deconstructing the story // a monopod tutorial on Vimeo

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169. shedd aquarium reel

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168. behind the scenes with the RED EPIC

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167. a RED EPIC wedding // janet + josh in the south of France

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166. LPTG // visual trailer

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165. tara + lee's sde // when the music kicks up

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164. the sm color tutorial // part one color in camera

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163. tara + lee's portrait film // a mixed pickle

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162. sm color test // what do you see?

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160. our first shoot with the red EPIC | BTS trailer

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159. jellies | RED EPIC style

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158. the SM focus tutorial // deconstructing the story

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157. deconstructing the story // a lens & composition tutorial

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156. deconstructing the story // a monopod tutorial

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7 months ago

155. the callaway lifestyle film

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153. phil mickelson // the callaway series

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148. kid icarus // the screen printing duo

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147. miffy + mr bee // i think i'm running out

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146. ernie els // the callaway series

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145. will + chelsea // the fish & the shadowbox for the win

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144. annika sörenstam // the callaway series

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143. trevor immelman // the callaway series

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we have five brand new tutorials coming your way in the next month, all brought to you by canon digital learning center. check out more great tutorials by us and others here:

usa.canon.com/dlc

upcoming tutorials include;
EOS lens choice in a commercial film
how to achieve and hold focus
fast turnaround philosophy (SDE) and work flow
color (in camera and post)

the soundtrack is ascetic junkies // kansas city roadtrip instrumental. licensed through withetiquette.com

Credits

1,247 Likes

Christian Packbier
1 day ago
Andres Gordillo
1 day ago
Paweł Osieczko
1 day ago
Dirk Dallas
1 day ago
NANO Media Factory
2 days ago
Sure Thing Studios
2 days ago
Estudio Melkun
3 days ago
Claire MICHEL
3 days ago
ratandeep
3 days ago
long xin
4 days ago

Tags

jake olaso 7 months ago

wow looking forward to those other tuts! thanks stillmotion team!
Missing Piece Films 7 months ago

Thanks Stillmotion this is great!!!
Media Ball 7 months ago

Hey guys!

I found that after sometime using the my BHDV 561 the ball between the 3 feet and the monopod gets sticky resulting in quite a bit of noise when moving the monopod (and the sound is amplified on our Rode mics making for tough editing in post) We've refrained from using lubricants and opted to losen the 3 screws holding the ball in place. Which has worked.. but now our monopods "standing point" is way too delicate. Any advice?

Again thanks for sharing!
stillmotion 7 months ago

we use wd-40 to keep the, fluid and keep that balancing point. we tried loosening the screws but that center point is tough to loose. diwnside of wd-40 is it needs to be reapplied bi-monthly

P.
Media Ball 7 months ago

I'll try that.. thanks!
Cuong Dinh Video 6 months ago

I have exactly the same problem like "Media Ball". I will try that too. :)

Thanks for your tip P.
Everafter Productions 6 months ago

WD-40 is definitely the way to go...just put a can in your kit bag & you're all set :)
Chris Weatherly 7 months ago

Looking forward to more tutorials. Thanks for sharing guys.
Benoit Cattiaux 7 months ago

Well done again! I really like these short tutorials.
Marcelino 7 months ago

cool stuff. I'll be using those tricks on my next shoot.
stillmotion 7 months ago

awesom. hope it helps

P.
Missing Piece Films 7 months ago

Hi Patrick, Thanks again for the fab tutorial. Is that the Canon 50mm F1.2 you have on there during the tutorial?
Regards
David
stillmotion 7 months ago

yeppers. that is it

P.
Aaron Morrell 7 months ago

Thanks guys, been loving my monopods for quite a while. Nice review of working points.
68Stones 7 months ago

You guys rock!
stillmotion 7 months ago

thanks :)

P.
Jan Keck | Red Gecko Productions 7 months ago

Love this monopod! You get get very creative with moves, stable when you need to be stable and flexible and fast to move around. Great tutorial!
Illuxa Studio 7 months ago

What kind of zfinder is that? He just stuck it on...I've never actually used a zfinder but could really use one. I use a 7D with a battery grip.
stillmotion 7 months ago

it is a standard z-finder but they also offer a 3M sticky bracket vs their gorilla plate. i prefer it much more than the plate

P.
Amy Staub 6 months ago

My sticky bracket loses it's stick very quickly-like within a day (maybe it's the heat & humidity?). Any advice there?
I don't like the gorilla plate either.
Thanks!
Marcus X 7 months ago

Thanks for sharing! Can't wait to see the other tuts soon.
Rafael Pires Films 7 months ago

what lens were you using on this video? Can you share the camera settings? Thx
stillmotion 7 months ago

shot mostly with a 24 f1.4 (the wide) and a 50 f1.2 or 85 f1.2 for the medium and tights

P.
Rafael Pires Films 6 months ago

Thanks P. What about in camera settings? Did you shot on 30 frames? What Picture Stile? any artificial light on the scene? Thanks.
James Breen 7 months ago

Great techniques! This monopod is my go-to tool as well; it's a very underrated camera support.
stillmotion 7 months ago

definitely. perhaps the most underrated.

P.
Jan Keck | Red Gecko Productions 7 months ago

Hey Patrick, do you think it is worth getting the Manfrotto 501HDV fluid head and put it on the Manfrotto 562B monopod? I have the 501 already for my tripod and wondered if I could save that money and just get the 562 instead the 561. Have you or anybody else tried that?
clickryan 6 months ago

Jan, when we meetup, I can bring my 561 and you can play around with it!

I highly recommend it! A+
Jan Keck | Red Gecko Productions 6 months ago

Hey Ryan, I've tried the 561 several times. I just wondered if anybody used a 501 or other fluid head with it.
Josh Gooden 7 months ago

Great techniques! Nothing is like seeing the ninja at work though. ;] Before EVO I used the tripod quite a bit, but afterwards I rarely pull it out besides for the ceremony. The monopod is definitely a tool you can use for almost everything and like you said, there are certain shots you just cannot get with a tripod (+ its so slow because you have to level it always).
stillmotion 6 months ago

ninjas could use a hand from time to time too. it was good hanging out with ya and thanks for your help in ny :)

lil'j
Everything Studios 7 months ago

I bought this monopod because of the tutorials you guys did a while back. I use it constantly. Thanks so much Patrick and team for taking the time to do this. I love your Callaway series as well. You guys are my Video Production Idols!
Nick Pimlott 7 months ago

Great intel! + Kelly's a babe
Ethan Knight 7 months ago

Hi, thanks for the video...

Can Kelly get a bigger role next time..? :-)
QBeta 7 months ago

Tutorials are just better when Kelly's in it. How do you keep it from shaking when your using it on that golf cart? I would have to be propped at the karts floor right?
TTPhotoVideo 7 months ago

I'm not sure how Stillmotion works that shot. When I shoot inside a moving vehicle though, I use a series of clamps and ball bearings from novoflex to help keep the movement (shacking+jittering) 1 to 1 with the camera.

This really helps simulate stability inside moving vehicles.

I hope this helps!
TTPhotoVideo 7 months ago

Oh, to sum that whole concept up.
Think Gopro products :)
Chad Brownstein 7 months ago

Thanks for a great tutorial guys. I have this monopod and it works fine, except when I try to do a moving shot in which the whole monopod moves except for the base. It kind of shimmy's around and the mic picks up the vibrations. I saw your response to Media Ball and I think I have the same issue. Do you spray the WD-40 right into the base where the ball is? Thanks!
Imagine Photo Cinema 6 months ago

Chad;
Yep. And it works well. Don't spray too much or it will be draining for a while in places you won't want it to. Patrick's right though...it becomes a monthly process.
Jon Bryant 6 months ago

Have it, use it, but you guys get the most from it. Thanks for sharing.
Lars Peter Lueg 6 months ago

Thanks for the great tutorial. :-)
Ante Gugic 6 months ago

Here is practical use of my brand new 561Bhdv vimeo.com/26879548

Great tool and best investment i ever had...
Luke McFadden 6 months ago

Very interested in this. I'm using a GH2 w/ Canon FD glass, so I won't have nearly as much weight on top, how much will this effect it's smoothness?
clickryan 6 months ago

I bought this monopod based on Stillmotions recommendation. It was back-ordered 3 months, but worth the wait and every penny.

Be careful: Don't put your weight on one of the 3 outrigger legs, I did and it snapped off a supporting piece which cost $90 at Vistek to be fixed.

Glad to see you guys are starting to use Sex to sell your tutorials ((4:32) next time though get Justin to show more of his legs throughout the tutorial & not just at the end #justPlayin ;)
Jan Keck | Red Gecko Productions 6 months ago

Yes, don't put the weight on one of the little legs! I've rented one of the few monopods they have at vistek and all 3 of them were already bent!
clickryan 6 months ago

Quick thought! The Stillmotion vimeo viewer challenge! Get people who have any monopod to send in their own tutorial on the best 3 shots they create. Through the wisdom of crowds we can all learn a little ;)
clickryan 6 months ago

;( me again!
Could you gurus share with us how you shoot shots like these > stillmotionblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/IMG_9250.jpg

Specifically, how do you set the focus for when you hold out the monopod for said shots?

I was thinking of using a seamstress's fabric measuring tape to (1) measure the distance between lets say the golfers head & then hard stop the focus manually by mimicing the distance (if this makes sense says mcGuyber DSLR me ;)

thxs for sharing
stillmotion 6 months ago

hey shots like that were pre-focused before holding it out. i often estimate the distance to the subject, set focus, then climb up and check it with a monitor for composition and making sure it's tact sharp. not shooting it wide open helps with keeping everything in focus too.

the seamstress measuring tape would work, but i'm not sure i'd be comfortable using that in front of a callaway golfer ;)

lil'j
Tamarcus Brown 6 months ago

Hey,

Great shooting. I had one ? whats another less expensive model? or different type?
fred simons 6 months ago

Thanks for this explanation. I never got the idea to use a monopod.
great.....
La Cinema 6 months ago

thanks to Stillmotion tut, my tripod is now reserved for timelapse only. I'm a monopod convert.
electrorouge 6 months ago

Nice tips, thanks!
Mihael Tominšek 6 months ago

I can't hold myself back to ask: How many times the last shot was taken, where Blonde need to tell gear's model number :)

Othervise, monopod is great tool. Way more versatile than one would think.
Shane Delahunty 6 months ago

Well that's my Monopod choice decided! Thanks.

I struggle to get the super sharp image quality that you guys are able to achieve...even when using a 50mm 1.2. Can you shed some light on what picture style settings you use or will it be covered in an upcoming tutorial?
Axioo 6 months ago

It's so hard to find it in Indonesia... may be in Asia...
Jeremy Teo 6 months ago

You might be able to get one in Malaysia.
I'm from Malaysia and got mine here. Though it was one of the last few available units. This was in May, they might have restocked. Get in touch with the local supplier.
Jeremy Teo 6 months ago

Its a fantastic tool. Bought it after watching one of you previous videos.

Had problems with the ball at the bottom as well. Thanks for the WD-40 tip. Wasn't sure if it was gonna work or mess it up.

Great job guys.
Scrambled Egg Films 6 months ago

Awesome tutorial on a must have!
Man, that book was incredible! LOLOL
Loyd Calomay Films 6 months ago

Great tips & tricks video Patrick & team! Just wondering... are there a differences between the older & newer versions of the Manfrotto monopods (other than the red paint). :) Thanks!
Mohamed Haqqi 6 months ago

what is WD-40?
Krzysztof Konopski 6 months ago

kind of lubricant :)
Krzysztof Konopski 6 months ago

u sad that u use 24/f1.4, 50/f1.2 or 85 f1.2.
usually all lenses at "full hole"?
stillmotion 6 months ago

assuming full hole means wide open, then the answer in many cases is no. we often stop down just a tad and shoot in the 1.8 and 2.0 range, depending on the film and look we are going for of course

P.
retainer media 6 months ago

could you recommend a less expensive alternative to the manfrotto 561?
stillmotion 6 months ago

no, definitely can't. at $299 this tool gets more used than our $7k steadicam. it is incredibly powerful and has done so much for us. something cheaper means no legs and ball joint and that is where the magic happens

P.
Mariellen Romer 6 months ago

Ah! I've loosened that nut too far, I see. Great tutorial, thanks so much J & P for doing it. Gonna try that 'slider' move too. And had my arm in the wrong place. Ach! You guys are just gems. Thanks again.
Daydream 6 months ago

Very helpful tutorial. Thanks for sharing. We really love your work.
Steve MacDonald 6 months ago

I can see that it's HOT in Houston, my word!!
Titrox 6 months ago

Thank´s for the tips stillmotion... Just a question for you...Why did you eliminated the "Japan Trailer" ...in the information says "deleted at 5:51:24 Thu Jul 14, 2011."....upload to Vimeo Again Please.
stillmotion 6 months ago

many reason actually, but it requires a much more detailed answer. if you really want to know, submit a question on stillmotionedu.com, our education blog, and we'll be sure to answer it

P.
David Eastman 6 months ago

I'm a big fan of this monopod. Here's a tip:
I added a Manfrotto 361 "Shoulder Brace for Monopods" as an extra point of stability. Extremely helpful.
stillmotion 6 months ago

i like the brace in theory but it would definitely limit the moves you could do with the monopod. when you get comfy with this mono you def don't need any additional support, it just takes practice to get smooth moves

P.
David Eastman 6 months ago

The nice thing about this brace is that it is hinged at the monopod, so it doesn't always have to get in the way. I just wrap a riptie around it when I don't need it. Also, the arm rest end has a ball joint, so its quite versatile. I do agree, however, that it isn't needed most of the time.
Alejandro Mallea 6 months ago

What is the purpose of the girl? I couldn't pay attention to the actual contents of the video! :)
stillmotion 6 months ago

we wanted a model to shoot and this is who canon sent us. we had more elaborate ideas but the simple setup of reading was the most effective and allowed the techniques to come through more

P.
Alejandro Mallea 6 months ago

Well, I cannot complain. She's very pretty. Thanks for the tutorial, by the way. I own a Manfrotto 679B but I've never used it properly. I'm trying to practice a few techniques now. Looking forward for the tutorial on color!
MikeA 6 months ago

She was the content wasn't she ;-)

Great video and tips.
eagle in 6 months ago

Thx!~
slowmo.tv 6 months ago

Anyone who knows where to find one in NY? Going there for a few days, but it looks like its out of stock at B&H and Adorama - and I left my regular tripod at home :)
Ron Unasin 6 months ago

hi guys! does the 560b & 561b have the same legs?
Simone addis 6 months ago

would be great if your tutorials are accompanied by a text so that you can do a translation for those who do not speak English.
arvin lim 6 months ago

This is a very nice monopod I should get one! Do you think I can take a long exposure shot with this monopod since it can stand alone?
Peter Linov 6 months ago

I shoot on a monopod video for the second year. It's very comfortable!
But I use a monopod Manfrotto 685B!
vimeo.com/27941204
David Sands 6 months ago

Just got one of these pods and couldn't be happier. Does anyone know what the little round clip in the box is for? It attaches below the foam on the monopod.
stillmotion 5 months ago

it is for tightening the leg when they get loose. definitely keep that on hand!

P.
Brett McManus 6 months ago

hey had a question before I order this, well 2 really
1- you can take the head off right? to use on tripods etc

and

2- can you remove the feet? anybody know what the minimum heoght is with no feet?

thanks!
ADV.1 Wheels 6 months ago

I also was wondering if the head was the same as the 501HDV, or similar. I need to get a fluid head for my slider rig, but will just get this if I can use it for both.
Nathan Eaton 5 months ago

which z-finder are you using? Is that the 3x or the new 2.5x? Which do you prefer especially for the shots where you set for the end point and push in?
stillmotion 5 months ago

we all have different preferences. i personally use both but use the 2.5 most often

P.
Dave Dugdale 5 months ago

Thanks Stillmotion, I bought one and love it. If you want to see it in action watch my review of it:
vimeo.com/28423536
MjKim 5 months ago

nice!!!!!
Three Headed Monster 5 months ago

Thanks guys, I've been looking for this forever. Cannot wait to get it, and try it in our own films.

P.S. You guys have put together some really stellar stuff for DSLR users.
stillmotion 4 months ago

thanks for checking it out.

glad you enjoy

P.
Mishler Media 5 months ago

Great tool, Great tutorial
tvdc 4 months ago

Hi,

Has anyone tried this monopod with anything bigger like a Canon xf300 or 305?

I think this would be a useful tool for me but I'm worried it won't be strong enough.
stillmotion 4 months ago

it handles our RED epic on there as long as the legs are tight. feels a little heavy for super smooth pans and tilts but with practice i am getting some pretty good movement out of it still and the epic is fairly heavy with a PL lens and rails

P.
tvdc 4 months ago

I guess with the lens on it'd be about as heavy as an XF305. Thanks.
Any other reassurances gladly received.
Wesley Arnold (Off The Wall Pro) 3 months ago

Love this video, always spectacular.

What lens is on the actual camera on the monopod?

Also do you guys use any type of straps?
Eirik A. Skarstein 3 months ago

i want more of these videos!
guillermo castellanos 2 months ago

AMazing tutorial!!! thanks for the tips!!