d have thought they’d be teaching me filming skills? 😎
Nice good video I know how to Attach the gimbal to the arm get some radiator hose clamps two or three of them wrap it around the handle to the part that sticks up where it connects to the cinema camera I just tighten that bitch down
It's great to hear an explanation for what I figured out by practicing with my old 4" to Infinity 8mm camera. I had forgotten it (what with camera and editing stabilization). My last attempt - a 3 minute walk around the park - had the DOOM-like bobbing, which editor stabilization cannot fix :-(
Yes...Minity(!!!)...I'm gathering the pieces now too. Looking forward to yours... and a review. Camera stabilization looks like half the game to me. Love to see your diy with tech focus...
Imagine your feet are pegged to the edge of a wagon wheel. When we walk smoothly, the balls of the feet are actually traveling perfectly on the outer circumference of a wheel. I learned this in military marching to keep my head and eyes as steady as possible. Nobody likes getting yelled at by three TI's in smokey the bear hats now, am I right?
"Trumpet"???🤔 Looks like a Cornet to me..😏 Ah-HAH!, I was correct. 😉 I did six years cornet marching band junior & senior high [Parma Schaaf, Parma Senior '69] and my son recently finished four years cornet high school marching band. (Because dad did 😁)
Awesome! And you play trumpet! Do you like jazz? I totally dig Miles, Chet Baker, etc...as well as the new cats like Sean Jones and Maurice Brown. I'm finishing up an EP that has trumpet on it. I'll be shooting and editing some music videos for them also.
Never heard this called the "marching band" technique before, but, yeah! Know a lot of people who call this the "ninja walk." I think of it a a "kabuki walk," as, well, it's a walk used in kabuki theater. Bent knees, rolling on the foot FTW. Especially important with a broadcast camera on your shoulder where you can't use your arms as shock absorbers like with that Canon XC-10 or 15. Am I the only cam op who finds it easier to go smoothly walking backwards?
Roll step, glide step. Whatever you do, don't do Big 10-style high step. Man, I've done so much marching. I love that you used the technique for this vid!
I remember being told about 15 to 20 years ago by one film student that they got a steady cam effect by suspending their camera in a stocking with a hole in it for the lens.
The problem with that is a pendulum swing effect and Newton's first law. You move but the camera won't want to move, and then once you try to stop the camera won't want to stop...
I have an old JVC VHS camcorder tripod that came with a strap which attached to the bottom of the pod. When used this way, the main shaft extended sucking the 3 legs in to turn it into a monopod. If you remember the size and weight of the 1st generation VHS cameras, you'll appreciate the the fact that you could extend the legs and set it down. And yes, I used the marching band technique (bass drum) to stay steady. I still use that tripod with a cell phone since it lets me keep it steadier than holding it in my hands. Oh, to attach your gimbal to the old mount? Duck Tape!
Overwhelmingly useful and funny! I wonder - your old videos were obviously too perfect and time-consuming to keep on that kind of content. The chat programs - I tended to not stick to an episode for more than 3 minutes. From your rich experience and with your awesome knowledge and humour you could share more small jewels like this one on a reasonable time budget, methinks
Those of us who had to struggle with analog 3/4 inch/betacam Broadcast TV with separate recorder, have come to know this technique very well. But thanks anyway. Always a pleasure to see one of your tutorial videos!.
Thanks for posting this video. I for one would love to see your DIY over the shoulder drum holder gimbal arm camera stabilizer. Bet it is more cost effective and faster to take on and off than the expensive vests. If it works you may have come up with a real cost saver for indie film makers. Well done sir!
Not sure how much it helps with a camera specifically, but a small note to keep in mind; your back foot should also be rolling through the toe before crossing. If you were to pause mid stride, front toe up, back heel also up. It's most helpful to think of on your first step so that all the stress isn't only on one leg trying to pull the rest of you along for the ride and weight distribution as even as possible.
It's a lot, and he didn't even have to get into slides. Image doing all of that and rotating your upper body 90 degrees while doing it. My ribs hurt just thinking about slides, box drill, circle drill, etc. It doesn't just take skill either. You have to get conditioned for it. It's all super worth it though, because when you get good at it, your upper body simply appears to float around the field.
Thanks! It is pretty hard, but it's so worth it when you get to perform to stadiums full (well, half full) of people most nights all summer. Allentown, lucas oil stadium, alamodome, the georgia dome (back before they imploded it), it's just super fun. Really hard, but fun.
John, you might try looking at some drum hardware accessories to attach your gimbal and your stabilization arm. Something like this www.americanmusical.com/gibraltar-bgc-basic-grabber-clamp/p/GIR-BGC-LIST but a little larger. The handle of the gimbal is about the same size as a drum rack leg. Gibraltar makes a blue million parts.
This doesn't really work for me personally... whenever you step with the heel first, there's more shake... I'd go opposite. ..toe first and then heel...or better yet dont use the heels...much harder but a lot smoother
There's no shake if you have toes up and you do it right. You're not landing on the heel when you make a step, You're placing the heel down first lightly and then rolling through with your weight. Thousands of people have done it in marching band... Having a piece of hard metal against soft lips is a lot more susceptible to shake than a camera.
Using the strap like that is actually also a technique used when firing guns with a folded stock to give additional stability (usually SMGs or assault rifles with foldable stocks). Done it myself, works great. If it works for a gun, it should work for a camera :)
Former drum corps member and marching instructor here. It's really cool to see something like marching technique applied to film making. For education, it should be noted that backwards March is generally done from the platform (imagine a triangle with the three points on your big toe joint, pinky toe joint, and end of the big toe), and you generally want to keep your heels about an inch from the ground. (This varies too) That makes for the smoothest movement, but that's mainly straight leg technique. I taught bent leg technique for a bit, and most of the bent leg varients actually involve have the heel touch the ground, but without rolling back on it or putting too much weight, and actually, the Cadets Drum Corps uses straight leg technique and they roll back on their heels for backward March on slower tempos. Overall, straight leg (or as I like to call it, low heel technique) is a little easier to pick up for beginners. Another tip is to engage your core muscles at all times to stabilize that upper body. Anywho, I just really like talking about marching band.
I'm so glad John, that you covered this subject. ☺️ _Although I learned how to do this technique, when working for a local TV station; mobile, a while back._ Thank you for uploading this informative video. I'll share it with my friends, so they know how to get steady handheld shots. 👍 And finally they will realize what it was like doing this for 5 hours straight. Lol. 😂
I’ve also been doing this since I began camera work 15 years ago. Even if I’m shooting with my phone i automatically go into marching band mode! 8 to 10 baby! It was a great idea to share this with the world! Great video!
Interesting. I used those techniques for years and didn't even realize I was doing it. Really. I just kept doing different things until I found one that worked which ended up exactly how you describe it. Now I use a Steadicam for most traveling shots which requires quite a bit of skill but with better overall results.
I will never forget counting the steps for moving myself and my trombone to the next mark in my high school marching band. So it's amazing to find out the connection our marching band knowledge has with film making. Keep doing what you're doing and stay safe!
Homebuiltstabilizers .com was a site/forum/community very active 15-20 years ago where we reverse engineered stabilizers. I thought you maybe had an interest in that 🙂
YESSSSS!!! I’ve been doing this for YEARS!!! I’m so glad FINALLY SOMEONE is bringing this technique to.... light (pun intended)😂 they called it the “ROLL-STEP”. Anyone who was in marching band will know this... love it!
Yep! Learned roll step when I got to college. My high school was a swing band though, so it was all squad drill and chair step. Would not reccomend doing that technique for filming!
Yes in everyway possible, especially with the counting from position to position.
Marching band geeks turned camera operators UNITE!! (I'm one too)
This can also be called "sneaking-up-the-stairs-to-not-wake-your-parents-when-you're-home-too-late" technique ☺️
This is great! I also used to be in marching band a long time ago and play the coronet. This is a great technique that takes practice, but oh man, if you’re not used to it you better be up for some sore ankles until you get it down. I hope that outtake wasn’t real. Noooooooooo! 😁
Hehe. Try doing it while also hiking up a mountain! 😁
Can we have more of you walking and blowing the trumpet please? :))) That was priceless, really it was!
This one time at Band Camp... Thumbs up for the caption alone!
That sh*t never gets old. It's famous even in Sweden
I'm pretty much brand new to filming, but I did DCI for several years marching with very high precision. When I started walking with the camera I started marching and others laughed. I figured if this roll step method could hold me steady enough to play the incredible precision required of us out of a tiny (trumpet) mouthpiece, I figured it'd hold a camera decently. Ironically the 'ninja' walk is very similar to jazz running often required of us going to far distances, but I found it weird to do that going so slowly.
Yay another drum corps person! Which corps did you march, of you don't mind me asking?
This video was great!!!! More like this please!
Your channel is awesome 👍
As someone who is in marching band, I can say this does help a lot! Although, I really need to work on doing this better with a 16mm CP-16 over my shoulder!
Just think what the over the shoulder bass tubas have to endure!
@@FilmmakerIQ That's the reason why my Auricon with the sound amp stays on the tripod!
This technique helps a lot with sound too because it makes your footsteps quieter
0:31 is now on permanent replay, This needs to be a gif
Teachers at our film school here in Norway used a couple of your videos to teach us some stuff. Good job!😊
Roll stepping is key! Learned it playing sax 🎷in the marching band, and also learned similar skills when stalking prey in Boy Scouts! Who’d have thought they’d be teaching me filming skills? 😎
No its not. There are m any types of marching styles. If you were in band you should know that.
Nice good video I know how to
Attach the gimbal to the arm get some radiator hose clamps two or three of them wrap it around the handle to the part that sticks up where it connects to the cinema camera I just tighten that bitch down
Figures you were a band nerd, John! Strangely enough, this is exactly what I need to know to do something I'm working. Thanks! Stay well.
Your videos are always educational, but this also has to be one of the most feel-good pages on RUclips.
Great tips, as usual! Love how you bring in marching band techniques!
Military school may actually pay off here.
It's great to hear an explanation for what I figured out by practicing with my old 4" to Infinity 8mm camera. I had forgotten it (what with camera and editing stabilization). My last attempt - a 3 minute walk around the park - had the DOOM-like bobbing, which editor stabilization cannot fix :-(
Yes...Minity(!!!)...I'm gathering the pieces now too. Looking forward to yours... and a review. Camera stabilization looks like half the game to me. Love to see your diy with tech focus...
Imagine your feet are pegged to the edge of a wagon wheel. When we walk smoothly, the balls of the feet are actually traveling perfectly on the outer circumference of a wheel. I learned this in military marching to keep my head and eyes as steady as possible. Nobody likes getting yelled at by three TI's in smokey the bear hats now, am I right?
"Trumpet"???🤔
Looks like a Cornet to me..😏
Ah-HAH!, I was correct. 😉
I did six years cornet marching band junior & senior high [Parma Schaaf, Parma Senior '69] and my son recently finished four years cornet high school marching band.
(Because dad did 😁)
Awesome! And you play trumpet! Do you like jazz? I totally dig Miles, Chet Baker, etc...as well as the new cats like Sean Jones and Maurice Brown. I'm finishing up an EP that has trumpet on it. I'll be shooting and editing some music videos for them also.
Never heard this called the "marching band" technique before, but, yeah! Know a lot of people who call this the "ninja walk." I think of it a a "kabuki walk," as, well, it's a walk used in kabuki theater. Bent knees, rolling on the foot FTW.
Especially important with a broadcast camera on your shoulder where you can't use your arms as shock absorbers like with that Canon XC-10 or 15.
Am I the only cam op who finds it easier to go smoothly walking backwards?
Roll step, glide step. Whatever you do, don't do Big 10-style high step. Man, I've done so much marching. I love that you used the technique for this vid!
Generic California business park parking lot. Check.
My first guess is Costa Mesa. Second guess, Sherman Oaks.
Instead of behind the neck, try behind your HEAD. It gives an extra stabilisation. Look silly but it works.
That's a terrible idea.
@@krane15 So much? Did you try it? Are you scared of silliness?
Wonderfully useful, thank you! I particularly loved the side-by-side comparison footage.
That's actually a dance technique as well to walk smoothly! Thanks for the helpful tips, can't wait to apply my dancing to film making!
Excellent video. I am again on Filmmaker IQ binge for all the videos I didn't watch in the last couple of weeks!
I remember being told about 15 to 20 years ago by one film student that they got a steady cam effect by suspending their camera in a stocking with a hole in it for the lens.
The problem with that is a pendulum swing effect and Newton's first law. You move but the camera won't want to move, and then once you try to stop the camera won't want to stop...
@@FilmmakerIQ Indeed, I can see that method has its limitations, but its better than nothing.
I just found your channel and I just want to say I really appreciate how genuine and helpful your channel is!
I have an old JVC VHS camcorder tripod that came with a strap which attached to the bottom of the pod. When used this way, the main shaft extended sucking the 3 legs in to turn it into a monopod. If you remember the size and weight of the 1st generation VHS cameras, you'll appreciate the the fact that you could extend the legs and set it down. And yes, I used the marching band technique (bass drum) to stay steady. I still use that tripod with a cell phone since it lets me keep it steadier than holding it in my hands.
Oh, to attach your gimbal to the old mount? Duck Tape!
Overwhelmingly useful and funny!
I wonder - your old videos were obviously too perfect and time-consuming to keep on that kind of content. The chat programs - I tended to not stick to an episode for more than 3 minutes.
From your rich experience and with your awesome knowledge and humour you could share more small jewels like this one on a reasonable time budget, methinks
Those of us who had to struggle with analog 3/4 inch/betacam Broadcast TV with separate recorder, have come to know this technique very well. But thanks anyway. Always a pleasure to see one of your tutorial videos!.
Thanks for posting this video. I for one would love to see your DIY over the shoulder drum holder gimbal arm camera stabilizer. Bet it is more cost effective and faster to take on and off than the expensive vests. If it works you may have come up with a real cost saver for indie film makers. Well done sir!
¿ Who else noticed the green screen ?
What green screen?
Not sure how much it helps with a camera specifically, but a small note to keep in mind; your back foot should also be rolling through the toe before crossing. If you were to pause mid stride, front toe up, back heel also up. It's most helpful to think of on your first step so that all the stress isn't only on one leg trying to pull the rest of you along for the ride and weight distribution as even as possible.
Some actually do attach the gimbal to an arm. I hear that comes out REALLY smooth!!
This is great! I use this technique in a similar way everytime I shoot. Thanks to this video now I have a name for it 🤣 great job man!👍
Great video ..always details that makes the skills of a pro ...and your a true jedi master ;)
Grtzz Geerts johny
This was pretty neat to watch. I don't film, but still a cool thing to learn :)
MJ and his moonwalking technique... Magic baby!
Thank you for validating what I've been doing all these years.
Imma call this the "marching band strut" from now on!
Nice to see a fellow filmmaker with marching experience! 🙂
there are quite a few of us on here!
I'm gonna practice it but its gon be hard with my crooked legs
That walking backwards looks like an MJ moonwalk...
3:47 Idk why but for a moment I thought that he was about to moonwalk
Brilliant, funny & extremely useful!
Thank you John, I'll have to try this
So basically a steadicam or gimbal walk
Wow!!! Great technique man!
wow ,great video, thanks !
Is this a 6 minute video on how to rollstep?
This is helpful. Thank you good sir
wow didn't know marching bands had to do this. Nice content!
It's a lot, and he didn't even have to get into slides. Image doing all of that and rotating your upper body 90 degrees while doing it. My ribs hurt just thinking about slides, box drill, circle drill, etc. It doesn't just take skill either. You have to get conditioned for it. It's all super worth it though, because when you get good at it, your upper body simply appears to float around the field.
@@grackleboi2523 Wow that's amazing! Huge respect for everyone in a marching band.
Thanks! It is pretty hard, but it's so worth it when you get to perform to stadiums full (well, half full) of people most nights all summer. Allentown, lucas oil stadium, alamodome, the georgia dome (back before they imploded it), it's just super fun. Really hard, but fun.
Can't wait to see your crab step tutorial with that camera stabilization arm and snare harness for those tracking shots! :p
Crab walking would be fun, but being a brass player, he might be more used to slides. Both of them feel miserable, lol.
Dude, I’d love to go to a DCI show with you
Is that last shot for real?
John, you might try looking at some drum hardware accessories to attach your gimbal and your stabilization arm. Something like this www.americanmusical.com/gibraltar-bgc-basic-grabber-clamp/p/GIR-BGC-LIST but a little larger. The handle of the gimbal is about the same size as a drum rack leg. Gibraltar makes a blue million parts.
Thanks! I'll have to pick through that site now!
This doesn't really work for me personally... whenever you step with the heel first, there's more shake... I'd go opposite. ..toe first and then heel...or better yet dont use the heels...much harder but a lot smoother
There's no shake if you have toes up and you do it right. You're not landing on the heel when you make a step, You're placing the heel down first lightly and then rolling through with your weight.
Thousands of people have done it in marching band... Having a piece of hard metal against soft lips is a lot more susceptible to shake than a camera.
Using the strap like that is actually also a technique used when firing guns with a folded stock to give additional stability (usually SMGs or assault rifles with foldable stocks). Done it myself, works great. If it works for a gun, it should work for a camera :)
Funny, I learned that technique from a Military Camera Operator!
@@FilmmakerIQ Small world ;)
Great tips! I recently started using a Segway MiniPro. Talk about crazy smooth!!!
Former drum corps member and marching instructor here. It's really cool to see something like marching technique applied to film making. For education, it should be noted that backwards March is generally done from the platform (imagine a triangle with the three points on your big toe joint, pinky toe joint, and end of the big toe), and you generally want to keep your heels about an inch from the ground. (This varies too) That makes for the smoothest movement, but that's mainly straight leg technique. I taught bent leg technique for a bit, and most of the bent leg varients actually involve have the heel touch the ground, but without rolling back on it or putting too much weight, and actually, the Cadets Drum Corps uses straight leg technique and they roll back on their heels for backward March on slower tempos. Overall, straight leg (or as I like to call it, low heel technique) is a little easier to pick up for beginners. Another tip is to engage your core muscles at all times to stabilize that upper body. Anywho, I just really like talking about marching band.
1. Carry a chicken;
2. Tie camera to chicken head.
xD
3. BE the chicken
Cool shirt.
I'm so glad John, that you covered this subject. ☺️
_Although I learned how to do this technique, when working for a local TV station; mobile, a while back._
Thank you for uploading this informative video. I'll share it with my friends, so they know how to get steady handheld shots. 👍
And finally they will realize what it was like doing this for 5 hours straight. Lol. 😂
I’ve also been doing this since I began camera work 15 years ago. Even if I’m shooting with my phone i automatically go into marching band mode! 8 to 10 baby! It was a great idea to share this with the world! Great video!
I've always used my marching band/drum corps techniques to be a human gimble :). Thanks for posting this, and I love that shirt!
شكرا
2 words: Segway miniPRO
Translate that into dollars for me
I’ve been working on my “Ninja” walk technique and will give this a try. Thanks John!
Interesting. I used those techniques for years and didn't even realize I was doing it. Really. I just kept doing different things until I found one that worked which ended up exactly how you describe it. Now I use a Steadicam for most traveling shots which requires quite a bit of skill but with better overall results.
I will never forget counting the steps for moving myself and my trombone to the next mark in my high school marching band. So it's amazing to find out the connection our marching band knowledge has with film making. Keep doing what you're doing and stay safe!
I see you have a homemade steadicam arm. Any chance you were a member on homebuiltstabilizers? 🙂
It was adapted for a Glidecam 4000
Homebuiltstabilizers .com was a site/forum/community very active 15-20 years ago where we reverse engineered stabilizers. I thought you maybe had an interest in that 🙂
I actually learned that technique from playing airsoft, where it also helps with getting more accurate shots.
Buy some Kydex sheet 3/32" to 1/8", PVC cement, and PVC pipe. Create!
So how long did it take for your toes to heal afterwards?
I'm used to it.
I love this, thank you very much for a truly great tip I’ve never heard about before!
One of those run n gun cams with a handle is great. You can just loosely hold it by the handle and let gravity do the work.
works great for sound guys holding boom poles too! I was explaining this to my sound assistant just last week on a shoot. 8 to 5, baby, 8 to 5
Not gonna lie, I was walking around like a duck in my room after watching this.
thanks.
👌👌👌
This will be a great help! Thank You!
what camera do u use for the intro for this video?
Canon C200 is what I'm shooting myself with. Canon XC 15 is what I'm demonstrating with
@@FilmmakerIQ Thank you.
What camera is that?
Canon XC-15
What is the model, maker of the gimbal please ?
Dji Ronan S. I got a very good deal on it so look for specials
@@FilmmakerIQ Thanks for the quick reply !! Yeah, looks like I will need a 'very good deal' to make that happen :-)
I’ll give this a try next time 👍
You are really sweating hard! Great instruction on handheld shooting, thank you so much!
Yeah, humans sweat when it's hot and they're exercising. Or just...ya know...existing as humans.
Fantastic content!!
yes.
"like a trumpet"
[holds up a cornet]
🤔
(thank you for calling it the right name after that!)
I played trumpet all through highschool matching band... I just happened to have the cornet handy when shooting this.
Duct tape should work for that gimbal mount, ha.
I attach shit to my camera with electrical tape. Why not!
*heel to toe
That is correct... Oh well
@@FilmmakerIQ some day computer science will enable us to fix things like that without rerendering... maybe
I could fix it right now. But RUclips won't let me.