To Stabilize or Not To Stabilize - This is a question [Feedback please]

[Raphael_Carpenter]

Hi RU fellows!
Recently shot a short film using Red Weapon 6K Dragon, almost all handheld.
Just received few comments about shacking footage with clear suggestion I should use gimbal or because it's 6k I could stabilize in POST.
Question - what is your thoughts please? Feedback welcome

 

[Les Hillis]

I think the third shot, the exterior front door shots and the first over-the-shoulder shot are obvious examples of too much camera-shake.

It's the jerkiness more than the fact that it's hand-held. That degree of jerky unsteadiness only suits high-speed action shots imo.

You could still do those shots hand-held, but weigh down the camera or lock up your arms more and move more with your body to make it look more stable. Shooting with the camera attached to a folded up tripod while holding them both is one way to do it.

 

[Eric Santiago]

Some call it the micro-jerk.
It's no fun cleaning that in post.

 

[Marc Wielage]

There's also the David Fincher technique, where he shoots everything in 6K or 8K Raw static, then adds all the camera shake (to a 4K deliverable) in post. The advantage of doing it that way is that it's completely controllable and you can emphasize the shake and other movements on specific word cues from the actors, stuff that you could never cue accurately on set. The disadvantage is that it takes time to do in post.