90 Minutes of Smartphone Gimbal Tips For Beginners

Now, if your gimbal footage is looking shaky and amateur and you're just not getting the results that you wanted, then don't worry because in this video, I'm going to show you exactly how to get smooth, professional looking shots, even if you are a complete beginner.

This is a 90-minute masterclass packed with practical, no-fluff tips to help you capture professional-looking footage using just your smartphone and a gimbal. We're going to cover everything from must-know gimbal moves, simple techniques that will instantly level up your shots, the most common beginner mistakes and how to fix them, plus a ton more that you can start using straight away.

So, let's jump straight in, starting with 10 gimbal moves that every filmmaker should know. And number one is the tracking shot.

The tracking shot, or follow shot, is an absolute must-know. It's all about putting your audience right there with your character on their journey. You're just following your subject from behind, the side, or in front as they move. Now, consistency is everything here. You have to match your subject's pace and keep the same distance from them the whole time. Getting closer or further away can look sloppy and distract the viewer. Hold your gimbal with two hands for this. I find lock mode works best. Bend those knees and just glide with your subject. And if you're doing a side tracking shot, do not do that awkward sideways crab walk. That is a big no-no. Just walk forward like a normal person, but turn your gimbal 90° to film them. Trust me, it is going to look so much smoother.

Now, for a more advanced look, throw some foreground elements in the mix. Tracking your subject past things like street lights, park benches, or people creates an incredible sense of depth. The elements in the foreground pass through the frame, making the shot feel so much more cinematic.

Okay, shot number two, the push-in.

Okay, now the push-in has to be one of the most iconic gimbal moves. And whilst it looks simple, it can completely transform the energy of your shot. Instead of just capturing a scene as it is, you're actively pulling your audience into the frame, guiding their attention, creating depth, and adding a sense of motion that feels cinematic. Take landmarks for example. Pushing forward into something like the Millennium Wheel or through a row of bikes adds layers to the composition. That foreground slipping past the lens creates a sense of depth, almost like the world is moving around you. Shoot in slow motion and it gets even better. Those micro-jitters smooth out and the movement feels buttery smooth and deliberate.

Now, when you're filming a landmark like Big Ben, for example, don't just point the camera straight forward. Try angling it up slightly. It gives the clock tower a much more dramatic, powerful presence on screen, almost like it's towering over the viewer. These small changes make a big difference. Your lens choice also makes a big difference. Go wide and you'll exaggerate the foreground motion. Everything feels like it's smoothly passing by, giving your shot energy and interest. Go tighter and the effect is more subtle, with the focus staying locked on your subject or landmark while still adding that creeping sense of importance. Either way, the push-in is about more than just moving forward. It's about pulling the viewer into the scene.

Now, if you really want to level this up, try mixing the push-in with a subtle tilt up. Start low, maybe focused on the floor or your subject's feet, and as you move in, slowly tilt up to reveal their face. It adds a layer of drama and makes the shot feel so much more interesting.

Okay, shot number three, the parallax or orbit shot.

The parallax or orbit shot is when you move around your subject while keeping them locked in the center of frame. It's a great way to add depth and make your subject or focal point stand out from their surroundings. There are a couple of ways that you can pull this off. For example, when I was filming this London Underground sign, I walked around it in a semicircle as the sign stayed fixed in the middle of the frame. The background shifted and this created this really dramatic flowing sense of motion, but you don't always need to move your feet. Take this shot here for example. My feet are planted and I'm simply using my arms and upper body to make the orbit. It's a smaller movement, but it still creates that same parallax effect with the background, in this case, Big Ben and Westminster Bridge sliding behind my subject.

Now, to make this work smoothly, set your gimbal to pan follow mode. This way, the camera pans with your motion while keeping everything else steady. Just remember, the key is to keep your subject in the center of frame. Enable the grids on your camera if needed. This will help keep things lined up and keep your movement smooth and consistent. This is what creates the magic.

Okay, shot number four, the crane or jib shot.

Now, if you think you need a giant Hollywood crane for this, then think again. A crane shot is simply any vertical movement, starting low and rising up. It's a fantastic way to establish a location, add scale, or give your shot a cinematic feel without needing huge amounts of equipment. One of the most effective ways to do this is to start from behind an object in the foreground. This could be a wall, a bush, or anything that obscures the scene. Not only does this create a natural reveal for your subject or focal point, but also adds depth and interest to your shot. As the camera rises, the foreground elements emphasize motion, giving your footage a greater sense of movement and helping the viewer feel immersed in the scene.

Now, the easiest way to pull this off is to crouch down, aim your camera, and slowly stand up, lifting your gimbal as you go. But if you want a more dramatic effect, an extension pole or monopod can turn a simple rise into a mega-jib movement. This allows you to start low to the ground and lift all the way up, adding much more production value to your shot. The smooth upward movement gives a cinematic feel that works perfectly as an end-of-scene shot, creating a strong, satisfying finish. With a bit of practice, this technique can transform even a simple location into a visually striking sequence. It's a versatile move that works particularly well introducing a scene and helps draw the viewer's eye naturally toward your focal point.

Bonus move, the fake drone shot.

Now, since we've got the extension pole, let's make the most of it and fake some drone shots. Drones are strictly prohibited here in central London, but that is not a problem because a gimbal and an extension pole will give you a very similar look. For example, capturing a real drone shot over Piccadilly Circus wouldn't be legal. But with a gimbal on an extension pole, it's possible to glide smoothly over the crowd for that aerial perspective. Another example here. Look, a smooth push forward down Regent Street. By elevating the camera and pushing forward, the shot mimics a drone flying past buses and these taxis, creating a cinematic movement and high-production-value feel, all without actually flying a drone. The key is height plus smooth forward motion. The simple combination creates a drone-like cinematic look that's perfect for busy city streets or locations where drones aren't allowed.

Okay, let's go back to basics with the pull-out.

If the push-in is all about focus and intimacy, the pull-out is all about context and scale. It's perfect for ending a scene or showing just how much space surrounds your subject. One way to do this is to start up close on your subject's face and then pull back to reveal them looking out at a location, like London Bridge, for example. Another approach is to start on a landmark or a city skyline and then pull back to reveal your subject taking in their environment. The technique is basically a push-in but in reverse. Frame your subject, get a smooth walk going and pull back carefully. A wider lens, anywhere between 16 and 24mm, helps exaggerate the movement and makes the reveal feel much bigger. These shots make the camera movement feel motivated and natural, giving the audience a clear sense of both your subject and the surrounding environment.

The tilt or vertical pan.

Now, the tilt might seem basic, but on a gimbal, it becomes buttery smooth and surprisingly powerful. A tilt is simply pointing the camera up or down, and it's perfect for revealing things. For example, starting at the ground and tilting up to reveal an iconic landmark like Big Ben, or tilting down from the branches of a tree to show the scene below. To do this, use your gimbal's joystick to control the tilt. The real magic comes when you combine it with other movements. One classic combo is the tilt-down tracking shot. Start with the camera aimed high, for example, at the top of Tower Bridge, and walk backwards whilst tilting down to reveal your subject. This creates a dramatic reveal that immediately draws the viewer in. Another option is to tilt up whilst pushing forward. Start at your subject's feet and tilt up to reveal their face. This builds suspense, adds intrigue, and gives your shot a cinematic, high-production feel. Both variations instantly elevate the quality of your footage and add visual interest to your storytelling.

The gimbal that I'm using for all these shots, by the way, is the Hohem iSteady M7. An incredible gimbal for these types of shots, as it has a great tilt axis to help you get those cinematic movements. It can also take a heavier payload, which allows you to add lenses and filters. So, if you're looking for a gimbal to level up your gimbal shots, it is definitely worth checking out. I will link it below.

Okay, moving on. Number seven, the lookup.

By far one of the most underrated gimbal moves, this one. The look-up is incredibly simple but delivers stunning results. For this, point the camera directly up towards the sky, giving you a completely new perspective and adding visual interest to your shots. For example, walking through a narrow street. Pointing the camera up captures the tops of buildings gliding past as you move forward, creating a sense of movement and scale.

Now, another powerful approach to this is to start with the camera high and close to an object and then pull it down towards the ground to reveal your focal point. This works beautifully in slow motion, especially with a wide-angle lens, as it adds drama and cinematic flare. This technique also works great with natural elements. For example, pointing it up towards the top of a tree and then pulling back to reveal all of its height and textures in its trunk, or pulling down from the gates of Buckingham Palace to reveal the flickering sun. The look-up is simple, versatile, and an easy way to add cinematic depth to your videos without complicated setups.

Okay, number eight, the roll or Dutch angle.

The roll, often called the Dutch angle, is where the camera rotates along its roll axis, tilting the horizon. It's one of the most stylized gimbal moves, often used to create unease, tension, or just a unique creative perspective. To pull this off, unlock all of your gimbal's axes or switch it into modes like FPV or 360 roll. This gives you full freedom to rotate the camera as you move.

Now, there are a few great ways that you can use this. For example, start on a landmark and then pull back to reveal your subject, creating a flyby effect that feels almost like FPV drone footage. You can also start close on your subject's face and then pull back or push forward towards them for a much more dramatic reveal.

Now, because this move can be jarring, it works best when paired with smooth motion. Try combining a gentle roll with a slow-motion push forward or with a pull-back reveal to give your shot a cinematic edge without overwhelming the viewer. Use subtly, the roll can add an entirely new dimension to your gimbal work.

Okay, number nine, the slider shot.

The slider shot is one of those moves that instantly makes your footage feel clean and professional. It's a simple horizontal side-to-side movement that's perfect for revealing a subject or adding slick motion to an otherwise static shot. Now, what really makes a slider shot pop is depth and foreground. When we have objects in the foreground, like a tree, a sign, or anything like that, sliding past them adds scale and dimension. This works beautifully to reveal a scene or subject. You can use this technique with both wide and tight lenses. For example, here is a shot using a tight lens sliding past the Underground sign to reveal Big Ben in the background. And here's that same shot, only this time using a wide-angle lens. The foreground elements act like a frame, guiding the viewer's eye to the landmark. Experiment with start and end points. Sometimes starting slightly behind the foreground element and sliding past it creates the most dramatic reveal. Even without a physical slider, this technique can make your shots feel polished, professional, and cinematic.

Okay, number 10, the low rider shot.

Okay, for this shot, we are getting low, and I mean really low. The low rider is all about getting your camera close to the ground to create a fresh perspective. One of my favorite examples is shooting in slow motion. Take this shot here for example, pushing through a flock of pigeons at Hyde Park. The key here is having something interesting on the ground. Slow motion really helps if these elements are moving, like the flapping of the pigeon's wings as you glide through. You can also use this move to reveal your subject. In this shot, I'm pushing through the pigeons to bring my subject into frame. There is a time and a place for this, of course. This is just experimental, but it can create a really engaging and unique shot. Another tip here is to combine gimbal moves. For example, here I am capturing a low rider shot whilst tracking my subject's feet across Tower Bridge. The low angle gives a completely different perspective, and with a gimbal, it's incredibly easy to pull off smooth cinematic movement.

So, those were 10 must-know gimbal moves to get you started. If you enjoyed those tips, by the way, then be sure to check out my 2-hour smartphone filmmaking course that teaches you not only how to shoot cinematic B-roll, but also how to edit all of that footage into a sequence with music, color grading, and sound effects. I break everything down step by step. It couldn't be easier. I will link it below.

But what if you're at the stage where you've bought a gimbal, you've binged-watched the tutorials, you've even tried doing that ridiculous ninja walk, and somehow your footage still looks amateur? You know what I'm talking about. That bobbing motion, that aimless drifting, the gimbal fighting you on shots that should be easy. Well, the truth is, it's not the gimbal, and it's not that you're a bad filmmaker. It's that you're probably making one of three very common beginner mistakes. So, let me show you exactly what those mistakes are and how to fix them so that you can finally get that smooth, cinematic footage that you actually bought your gimbal for.

Okay, mistake number one, your body is working against you.

Okay, so your gimbal is ready to shoot. You bend your knees, you do your best ninja walk, and you try to be as steady as possible. But when you look back at your footage, there it is again. That gentle, rhythmic up-and-down bounce. And this is your first mistake. You're focusing on just your hand rather than your entire body. The ninja walk is a good start, but it's only half the battle. Your body's natural walking motion creates a ton of vertical bounce. A gimbal is a master of smoothing out twists and turns, like a figure skater gliding along perfect ice. But that up-and-down movement, the Z-axis bounce, that is its kryptonite. It's like asking the same skater to look graceful whilst going along a cobblestone street. That movement travels right up your body, down your arm, and onto your gimbal, making your footage look like it was shot on a small boat.

Now, the second part of this same mistake is just moving too erratically. You see something cool and quickly whip the camera over. The gimbal tries to keep up, but that sudden, jerky command results in an unnatural, robotic-looking movement that just doesn't feel cinematic at all.

Now, the fix to this is to stop thinking about your hand and start thinking about your entire body as one big stabilization tool. So, start by holding your gimbal with two hands. Holding a gimbal with one hand is a bit like trying to hold a full cup of coffee steady during an earthquake. Yeah, not recommended. So, instead, hold it with both hands. And this is the real key here. Tuck your elbows into your body. This connects the gimbal to your core, turning your arms from wobbly noodles into a solid tripod. You're bracing the rig against your body, the most stable point, absorbing shakes instead of creating them.

Now, second, you have to slow down, and I mean way down. Cinematic movement is almost always slow and deliberate. Pros don't chase the action. They glide. Your movements need to be as smooth as a heavy freight train, not a zippy sports car. You start slow, maintain a steady speed, and then you slow down to stop. This steady, predictable pace is what lets the gimbal do its job. Turning a normal walk into what looks like a cinematic float. Seriously, try moving at half the speed you think you need to. You'll be amazed at the results.

Okay, mistake number two. You're hitting record without a plan.

This one gets everybody. Your movement is smooth. You're in a great location, so you hit record and just start walking, but you end up with a 10-minute long clip of you wandering around. You're capturing footage, but you're not creating a shot. This is shooting blind, and it's why your final videos feel messy. The problem is, those long, meandering takes are basically useless. It's like going to the supermarket without a shopping list. You wander down every aisle, grab a bunch of random ingredients, and you get home and you realize you can't make a single complete meal. That is your footage, a folder full of random clips that don't connect.

Now, another classic sign of unplanned shooting is letting all the auto settings do the work for you. You move from a shadow into the sun. You can literally see the exposure changing mid-shot, or that autofocus starts freaking out, hunting back and forth because you have no idea what you want it to look at. These automatic changes are basically a giant flashing sign saying, "I did not plan this."

To fix this, you have to stop being a footage collector and start being a shot director. You need to shoot with purpose. So, first of all, get used to the 5 to 10-second rule. Before you hit record, picture a short, complete shot. Where does it start? What happens? And where does it end? A pro shot is very rarely more than 10 seconds long, generally speaking. So instead of "I'm going to film this landscape," your idea becomes, "I'm going to start on this flower and then pull back and pan to reveal this location." Which brings me on to the next technique, which is the A to B method. For every shot, define your point A and your point B. Point A is your first frame and point B is your last. Your only job is to move the camera smoothly from point A to point B. That is it. Think of it like giving a taxi driver a specific address instead of just telling him to drive around. This one rule forces you to have a plan and turns a fuzzy idea into a clear, doable shot.

And finally, lock it down. Before you move, lock your focus and exposure. Find your subject, tap and hold to lock the focus, and set the exposure for the most important part of the shot. Now, when you move, your settings are locked. The focus won't hunt, and the exposure won't flicker. It shows that you're in control of the camera, not the other way around.

Let's move on to the third and probably the most important mistake that you're making, and that is that you're using the wrong gimbal mode.

Okay, so you've perfected your movement. You're shooting with a plan, but it still feels like the gimbal is fighting you. You try a smooth pan, but the camera stays locked in one place. You try to tilt the camera up, but it just won't tilt. This is the third mistake. You're stuck in the wrong gimbal mode. Your gimbal's modes are a bit like different tools on a Swiss Army knife. Using the wrong one is a bit like trying to open a can with the corkscrew. It's just wrong and it won't work. For example, many gimbals default to pan follow mode. This is where the gimbal smoothly follows your left-to-right movements, but keeps the tilt locked. This is great for simple horizontal reveals, but if you want to tilt the camera up to film the sky or a bird, the gimbal just won't let you. On the other hand, in lock mode, the gimbal keeps the camera pointing in one direction no matter which way you move it. It's perfect for a straight dolly shot where the camera is like a sniper scope fixed on one target, but it's terrible if you're trying to pan across a landscape.

Now, the fix here is simple, but it is crucial, and that is to match your mode to your move. So, before you shoot, think about the movement that you want. Is it just a horizontal pan, in which case use pan follow? Or are you trying to keep the camera locked on a distant object while you move past it, in which case use lock mode? Choosing the right tool for your Swiss Army knife beforehand is the difference between fighting your gear and having it work for you.

Okay, so even after knowing the classic beginner mistakes, if you find that you're still not getting the footage that you were hoping for, then chances are you're probably using the wrong gimbal. There are a ton of different gimbals out there. So, the key is finding the one that works best for you because each gimbal has its own unique features and its own set of limitations. So, to simplify things, I have got three gimbals in front of me here, all from completely different brands. And I've grouped these gimbals into three categories. We've got a small, compact gimbal for portability, a standard gimbal for more advanced moves, and a hybrid gimbal for versatility. I'm going to start with the small and compact gimbal and make my way up, pointing out all of the pros and cons of each gimbal so that you have a really good understanding of what each of these gimbals does and which one would work best for you.

Now, let's start with gimbal number one, the small and compact gimbal.

Okay, so this is the Insta360 Flow. This gimbal is an incredibly compact, portable option that's perfect for anyone looking for smooth footage on the go without the added bulk of a larger gimbal. If you're a beginner or someone who just wants something simple and lightweight, the Flow, or any other compact gimbal such as this, could be a really great option. This one weighs just 360 grams. Plus, it's small enough to fit in your pocket, making it a great choice for travel, vlogging, or anyone shooting on the move. But it's not just about the size. The Insta360 Flow offers a variety of features that make it beginner-friendly and accessible for mobile content creators. For starters, the setup is incredibly easy. You don't need to worry about complicated menus or adjustments. It is designed with simplicity in mind, which is perfect for users who don't want to get bogged down with the technicalities. The gimbal has all of the modes that you would expect to help you capture the best shots possible. FPV mode, for example, where all of the axes are unlocked for much more immersive and dynamic shots. Pan follow mode, where your horizon is locked and remains level, plus many more to help you get a good range of movements. The Flow also has some really impressive features like automatic subject tracking, where it can follow you around as you move, making it great for shooting solo. Also, Insta360 has an incredible app that makes shooting and editing your videos really easy. The app also gives you access to a variety of creative modes that let you enhance your shots. For example, there's time-lapse mode, panorama mode, plus a ton more. So, perfect if you're just starting out and new to video. The gimbal does an excellent job at keeping your footage smooth when you're walking, running, or shooting from various angles. It also has a pretty strong battery life, lasting up to 12 hours on a single charge, which is more than enough for a full day's shooting or travel. So, a small and compact gimbal like this definitely has its upsides. Another gimbal that I would put into this small, compact category would be this one here, the DJI Osmo 6. I recently made an entire video about this. I will link it below.

However, like any piece of equipment, the Flow and other small, compact gimbals just like this one have their drawbacks. So, let's talk about some of the downsides to using a gimbal like this. Now, by far the biggest downside, at least as far as I'm concerned, is its limited tilt range. Limited tilt range doesn't seem like too big of a deal, does it? Well, trust me, it is. I have lost count of how many comments I've had on my videos saying, "I've bought a gimbal, but my gimbal just isn't doing what yours does." How do you get those shots that start low to the ground and then lift up, replicating a crane shot? And the answer to this is by using a gimbal with a good tilt range. Let me very quickly show you what I mean by using this gimbal and the joystick. I'm going to start with the phone tilted down as far as it will go. Like this. And I'm then going to tilt the phone up as far as it will go. Like this. That is as far as it will go up. So, the tilt range is from there to there, which isn't great. If you have a gimbal with a limited tilt range, you're also limited to what shots you can capture. This means that whilst you will get smooth footage, you won't have the flexibility to create certain complex shots that require a greater range of movement. So, if you are looking to capture shots that start low to the ground and rise up, replicating a crane shot, or if you're looking to do more advanced camera moves that require more flexibility in your angles, then a small, compact gimbal like this might not be the best fit for you. Also, whilst the Insta360 Flow works great for smooth and stable shots, its payload capacity is definitely on the lower end. It's designed for smartphones, but not much else. So, if you're planning to use it with larger, heavier rigs or accessories, maybe you want to add an additional lens, maybe an external hard drive or microphone, then this gimbal is definitely going to struggle and you might run into some problems.

So, who is the Insta360 Flow designed for? Or any small, compact gimbal for that matter? Well, if you're a beginner, a content creator who's just starting out, or someone who needs a compact gimbal for travel and everyday moments, this is a really great option. It's also perfect for vloggers or anyone who wants a lightweight, simple-to-use gimbal with enough features to capture high-quality content on the go. If you're looking for a no-fuss, portable gimbal that delivers solid performance and is easy to carry around, then the Insta360 Flow could be exactly what you're looking for.

But if you're looking for something that leans more towards the professional end, then you might want to consider something like this next gimbal, the Hohem M7.

Now, this gimbal falls into the next category of a larger, more advanced gimbal with professional features. Now, the reason I've chosen the Hohem M7 for this is because it's one of the latest gimbals in this category, and I've tried and tested it, so I know it works. In fact, I've made an entire video about this gimbal that I will link up in the cards as well as in the description below. Now, this gimbal definitely punches above its weight in terms of features while still remaining affordable and relatively compact. Will it fit in your pocket like the Insta360 Flow? No. But it still folds down pretty small. So, this is where you need to start to weigh up what's more important to you. Is a small, compact gimbal more important, or a slightly bigger gimbal with more features and flexibility? Only you can decide this, of course.

Now, a gimbal like this is a great option for those of you looking for a budget-friendly gimbal that doesn't compromise on performance. One of the standout features of the Hohem M7 compared to the Insta360 Flow is its excellent tilt axis, which, as you now know, is crucial for capturing a wide range of dynamic shots. Unlike the Insta360 Flow, which has a very limited tilt range due to its compact design, the M7 allows you to get low-to-high angle shots with ease, making it a great choice for capturing cinematic and creative filmmaking. The motor strength of the M7 is also really impressive for the price, and it's able to take a much heavier payload, up to 500g. So, it will easily take the weight of a larger smartphone like the iPhone 16 Pro Max, for example, as well as additional lenses and microphones. So, a gimbal like this definitely leans more towards those of you that are taking things a bit more seriously when it comes to mobile filmmaking. The M7 also has incredible tracking capabilities. This gimbal has a magnetic tracker that attaches to the top of the gimbal. So, it will work with any phone or any camera app, unlike the Insta360 Flow, for example, where you need to use a specific app in order to enable the tracking. The M7 also has a detachable remote which doubles as a preview screen as well as a joystick. So, perfect for shooting solo or anyone that wants to capture shots of themselves when they don't have anyone to help.

Now, that being said, let's talk about some of the downsides to this gimbal. Because while it's compact for a gimbal, it's still bulkier compared to the ultra-portable options like the Insta360 Flow or Osmo 6. So, if your number one priority is a gimbal that's really easy to carry around and fits in your pocket, then the Insta360 Flow is by far the better choice. But if you couldn't care less about whether the gimbal fits in your pocket or not and just want a gimbal with the best tilt axis and more flexibility when it comes to camera movement, then the M7 is by far the better choice.

So, who is the M7 for? Well, the M7 is for those of you that need a reliable and affordable gimbal with a great tilt axis for dynamic shots and creative flexibility. It's perfect for beginners as well as professional content creators who are looking for a budget-friendly solution, but don't mind a slightly bulkier design compared to smaller, pocket-sized gimbals like the Insta360 Flow.

Now, a gimbal is key to capturing smooth, steady, and professional-looking shots. But the visuals are only half the story. It's music and sound effects that will really help bring your videos to life. Take these raw clips from a recent shoot for example. They look okay, but they sound terrible. But if I add some well-chosen music along with some sound effects, we now have this.

Okay, let's talk about the next type of gimbal and that is the hybrid gimbal.

Okay, so this is the Futu H&Y Scorp Mini 2. Now, the reason they call this a hybrid gimbal is because it's designed to hold smartphones as well as DSLR and mirrorless cameras. This is what truly sets it apart from the other gimbals that we've covered so far. So, if you're someone who plans to move between different types of gear or already owns a DSLR or mirrorless camera, this could be a game-changer for your filmmaking setup.

So, let's talk about some of the pros as well. The Scorp Mini 2 can support a payload of up to 900g, which means it's compatible with not just smartphones, but also DSLR and mirrorless cameras. This makes it perfect for those of you that want more flexibility with their setup, especially if you're someone that shoots using multiple cameras, but just want one gimbal. The tilt range and precision are really great, especially when shooting low angles. It has an additional handle, meaning you can get a much firmer grip on the gimbal compared to other gimbals, allowing you to get smoother shots easier. This one also has an additional grip, meaning I can get shots lower to the ground much easier. So, whether you're shooting cinematic content with a mirrorless camera or just capturing B-roll with your smartphone, a hybrid gimbal like this is a fantastic option. It's relatively compact for a hybrid gimbal, especially considering the payload it can support, but still offers the sturdiness and control that comes with a more professional gimbal. If you're into content creation and have a mix of smartphones and cameras, then the Scorp Mini 2 or any kind of hybrid gimbal like this allows you to create professional-level footage without needing multiple gimbals for different devices.

Okay, cons. Now, while the Scorp Mini 2 is compact for its type, it's still larger and bulkier compared to the Insta360 Flow or Hohem M7, which are smaller and much more portable. This definitely isn't a gimbal that you'll be slipping into your pocket. You'll need a camera bag or carry case. The maximum payload of 900g is impressive, but it's still limited compared to high-end, more professional gimbals. Also, if you are primarily a smartphone user and don't plan to upgrade to a mirrorless or DSLR camera anytime soon, then the added weight and size of this gimbal is just completely overkill. Personally, out of all three of these gimbals, the hybrid gimbal is the one that I would use the least. If I'm looking for a small, compact gimbal and I'm just shooting for fun, then I'm going to grab the Insta360 Flow. And if I'm looking for something a bit more professional with a better tilt range, I'm going to grab the M7. It is extremely rare that I would ever pick up a hybrid gimbal. I'm all or nothing. I'm either going to be shooting with a smartphone, in which case I will use a dedicated smartphone gimbal, or I'm shooting with a DSLR or mirrorless, in which case I will use a dedicated DSLR or mirrorless gimbal like this one here. But there is absolutely a time and a place for a hybrid gimbal like this, especially if you're someone who shoots using multiple cameras, but only wants to invest in one gimbal.

So, as you can see, choosing the right gimbal is crucial, but hopefully now you've got all of the information that you need to choose the one that's best for you.

Okay, now let's dive into some more practical tips. Tips that will accelerate your filmmaking skills and take you from a beginner to a pro. But what exactly is the difference between a beginner and a pro? Well, here are 10 mistakes that beginners make that pros don't.

Starting with focus and exposure. Let's imagine for a second that you wanted to capture an establishing shot, revealing your location from behind this wall. A classic beginner mistake is to hit record, slide your camera to the left, and reveal your location. But what's wrong with this shot? Well, let's take a look. The shot starts from behind this wall, slides to the left, but we now get this ugly exposure and focus change halfway through our shot. This looks cheap and amateur. So, to fix this, we're going to lock our focus and exposure by tapping and holding on our screen. We're going to hit record, move our camera behind this wall, and capture the exact same shot again. Let's take a look. And we now have a reveal shot with a much more consistent and professional look. No more nasty focus and exposure changes. Let's look at another quick example here. Camera starts from behind this tree and slides to the right, but without locking our focus and exposure, we again get these nasty focus and exposure changes. But by locking our focus and exposure, our shot now looks much more polished and professional.

Okay, depth and foreground. Okay, here he is again. Look, Mr. Beginner looking to capture a shot of this charming 16th-century church. We're pushing forward and tilting up. Let's take a look at this shot. Well, it's not too bad. It could be worse, but there's just not much depth to this shot. So, how can we fix this? Well, we can fix this by simply adding some foreground. If we shoot this exact same shot again, only this time a few feet to the right, using these branches as foreground, we now add much more depth to this shot. These branches help reveal our focal point. They add more movement and make this shot look much more interesting. This is shot using the standard lens, by the way. We could also capture this again using the wide-angle lens. This will add even more movement to this shot. And we could, of course, cut from our wide to our tight shot to really help keep our audience engaged.

Okay, let's look at another example. Here we have this shot sliding to the right. Not much foreground being used here. Let's take a look. Yes, as expected, not a great sense of movement and depth to this shot. So, this time we're going to use this bush in the foreground to help give us a bit more depth. Exact same shot again, sliding to the right, only this time we're layering our shot. We've got our foreground, very important, our midground and background. And just look what difference this makes to our shot. The bush smoothly passing through the frame adds much more movement and more depth to this shot. Now, if you really want to level up your shots, then try starting with your camera low to the ground, pushing forward and rising up. I'm going to use this tree in the foreground to help give this shot more depth. And as you can see, when we start to combine these techniques, smooth movements, foreground depth, we massively improve the look of our shots. Now, there is, however, such a thing as bad foreground. Let's take this panning shot of this street for example. Although we're using these umbrellas as foreground to add more depth to this shot, it still looks cheap and messy. So instead, let's take advantage of these flowers and this time lift our camera up to reveal our location. Just a few minor tweaks with this shot, and we now have a much more professional-looking result. Lens choice will also make a huge difference with these shots, so be sure to experiment. Here is another shot using the wide-angle lens sliding to the right. Still using foreground and depth, but we now see much more of the scene.

Holding your gimbal. Here he is again. Look, Mr. Beginner holding his gimbal with one hand, pushing forward. Not really putting any care or thought into the way he holds or walks using a gimbal. This will result in a nasty up-and-down movement. Not a pleasant viewing experience, very distracting, and really ruins this shot. So, this time we're going to hold our gimbal with two hands. The more points of contact you have on the gimbal, the smoother your shots will be. We're going to soften our impact on the floor when walking to create less impact. And just making these few simple adjustments, we now have a much smoother, more professional-looking shot. And that's not to say that you should always be holding your gimbal with two hands. There are definitely some shots that are easier with one. But as a general rule, shoot using two hands on your gimbal for much more control and smoother movements.

Revealing your locations. Okay, this tip is all about making your shots look much more intriguing and creating anticipation. So, let's imagine for a second we wanted to capture a shot of these houses from across the street. We could push forward like this. This isn't bad. The framing is pretty good. These two trees add symmetry and depth, but there is definite room for improvement. So, how can we make this shot look even better? Well, this time we could reveal our location. So, instead of cutting to our shot, which doesn't really leave too much to the imagination, this time let's start with our camera pointing up, push forward and tilt down to reveal our location. This instantly adds more intrigue, movement, depth, and anticipation to this shot, allowing us to hold this shot for much longer and still hold attention. Let's see another example, only this time of this church. Here is the beginner version, simply pushing forward. Not a particularly interesting shot, and to be honest, kind of boring. However, this time we're going to push forward and tilt up to reveal our focal point. Still holding our gimbal with two hands for a much smoother shot. Let's take a look. And just look at what difference this has made to this shot. The grass adds much more color and movement. We start with the camera facing down, but then tilt up to reveal our focal point, creating a much more dramatic look and feel compared to shot number one. When it comes to gimbal moves, small changes make a big difference. A simple push forward like this versus a simple push forward, but with an added tilt will make all the difference to your shot. One will feel basic and the other much more engaging. A time and a place for both. But if you're looking to level up your shots, start revealing your locations rather than just starting with everything in frame.

No more pans. Pans are the ultimate way to make your shots look cheap and amateur. Here he is again. Look, Mr. Beginner holding his gimbal with one hand, capturing a panning shot of this statue. Really not a great shot. It's too tight. There's no clear focal point. The shot just looks terrible. So this time I'm going to cross the street and simply push forward with my focal point in the center of frame. I'm also going to tilt up the closer I get. Let's take a look. Camera pushing forward. A much more defined focal point now. And as we get closer, the camera tilts up for a much more dramatic shot.

Okay, let's take this quiet back street for example. We could do a one-handed pan from left to right. But again, there's no clear focal point. The shot moves too quickly and we've got these ugly bins in the frame, really ruining this shot. This isn't even usable. So instead, let's simply push forward. This is actually much easier to capture and will look 10 times better. Let's take a look. Okay, we now have a much clearer focal point. The shot is much smoother and we're now taking our audience on a journey down this street. A simple tweak makes all the difference. A much more professional shot. Also, you don't necessarily need to be walking with these shots. So, instead of a nasty-looking pan like this, simply slide your camera to the left or right using only your arms and upper body. Smooth, smaller, more subtle moves like this create an equally professional-looking shot compared to a messy-looking pan.

Gimbal features. Now, every gimbal will come with different features to help you get more creative shots. So, it's really important that you make the most of them. A classic beginner mistake is to shoot using the same gimbal mode to capture the same shots over and over again. So, look at what features and modes your gimbal has and take advantage of them. I'm shooting everything on the Zhiyun Smooth 5S today, which has a ton of great features, but by far one of my favorites is the AI tracking. So, let's say you wanted to not only capture shots of your location, but also shots of yourself walking through that location. And this is a perfect feature to do it with because using this tiny magnetic tracker that connects to the top of the gimbal like this, I can now have the gimbal track me wherever I go. It's a bit like having your own personal camera operator with you, allowing you to add much more movement to your shots when shooting solo. It also has gesture control. So instead of having to keep touching the gimbal to set up each shot, I can simply use gestures to tell it what to do. For example, the "okay" sign will make the gimbal lock onto me and keep me in the center of frame. Or if I make a frame gesture like this, I can now position myself in the frame wherever I like. Adding just a few of these AI tracking shots throughout your B-roll sequences can really help take them to the next level.

Okay, let's talk about focal lengths because this is important. Let's capture a push-forward shot down this street using the phone's standard lens. This is the equivalent to about a 24mm. This is what that shot looks like. I actually think this shot looks pretty good, but there just isn't a great sense of movement. So, to fix this, I'm going to capture the exact same shot again, only this time using my wide-angle lens, which is equivalent to about 16mm. Same as before, simply going to push forward down this street. But by simply changing the lens, we now have this shot with a much wider field of view with a greater sense of movement. This is still a good shot.

I actually really like the lady walking to the left, the fact that I can see this picturesque village more clearly, but there isn't a great sense of movement. And if it's movement that you're after, which it quite often is when you're shooting using a gimbal, then your lens choice is going to make all the difference. The wider the focal length, the greater the sense of movement. Bonus tip, low and slow.

Okay, this is a simple tip that makes a huge difference to your shots. Let's imagine for a second we wanted to capture a push forward shot across this grass. Let's take a look. Yeah, not great. In fact, diabolical. This is a completely unusable shot. So, instead, we're going to shoot low and slow. For this, I'm going to select slow motion, shoot using my wide-angle lens, and get my phone nice and low to the ground. Exactly the same again. I'm simply going to push forward, but from a much lower perspective, and we now have a much more usable shot. the camera pushing through the grass. Slow motion helping smooth everything out, allowing our audience to take in all the colorful flowers and this location. Let's quickly see another example. A push forward towards this French bar. Semi-usable, but definitely not great. So, let's make the most of these colorful flowers in the foreground by getting low and shooting slow. Much better.

Okay, boring versus creative. Boring is capturing the same shots as everyone else. Take these flowers for example. We're going to get some pans, some tilts, making sure that we see all of the flowers, but the shot still looks choppy and messy. So, let's think outside the box and be a little bit more creative. I'm going to put my camera in vortex mode. And this time, push forward while slowly rotating my phone around the flowers, making sure that I get my lens as close as possible. And we now have a much more creative shot. Pushing forward whilst rotating past these flowers. Another creative angle is to simply point your camera up. But you can get some very dramatic effects this way. So avoid the boring everyday shots like this and create something that looks much more like this. Also, this gimbal has a hyperlapse feature. Time and a place for these shots, but will definitely prevent your videos from looking dull and boring. Easy to shoot with much more creative results.

Long messy shots. Okay, come with me as a beginner as I walk down this street capturing one long messy shot. I'm going to shoot this shop here, the shop over here. Still recording. I'm going to shoot this shot over here and maybe some more at the bottom of this street. And this shot is just too long and too messy. So, instead, I'm going to shoot three shorter clips with much more intent. For example, this slider shot revealing the street from behind this wall. A close-up shot of this shop sign with a slight parallax movement. And finally, a push forward shot of this house tilting up as I get closer for a much more dramatic effect. And we now have a short sequence of clips that edit together much better, creating a much more professional look and feel.

Creative transitions. Okay, this is how a beginner will transition between one shot and another. They'll capture the first shot like this at one location, pushing down the street, for example. Then they'll go to another location, capture shot number two, then they'll take these two clips and simply cut from one shot to another. And this isn't particularly exciting or creative. So instead, we're going to shoot a much more creative transition. This time we're going to push forward down the street, but then tilt down, getting our camera low to the ground. And we now have a shot that pushes forward, tilts down with these cobbles now filling the frame. And for shot number two, we're going to change locations and start our second shot close to the ground. Pushing forward, cobbles filling the frame, and then going to tilt up, revealing our new location. And now when we cut these two clips together using nothing but a simple cut, we now have a much more creative transition taking us from one shot to another.

Okay, so by now you should be very much locked in. We are well into this master class. So, it's time to step things up and start using all of these tips to get cinematic results because this is what will take your videos from looking like all the other videos out there to films that look like they've come straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster. So, here are some practical tips for leveling up your gimbal shots.

Okay, let's talk about cinematic variation. Now, one of the biggest mistakes that I see beginners make is just filming one type of shot at each location. a push forward, for example. But capturing the same subject in different ways instantly makes your edits feel more cinematic and engaging. Take this shopping mall here in Amsterdam, for example. We could do a simple push forward towards the building. It's okay. But now, let's do that same push forward, but with a tram passing in front. Suddenly, the scene feels alive, dynamic. Plus, the tram helps reveal the building. Or how about we try a slider reveal from behind the street sign. Adding foreground to this shot helps add depth. We could go a bit more face on and symmetrical and push forward with a tram passing. Or how about a push forward with a tilt up. This shows the scale of the building and gives a sense of grandeur. And whilst we're at it, why not grab a tight shot of the sign? Focusing on details breaks up the wider shots and keeps things interesting. All of these shots focus on the same focal point, but each feels completely different. By mixing angles, movements, and framing, you give yourself freedom in the edit. Make the story more engaging and instantly add a cinematic feel. Okay?

Capture bad shots. But what do I mean by this? What I mean by this is don't think about each shot as an individual standalone clip. Think about that shot in a sequence edited with other shots. For example, take this shot here of the sign on this tram. It's really not great. Very messy. Dare I say it, this is a bad shot. Or this shot here pushing low to the ground towards the tram's wheels. This flag even not particularly exciting. I certainly wouldn't be sharing any of these as individual clips on social media, but always think about the story and what comes next. Think about what these shots will look like once you've added music and sound effects.

Knowledge is power. If you don't know what your equipment is capable of, you're just not going to get the best results. Take my setup today for example. I've got the iPhone 15 paired with the Ice Steady V3 Ultra. a great compact setup, perfect for running gun videos. But if you don't know how to use it, your shots just won't look as good. For example, this is my first time using this gimbal. So before today's shoot, I researched its features so that I could maximize my results. I didn't realize until this morning that this gimbal can take a 400 g payload, which is way more than what I was expecting from a gimbal that fits in your pocket. This means it will not only take the weight of my phone and an ND filter, but also a portable hard drive like this one here, meaning I can now shoot in ProRes RAW if needed and save all of my videos and large files to an external SSD without using up the storage on my phone. This gimbal also has a rotation preset, meaning at the tap of a button, the gimbal will automatically rotate the phone and capture creative shots that look like this. Now, when we link two shots like this together and add a speed ramp with some sound effects, we now get this.

Minor tweaks make a huge difference. But what do I mean by this? What I mean by this is that just waiting a few extra seconds or making a slight adjustment to your shot can massively increase its production value. Take this shot here for example, rising up to reveal the canal. It's not bad, but if we just wait 30 seconds for a boat and capture that exact same shot again, we now have much more interest and movement in this shot. A minor tweak that makes a huge difference. This slider shot of the canal, average at best, not much sense of movement or depth. But if we simply lower the camera a little bit and include these pink flowers, we now get a much more interesting shot. Or this shot here pulling back and rotating through these colorful flowers. This isn't a bad shot. Definitely usable. But now, let's wait for a boat to pass and capture the exact same shot again. Much better. Another minor tweak that adds a lot more production value to this shot. Minimal added effort, maximum results.

AI tracking. Now, if you're someone that shoots solo, then having a gimbal with AI tracking is an absolute must. The V3 Ultra comes with a detachable AI tracker, which has incredibly accurate tracking capabilities that you usually only find in a more expensive gimbal. So, if I simply give it the okay sign, the gimbal will lock onto me and track me wherever I go. This is perfect if you need to capture a shot of yourself walking through your location when you don't have anyone to help. Also, you don't need a specific app to activate the tracking like what you do with other gimbals. This will work with your phone's built-in camera app or a third-party app like the Blackmagic app where you can manually dial in all of your camera settings for a much more professional look. The V3 Ultra also has an LCD monitor and detachable remote. Very unique. Again, not something that you typically get with a gimbal of this size, making it incredibly useful for solo shooting because you can now control the gimbal from further away as well as check your framing and composition.

But how else can we use a gimbal to help make our videos stand out? Well, let's talk about shooting in slow motion. Now, one way you can make your shots look much more interesting is to shoot in slow motion. Slowing your footage down allows your audience to see the world in a way it isn't usually seen. For the best results, look for fast-moving objects like these pigeons, for example. Also, let's start combining techniques. Let's not only shoot in slow motion, but let's add cinematic variation just like what we talked about. I'm going to use the built-in extension pole to help get shots lower to the ground. This will give our footage a whole new perspective. As well as this, I'm also going to capture wide shots pushing forward orbit shots to make the background spin. And how about some long shots that I can add a speed ramp to in the edit to really help grab people's attention. So slow motion on its own already makes your footage look cooler, but when you start stacking these techniques together, like combining it with low angles, wide push forwards, or orbit shots, that's when your shots really stand out. And don't forget, speed ramping in the edit is the cherry on top. It keeps your audience hooked and makes even simple moments look cinematic.

Shoot with intent. Now, instead of just randomly filming everything you see, think about what you're going to do with these shots in the edit. For example, let's capture some shots where something passes through the frame. Why? Because we can use these as wipe transitions in the edit. We're pre-planning the edit here. We're shooting with intent. As a standalone clip, it's not great. But when we creatively use it as a wipe transition, we get much better results. Think outside the box when it comes to capturing your footage. This gimbal, for example, has a panning time-lapse feature. So, if I perch it somewhere busy, set it to pan from left to right slowly over the course of 2 minutes, we get a panning time-lapse of our location, that really helps add more variety and interest to our final sequence. Or how about these shots of passing trams? As a standalone clip, these really aren't very good. A throwaway shot at best. But if we use these as transitions to take us from one shot to another, all of a sudden we have a custom transition helping our edits feel exciting and unique. Also, if you're into smartphone filmmaking and you want to fast-track your results, then be sure to check out my 2-hour mini master class where I walk you through everything really simple step by step. I show you not only how to shoot your footage, but then also how to edit all of those shots into a cinematic sequence using music, color grading, and sound effects. I will link that below.

Focal lengths. Okay, another great way to get variety with our smartphone gimbal is by switching up our focal lengths. Now, most modern smartphones give you three main options. Ultra wide, standard, and telephoto. Let's use a simple push forward, for example. Here is an ultra wide shot pushing forward down this street. Now, notice the motion feels amplified. The walls and pavement are stretched. This is perfect when you want to add a bit more energy and movement to your shots. Now, here is that same push forward, but now using the standard lens. It feels more natural, like how our eyes would ordinarily see it. The movement is still smooth, but the world isn't quite as exaggerated. And finally, the telephoto lens. Same move again, but look how the background compresses. The buildings look closer together, and the camera movement feels more subtle. So, same move, same gimbal, but the lens you pick totally changes how the scene feels.

So, that is how you capture your shots. But what would all these shots look like edited into a sequence with music, color grading, and sound effects? Let's take a look. Now, a quick tip here for making shots look more dramatic is to use a wide-angle lens and tilt the camera up. You'll see this technique being used in a lot of feature films. Wide-angle lenses capture a broader field of view, and tilting upwards exaggerates perspectives and vertical lines, making structures appear taller and more imposing. You could go really extreme and point your camera directly up. Like to push forward with these shots, keep your movement smooth and consistent. You could get a bit more creative. Start with a slight tilt up and then tilt down to reveal your location. All of these adjustments in how you shoot will contribute to the final look and feel of your edit. Now, as well as capturing nice wide shots of all this incredible architecture, it's also really important to capture close-up detailed shots like these statues. I'm going to start close up and gradually pull back. All the inscriptions carved into this red granite. All of these shots are going to help tell a better story.

Now, music is going to be so important with this edit. For example, let's take a look at this footage with some happy, quirky music. Yeah, it doesn't seem quite right, does it? But now, let's try and find something a little bit more cinematic. Maybe something orchestral. And as you can see, by simply changing the music, we completely transform the look, feel, and mood of this footage. Okay, so what else can we do to this footage to help stylize it some more? Well, we could add a color grade. Color grading this footage will help give it a much more unique look, instantly separating it from all the other smartphone videos. I'm going to use my orange and teal LUT from my smartphone LUT pack volume 2 for this because this preset is specifically designed for smartphone videos. And using this intensity slider, I can adjust the strength of this color grade to my taste. I find less is more when it comes to color grading. So, let's go about here. Adding black bars will also enhance the cinematic look of this footage, helping replicate aspect ratios used in many Hollywood films. I will leave a free download to some black bars below.

Now, another way you can get a more cinematic look is to shoot in slow motion. I'm shooting most shots today at 4K 60 frames per second so that I can slow my footage down by 50% in the edit if needed. I'm also going to capture some shots at 120 frames per second for super slow motion. You'll lose a bit of image quality doing this, so just weigh up if you feel it's worth it for the shot. Some shots just look better in slow motion, like this seagull flying past the pillars or the water falling from this fountain. Now, I really want to give this footage a blockbuster Hollywood feel. Ideally, I'd send a drone up in the sky and get some aerial shots, but drones are strictly prohibited here at the Vatican. But I do have an alternative. Yes, you've guessed it, a 3-meter long extension pole. It makes a regular appearance on this channel because it allows you to get your camera to an elevated position without having to worry about drone laws. Yes, you're not going to get as high as a drone, but it will definitely help make your footage stand out and add a lot more production value, which is exactly what we need for the cinematic look. This setup also doubles as a crane or jib. We can now start with our camera low to the ground and lift up, replicating crane movements. And we've now taken what would be your everyday normal smartphone footage and turned it into something that looks much more professional. So, we've shot using a gimbal. We've used a wide-angle lens to add more drama to these shots. We've added cinematic music. We faked drone shots, crane shots, shot in slow motion, added black bars, and color graded. So, let's see what doing all of this has done to the look, feel, and mood of this footage.

Okay, so you now have a really good understanding of how to use your gimbal to capture cinematic shots. But what happens if you want those cinematic shots to be of yourself and you don't have anyone to help? Well, knowing how to get the most out of your gimbal when it comes to shooting solo is another hugely valuable skill. So, let me show you exactly how to capture cinematic shots of yourself using nothing but your smartphone and gimbal. Starting with the establishing shot. Okay, let's set the scene and introduce our location. We're going to keep things nice and simple for this shot. I'm just going to place my gimbal on the top of this rock. I'm going to shoot using my wide angle lens so that I can see as much of this location as possible. I'm going to hit record, walk past the camera, and off into the distance. We're not moving the camera with this first shot. We're going to build to adding camera movement. For now, let's just let the audience appreciate this location. This is what the shot looks like straight out of camera. And here's what it looks like with some music, color grading, and sound effects. Now, I got lucky out here. I managed to find this rock so I could get my phone to a slightly elevated position. But if this rock wasn't here, check this out. Look, this gimbal has a built-in extension pole. So, I can use this as not only a gimbal, but also a tripod. Now, since this gimbal has a built-in extension pole, let's make the most of it and start adding some camera movement to these shots. I'm going to start by capturing some shots of my feet as I walk through this grass. Camera nice and low to the ground. Remember, the idea with these shots is that they look like they've been shot by someone else. Think about how you would film someone walking through this environment and then apply those exact same shots to yourself. For example, I would not only capture shots of someone from the front, but also from the side. Maybe a shot tracking their feet from behind. If we can replicate this, this will really help sell the idea that we've got someone helping with these shots. We can even get a bit more advanced with these shots and orbit the camera around our feet, starting at the back and ending at the front. Also, once you've set the scene, added some camera movement, and created a bit of intrigue by capturing shots low to the ground, don't forget to introduce yourself to these shots. Hold the camera out in front of you and to the side so that you have a good mix of shots.

Now, there are some standout features with this gimbal that make capturing solo B-roll much easier that I'm going to take advantage of. And the first is this magnetic AI tracker that attaches to the top of the gimbal like this. Now, with this tracker on top of the gimbal, I can now use gestures to help capture much more professional looking shots. For example, if I give it the okay sign like this, the gimbal will now start to track and follow me wherever I go. And if I give it a couple of shakers like this, the gimbal will start recording. So, not only pretty radical, but also a huge time saver and an incredibly useful feature when shooting solo. Okay, so behind me here, I've got some Dartmoor ponies. I've set up the gimbal and I'm hoping to capture a shot which pans with me as I walk past them. Let's give it a go. Yeah, this shot didn't quite go to plan. I had this inquisitive pony come over and take a closer look at my gimbal to find out what was going on. What do they say? Never work with children or animals. I was oblivious at this stage, as you can see, focused purely on capturing some solo B-roll. Hey, get away from the pony is trying to eat my phone. Have you slobbered on the lens? Well, now you've messed up the shot. Ah, don't worry about it. You live here, I don't. Okay, let's try that again, shall we? I'm going to set up the gimbal, enable the tracking, and capture a shot panning as I walk through these ponies. Also, I'm not sure how much more wildlife I'm going to see on today's shoot. So, I want to make the most of it by capturing a good mix of shots. So, look, we got a shot facing that way. Now, let's move the camera around to the right and capture a shot from the other direction. Always be thinking about how you can cut one shot to the next.

Okay, so we've captured some static shots to establish our location. We've held the gimbal to capture moving shots whilst we walk. We've used the AI tracker to capture shots walking through the wildlife. What else can we do to increase the production value of these shots and really make it feel like we've got someone here helping us on this shoot? Well, this gimbal comes with a detachable touchscreen remote, which I haven't seen in any other gimbal, by the way. Now, this remote will not only give you a real-time preview, so you can check your framing from a distance, but you can also adjust the tilt and the pan to really fine-tune your composition before hitting record. This is a complete game changer when shooting solo. You can also change all of the settings, your gimbal mode, joystick speed. So, let's set up the gimbal and make the most of this feature. For this first shot, I'm going to start with the camera pointing down towards the ground. Then, using the remote, I'm going to slowly tilt up as I walk towards the camera. Let's take a look. Okay, these shots look great. Let's capture another one, only this time with the camera pointing up and then tilt down as I walk up these rocks. What's great about these shots is that the gimbal isn't using AI tracking. AI tracking is pretty common these days, so any experienced filmmaker could probably spot when it's being used. However, because these shots start with you out of frame and then reveal you, they really help create the illusion that you have a camera operator helping you with these shots, making them look much more professional.

Now, how can we level up these shots even further? Well, let's try a creative transition using this tree. I'm going to extend the extension pole and place the gimbal on the ground, and I'm then going to lock my focus and exposure over in the distance. I'm then going to position my phone so that when it pans, this tree fills the entire frame like this. You'll see why in a minute. I'm now going to position myself over here in the distance, line myself up using the remote and preview screen. I'm going to hit record and then walk from left to right through the frame, panning the gimbal as I go. And I'm going to keep walking and panning until this tree fills the frame. Now, stay with me here because we're going to need two shots to pull off this transition. For the second shot, I'm going to change locations. Place the gimbal on the ground, frame my shot, hit record using the remote, and then this time walk towards the camera as the gimbal tracks me as I walk past. Then in the edit, I'm going to use the tree to transition from one shot to the next. Let's take a look.

Okay, now another quick tip here is to use elements within your environment to hold your gimbal. A classic beginner mistake is to capture every shot with the gimbal on the ground. And this angle and perspective is going to get very boring very quickly. The key to any great sequence is a good mix of shots. This is how you're going to keep your audience engaged. For example, I'm going to use this tree to hold the gimbal for a much more elevated perspective. Now, at the moment, the camera is pointing down, but remember, we've got AI tracking. So, all I've got to do is give it the okay sign. And now the gimbal is tracking me. So, I'm going to start behind this grass bank, walk towards the camera, and then turn to my left as the gimbal tracks me as I go. Also, I forgot to mention this earlier. Because this tracker is built into the gimbal, it doesn't require an app to work. With other gimbals, you quite often have to use a specific app to enable the tracker, and those apps are only available for certain phones, like iPhone for example. But because this tracker is built into the gimbal, it will work with any phone using any camera app. Again, let's remember to keep a good variety of shots. Let's grab some shots of feet walking through this environment. Some shots of yourself. All of this is going to come in incredibly useful when it comes to editing the final sequence. Also, look for ways that you can use elements within your environment to add more interest to your sequence. For example, let's capture a shot panning to the right as I walk towards and climb over this fence. Not all of these shots need camera movement. Remember, you could just place your gimbal on a wall and capture a static shot as you walk off into the distance, for example. To contrast this, you could then enable the AI tracker and capture shots panning and tilting. I'm going to climb to the top of these rocks whilst the gimbal tracks me as I go. Although, there is a storm on the way and it has arrived a little sooner than what I was hoping. Okay, it's definitely a little bit windier up here than what I was expecting, but I think we can pull it off. Okay, here we go. Okay, so the camera is shaking like a maniac, but luckily when we combine the gimbal stabilization with the camera stabilization, we get a nice steady shot. So, I'm just going to climb these rocks and have the gimbal track me as I go. This shoot, however, is starting to take a turn for the worse with this unexpected weather. My hat's blowing off, the gimbal's being blown over. So, let's get to the top of these rocks and grab the last couple of shots as quickly as we can. For this next shot, I'm going to place the gimbal on these rocks, looking out at this incredible view. Then, using the remote, I'm going to point the camera down and then walk into shot whilst the camera pans up and I stand on the edge of these rocks. Although, this wind is making capturing these shots incredibly difficult. Now, it took three attempts to get this shot without something not going wrong. And I really need to get out of here fast. >> Okay, I just need one more shot before I'm blown away. For this, I wanted to capture an orbit shot as I looked out at this incredible view. I captured one wide shot and then another using cinematic mode for a much more blurry background look. But this is where the shoot went devastatingly wrong. Yep, that is the sound of my $1200 lens being blown over and smashing into the rocks. Plus, the sound of me saying some words that aren't really suitable without bleeping. Now, those of you that follow me on Instagram would have seen all of the behind the scenes to this. The sound of breaking glass, by the way, will haunt me forever. But let's not dwell on that now because I want to see what all of these shots look like edited into a short cinematic sequence with music, color grading, and sound effects. Let's take a look. Heat. Heat.

Okay, so as you can see, as soon as we start combining all of these tips and techniques, we start getting really cinematic and professional looking results. But up until now, we've been keeping things relatively straightforward and simple by using the phone's built-in camera app. But what happens if we want to level things up even further when it comes to getting cinematic results? Well, that is where we start using a professional camera app along with accessories like additional lenses. So, let me show you how to get the best results starting with step number one. Now, before we can even talk about camera movement, we need to make sure that our iPhone is set up correctly. Doesn't matter how good your gimbal shots are. If your camera settings are wrong, your footage just won't look cinematic. Now, the problem that we have is that the default iPhone camera app doesn't give you full manual control. You don't have control over shutter speed, frame rate, or color settings. So, instead of using the default camera app, I'm going to be using the Blackmagic app. It's free and gives you full manual control over your camera settings. Basically turning your iPhone into a professional filmmaking camera. These are the settings to choose in the Blackmagic app. Resolution set to 4K for the best image quality. Format HEVC. These are much smaller file sizes compared to ProRes, but still give you high quality footage. Color profile, we're going to go with Apple log. This is going to give us a flatter, more washed out image, which we will be color grading later. Don't worry, I'll show you exactly how. Frame rate 24 frames per second, standard for cinematic films. And shutter speed 1 over 48, which is double our frame rate, following the 180° rule for natural looking motion blur. Now, with these camera settings, your footage might look too bright, especially in daylight. That's where an ND filter comes in. It's like sunglasses for your camera, helping you keep that professional cinematic look without having to crank your shutter speed.

Okay, step number two is to shoot in a cinematic aspect ratio. One big difference between video and Hollywood films is aspect ratio. Your iPhone shoots in a standard 16:9 ratio, but feature films are much wider, like 2.35:1 or 2.40:1. This makes your shots feel much more cinematic. Now, option one is to fake this aspect ratio using black bars. You can simply add cinematic bars to the top and the bottom of your footage in the edit like this. Don't worry, I will leave a link to where you can download some free cinematic bars in the description below. And option number two is to use an anamorphic lens. If you want to take this even further, you can use an anamorphic lens. I'm using this one here by Freewell. This physically squeezes the image, giving you a wider, more cinematic look. And the great thing about the Blackmagic app is that it has a built-in de-squeeze option so that your footage looks perfect straight out of camera.

Okay, step number three, master cinematic gimbal moves. Okay, so now that we have our camera set up properly, let's move on to what truly makes our shots feel cinematic and Hollywood, and that is camera movement. Now, the beauty of using a gimbal like the DJI RS3 Pro is that not only does it help eliminate shake and create smooth, professional camera moves, but it can also carry the heavier payload of this setup with ease. With smaller, more compact gimbals, as soon as you start to add lenses, microphones, or any other accessories, this can put huge strain on the motors, ultimately affecting the smoothness of your shots. The RS3 Pro, however, can easily take this payload. A real workhorse, this one, perfect for more professional shoots. Now, here are some must-know gimbal techniques that will instantly make your shots look much more cinematic.

Okay, number one is mastering the basics. Now, if you're new to gimbal movements, then the best place to start is with the fundamentals. You don't need fancy complex shots to create something cinematic. Often, the simplest moves are the most effective. And one of the best beginner-friendly techniques is the push forward, where you slowly move the camera towards your subject or focal point. This creates a natural sense of depth, draws the viewer into the scene, and adds a professional polish to your shots. The key to nailing a basic gimbal movement comes down to three main factors. The first is composition. Composition is everything. So before you start moving, take a moment to frame your shot properly. Consider the rule of thirds, leading lines, and the overall balance of elements in your scene. A defined focal point. Your audience needs something to focus on, whether it's a person, an object, or a point of interest in the environment. Having a clear subject ensures the shot feels intentional and engaging. Smooth, controlled movement. Now, this is where a lot of beginners get it wrong. Avoid rushing your movements or making sudden changes in speed or direction. Instead, move at a steady, deliberate pace. Keep your arms relaxed and use slow, fluid movements to maintain stability. When starting out, resist the urge to overcomplicate your shots. Many people think that cinematic footage requires elaborate camera movements, but the reality is less is more. A well-executed, simple move can be far more impactful than a shaky, overcomplicated one.

Okay, number two, slow, smooth movements. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is moving too fast. Cinematic shots are controlled, steady, and slow. There's absolutely a time and a place for shots pushing forward where you're walking. But equally, don't forget to capture slower, more subtle movements. Take this shot of the phone box and church, for example. The gimbal and camera movement is very slow, allowing the audience to take in this location without it feeling rushed and chaotic. No need to move your feet with these shots. All the movement is coming from the arms and upper body. These shots work great for detailed shots where you want the audience to focus on one thing. Maybe some writing to reveal your location or a sign giving information and helping tell a story. A parallax movement works best for this. Place your focal point in the center of frame and slowly start to orbit around it for a subtle but cinematic shot. Also, notice the way that I'm holding the gimbal. I'm not clinging onto it like my life depends on it. Just a gentle grip with room to let the gimbal move for smoother movements.

Okay, number three. Change height levels. Instead of keeping your camera at eye level the whole time, start low and rise up. This is a shot used in many Hollywood films, so will add some serious production value to your videos. Be sure to use depth and foreground with these shots. Start low with something in the foreground and then slowly rise up to reveal your background or focal point. Keep your movement smooth and consistent. Pro tip here, before hitting record, set your focus, exposure, and framing for the end of your shot. Then start low and slowly lift the gimbal to avoid any unwanted changes in focus or exposure while maintaining a smooth and well-composed shot.

Okay. Number four, storytelling. Always think about storytelling when it comes to camera movement. So rather than just cutting to things and leaving no intrigue, try slowly revealing them to your audience. Take this shot here for example. It starts pointing down towards the ground. We get a nice sense of movement as the camera pushes forward and we then tilt up to reveal our location. This is a great way to set the scene. But don't just do this for the sake of it. For example, this shot here starts pointing down but looks really ugly. We've got road markings, a giant spillage, and horse manure. Nice. We then tilt up to reveal the phone box and church. So when doing camera movements like this, ensure that the shot looks good from start to finish and not just at the end. You can also try the opposite approach. Start with the camera facing up and tilting down whilst pushing forward. This creates a similar effect but with a different perspective. Also focus on what's not in the shot as well as what is in the shot. For example, these road markings are a little distracting for such an historic location. So, if I just push forward a little more to remove them from the shot, we now have a cleaner, less distracting composition, or this shot here low to the ground pushing forward over these leaves. This shot has a white car to the left of frame, which is distracting and again kills the historic vibe of this shot. So, I'm simply going to reframe this shot and push forward a little more so that the car is no longer in frame. Much better.

Okay, step number four. Let's color grade for a cinematic look. Okay, so now let's take all of this footage which looks flat and washed out and turn it into something that looks much more professional and cinematic using color grading. Okay, step one, convert Apple log to Rec 2020. Apple log footage looks super flat straight out of the camera. So before we start grading, we need to bring it back to a more natural look. So since I shot this in 4K HDR, I'm using a Rec 2020 conversion LUT. This will bring the footage back to a more normal looking color space whilst preserving details in the highlights and shadows. Step two, apply a cinematic look or a LUT. So now that we have the footage in the right color space, we can add a cinematic grade. I'll be using one of my custom LUTs from my cinematic LUT pack for this. Nothing too heavy. Less is more. Just want to subtly enhance the look. About there. If you'd like to try out any of my color grading presets, I will leave a link in the description below.

Okay, so now that we've mastered capturing cinematic shots using our gimbal, how else can we get truly Hollywood style footage? Well, one of my favorite ways is to use either an extension pole or a light stand like this one here. Because this will enable us to get our phone and gimbal to an elevated position. And this is where we can start faking drone shots and crane shots, which will massively up the production value of our videos. So, here are 10 epic shots that you can capture using an extension pole. Starting with the easiest one of them all, the fake drone shot. For this, I'm going to cue my subject to start walking forwards. Then, with my light stand fully extended and my camera at an elevated position, I'm going to follow. I'm going to keep about 10 steps behind my subject, trying to keep them in the center of frame with my movement smooth and consistent. Now, with the camera moving smoothly at an elevated position like this, we get what looks like a drone shot. This is a great easy way to replicate drone-like footage, particularly for those of you that can't or don't know how to fly a drone.

Okay, shot number two, the mega jib. Again, nice and easy this one. We're going to start with our camera low to the ground, light stand fully extended. Cue our subject to walk forwards and lift. We're going to keep lifting our camera as high as it will go as our subject walks off into the distance. This movement replicates a drone taking off or a mega jib crane style movement. A very cinematic shot. This one often used in big Hollywood feature films as the end shot. The reverse of this would be the jib down. This time I'm going to start with my camera high up in these branches and bring my camera down as my subject walks towards me. This shot works well as an establisher because it reveals both character and location. This movement and framing also help give your footage depth and pace.

Okay, number three, the flyby. We're going to start with our camera nice and low to the ground for this one. Push forward whilst our subject walks towards us. I'm going to keep my camera nice and low, push through this grass, and then lift up and fly by my subject as I pass. I'm going to keep lifting as high as my camera will go. This is a great shot to add more pace to your footage. The camera being this low to the ground helps emphasize the movement. This shot is not only great for establishing a character, but also reveals and shows off the location.

So, those were just a few basic shots, but now let's step things up and get a little bit more creative. Number four, the through the legs. For this, I'm going to start with my camera extended as high as it will go and push forward. I'm then going to slowly bring my camera down whilst my subject walks from left to right. I'm going to keep moving forward and push my camera straight through my subject's legs. Skill, timing, and a bit of luck required for this shot. We got it on our third attempt with the first two shots hitting the ground and feet. Let's take a look. Camera starts high up at an elevated position pushing forward. Camera starts to come down and through the legs. We then keep pushing forward and lift.

Shot five, the follow jib reveal. With your camera nice and low to the ground, push forward and follow your subject from behind. Walk a good 10 steps, then cue your subject to stop. Keep pushing forward whilst you lift your camera up and over their head to reveal the location. Let's take a look. Camera pushing forward. We're following our subject. Again, the movement is emphasized being this low to the ground. We lift up and reveal the location. Here's another example. Camera pushing forward, low to the ground. Subject stops. Camera keeps pushing forward up and over. Such a great shot this one. It really does tick a lot of boxes. Great way of establishing a character. We've got cinematic movement. We lift up and reveal this location. An absolute must for your filmmaking arsenal.

Shot number six, the hero reveal. With my subject high up on these rocks, I'm going to start with my camera low and then lift up to reveal him from the feet up. A great way of introducing a character this shot. It creates intrigue. We've got cinematic movement and with a bit of timing and direction, it can really help tell a story. With all of these shots, be sure to experiment with focal lengths and lenses. I usually use the wide-angle lens for these shots, but here's the same shot, only this time using the standard lens. I actually prefer this one as we're a little closer to our subject for the reveal.

Shot seven, the top down. For this, you'll need to get your camera high up above your subject's head looking down. I'm going to use this giant wall. Be careful with this one. Only attempt it if you are confident it is safe to do so. I'm now going to follow my subject, camera pointing down, and try to replicate a drone flying above his head, whilst also trying to keep him in frame the best I can. I'm going to keep following all the way until he reaches the top. A classic top-down drone-like shot, this one, great to sprinkle into a sequence and adds a really nice and unusual perspective to your films and videos.

Number eight, the tracking drone. For this, we're going to track our subject from the side, starting with our camera nice and low to the ground. We're then going to lift our camera up as they climb to a more elevated position, keeping them in frame and tracking them as they go. Very hard to pull this shot off without a crane on tracks or a drone. This is another great shot to reveal both character and location. Camera tracks alongside our subject and then lifts up as they climb to a more elevated position.

Shot number nine, the fly through. For this, I want to replicate a drone flying through a tight gap. I'm going to start with my camera pushed through this window high up and then pulled down and back as my subject climbs through the window. The shot starts by showing off the location, then pulls down and back through the window. Subject climbs through and we continue pulling back. A nice surprise element to this shot to help keep your audience engaged.

Shot number 10, the transition. One of my absolute favorites this one, but we're going to need two shots to pull it off. Shot one. The idea with this is to start on a completely black frame. I'm going to get my camera nice and close to the front of Chris's lens to achieve this. I'm now going to pull back and lift up to reveal this location. I'm going to pull back and lift my camera as high as it will go. The shot should look something like this. We start on a black frame. Camera pulls back and lifts up to reveal this location. Okay, shot number two. We're going to do exactly the same, only this time at a completely different location. Camera starts nice and close to Chris and his camera pulls back and lifts up. We now have two very similar clips, but at two very different locations. This is everything we need to create this transition. Now, with a little bit of editing, we can reverse shot number one, add a speed ramp, and cut to shot number two at a completely different location. A great creative transition to add much more interest to your footage. So, now let's edit all of this footage together and see the results. Heat up here. Heat up here.

Okay, so if you have made it this far into the video, well, first of all, congratulations because you now have all of the knowledge that you need to start shooting professional-looking gimbal shots. Be sure to check out my 2-hour smartphone filmmaking course. I will link that below. Thanks for watching. I appreciate you as always and I'll see you in the next one. Heat. Heat.