Planning Tracking, Jib and Handheld Shots Before the Studio Day Starts

Before anyone talks about cranes or pedestals, write down what each camera has to do in the running order. A news bulletin might need a slow push towards the presenter, a wide establishing shot and a two-shot for the interview. A live entertainment format asks for different things: reveals, audience reactions, a moving shot that follows a host across the stage. I ask producers for the running order as early as possible and mark every moment that needs movement. Anything that does not need movement stays on a locked-off or lightly adjusted shot. This keeps the number of moving cameras honest, and it saves the crew from rigging something that only appears for four seconds in a ninety-minute show.

Once the moves are listed, give each one a plain name that everyone uses: the desk push, the host walk, the audience sweep. Shared names cut down talkback chatter when the gallery is busy. They also make rehearsal notes shorter, because a director can say 'desk push, a touch slower' and the operator knows precisely which move is meant, on which camera, at which cue.

• List every moving shot against the running order
• Name each move in words the whole crew will use
• Leave static shots static

A shot plan on paper means little until someone has walked the floor with a tape measure. Check how much room a tracking move really has between the set, the audience seating and the cable runs. Note where the floor is uneven, where a pedestal will catch on a join, and where a jib arm will swing close to a lighting stand. I mark the floor with tape in two colours: one for the camera path and one for the keep-clear zone around it. Operators then see their route without looking down, and floor staff learn quickly where not to stand with a coffee or a clipboard.

Check overhead clearance too, particularly on stages where lighting bars have been hung low for a particular look. A jib that reaches its high point and meets a fixture is a problem you want to find on a quiet afternoon, not during a rehearsal with a full crew waiting. Speak to the lighting designer early, because a small change to a bar height often costs nothing before the rig is up and a great deal after.

• Tape the camera path and the keep-clear zone differently
• Check overhead clearance for jib arms
• Note floor joins and cable runs along each route

Tracking moves fail most often at the beginning and the end. The middle of the move is usually fine; the jolt as the pedestal starts, or the wobble as it stops, is what reaches the viewer. Practise starting from a standstill with a slow count in the operator's head, and finish the move a beat before the cue needs it, so the picture settles on the subject rather than arriving late. Keep the focus puller in the conversation. A push-in on a presenter changes the focus distance continuously, and a focus marker on the floor gives both operators something to aim at. Where the move is long, agree a midpoint check so the team knows the shot is holding.

Think about what the move is for. A track that follows a presenter along a desk should travel at the speed they walk, not a speed that looks clever on a monitor. If the presenter varies their pace, shorten the move or give them a clear start cue. A tracking shot should feel like part of the programme, and the audience should never wonder who is pushing the camera.

• Rehearse the first and last second of every move
• Put focus marks on the floor along the track
• Match travel speed to the presenter's pace

A jib adds height and sweep, and both need room. Decide the start frame, the end frame and the arc between them, then check that the arc stays clear of the set, the lights and the audience. Counterweights need to be set for the camera and lens in use, and checked again if the camera is changed for another format. The jib operator and the camera operator are often two people, and the best results come when they have rehearsed together. One controls the arc and the other the framing and focus. Agree a calm vocabulary for the move, and agree what each person does if something goes wrong: a stop word, a hold position, and who calls it.

Keep the floor around the jib base clear and mark the swing radius. Audience members and floor staff forget how far an arm reaches once the show begins. A low-key barrier or a clearly taped zone is usually enough, along with a brief word at the start of the day so everyone knows the arm moves and where it goes.

• Fix start frame, end frame and arc before rigging
• Reset counterweights when camera or lens changes
• Agree a stop word between jib and camera operators

Handheld work brings energy and closeness, which suits live entertainment and some news situations. It also shows every unplanned movement. Decide in advance where handheld is wanted, and brief the operator on how much movement the director expects: a gentle drift, or a more urgent, reactive feel. Operators on handheld need a clear route and a safe place to retreat. Cables should be managed so they cannot snag a leg, and the operator should know in advance where the next position is. Give them a spotter if the floor is crowded or the route passes close to the audience.

Consider fatigue. A handheld camera held for an hour changes how a person moves, and shots drift lower or drop slightly off level without the operator noticing. Rotate operators where the schedule allows, or plan the handheld moments so that they come in short bursts with rest between. A director will often get a steadier result from two fresh operators than from one tired one.

• Brief the operator on the style of movement wanted
• Manage cables along every handheld route
• Rotate operators during long sessions

Run rehearsals in layers. First walk the moves without a picture, so operators learn the path. Then run them with the cameras live and the gallery watching. Finally run the sequence in order with the full running order and the cues the show will use. Each layer finds a different kind of problem, and skipping one usually costs time later. After each run, keep notes short and specific: which move, which camera, what changed. A page of notes that nobody reads is worse than five lines that everyone follows. Pass the notes to the crew before the next run, not after it.

Finish the day with a short debrief while the details are fresh. Ask what felt awkward, which move came closest to a problem, and what the team would change. Record those answers against the running order so they are ready for the next production. Over several shows the notes become a small, reliable reference for how your studio moves its cameras.

• Rehearse in three layers: path, picture, full sequence
• Keep rehearsal notes to a few specific lines
• Debrief briefly and file notes with the running order