Also, does it take a lot of practice?

Thanks

Being smooth and being able to ease in and out of the movement.

It depends on the person, I do not do a lot of jibing, however I pick it up quickly. On a resent shoot I was working with a new person and they needed more practice then I would have. So your answer is it will depend on you.

Practice is good. But a good jib makes it easier.

Plan the shot ahead and practice. Compound moves take time to perfect but look awesome and as mentioned, work with good equipment.
I use a Kessler Crane and PT 20 head both are super portable and very smooth and excellent value.

I agree that practice can help. Smooth starts are stops are not always as easy as you might think. A pet peeve of mine is that some folks use jibs like a tripod. Now that is fine if you want a static high camera position (overlooking a crowd for example) but the jib/crane shots that get noticed, invariably include foreground items that show the change in camera location rather dramatically - the distant elements do not appear to change much and using a jib without such foreground objects does not reflect the dramatic camera movement a jib can display. My 2 cents.

I truly believe you need a good jib. If you have a bad jib, you'll end up having to work much harder. A good jib allows you to do compound moves that doesn't jerk or pause, and you can repeat these moves over and over with ease. Trying to do the same with a bad jib will frustrate you because you may or may not get the moves you want, regardless of how much you practice. My personal favorite is Jimmy Jib.

From Jib operator perspective:
Plan your moves in an arc. End your moves doing only one axis eg start swing and plan to end your move by doing a crane up or down move at the end just before stop - that will help to maintain better control of final composition.
When doing crane up or down remember - the only way to do a real crane up/down is when
your camera is aligned perfectly with the arm (both facing the same direction / angle)
otherwise plan to compensate for horizontal movement. Better way to do that will be by
compensating with the arm eg - pulling back a little and not using pan on the head.

It is easier to start movement when the camera is in 45 degrees angle to the arm than when the camera is parallel to the arm - unless it is a crane up/down movement only.

Don't fight the jib - it will always win: Know when to let go of the zoom rocker.

Stay on the wide side of the lens it will give you more fluent and visually more interesting
picture as the perspective change is more evident.

Check your shadows - sun/light position in relation to the jib.

Never let your jib unattended.

Always level the dolly, wind is your enemy.

Don't forget to look around when you work as not to hit someone or something.

Practice make perfect.

GOOD LUCK

Jimmy Triangle Jib is very basic jib. It is not bad but in no means can it compete with
real cranes. Jimmys head is not precise enough, try working with it in strong wings.

My jib is old, very heavy, and the inertia is enough to ensure movements are nice and smooth. A gentle prod with the finger starts a movement that almost completes itself. Good, but this does mean fast movements take considerable muscle to stop! My head is a conventional pan/tilt head, worked from the front if that's what the shot calls for - I often use the pan bar pointing forward - like in those ads for the ez-fx jib. This really works for me once I got used to it.

What's is a good jib in your opinion?

Technocrane! But that's not really a jib. Actually I'm not quite sure what the official delineation between jib and crane is--to me, a jib is an arm controlled by a single person (who is also operating the camera) while a crane separates the duties. It does get confusing because I have used modified Jimmy Jibs with aftermarket motors and wheels (Hot Gears) that were quite functional and competed with a more "pro" level crane, but this only with a medium-weight camera.

To this end, I think that despite their various issues, Jimmy Jibs are not really a basic jib when compared to inexpensive indie/prosumer style systems and more rudimentary remote heads. They are basic when compared to higher-end arms like Aerocrane/Giraffe/Fischer/Louma etc. and heads like Scorpio/Aerohead/Power Pod etc.

But yeah--Technocrane is the king daddy-o of them all. We just had a 30 footer for most of my last show and did some intense moves with it; also had the 15 footer which is fantastic for interior sets. I wonder when someone will come out with an indie telescoping crane...!

Whoops, forgot to mention that there is a one-man version of the Technocrane concept: Technojib. I'm not a one-man band operator (I very much enjoy sitting comfortably at the Techno console while the grips do all the "manual labor"!) but I have seen the Technojib in use and with the right person at the back end, this thing is capable of fantastic eye candy.

YouTube - TechnoJib by Telescopic LLC (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7oTcX0P2Y8&feature=related)

Yeah, I gave the technocrane a go at NAB. It is totally amazing, but it seemed like a two man deal to really be able to jockey it right. However, at $80K+, it is far beyond what I will be allowed to spend anytime soon. I do have as much as $15K to purchase a jib system for the Video Studio and am looking at Cammate and Jimmy Jib. Any other leads and advice would be appreciated.

Go with a Jimmy - for that budget. Foxy by Panther is VERY GOOD, but again it is probably
much more expensive. Talking about creative freedom with a crane try a Supertechno 50 on
track.
Charles, by the way supertechno has their own version of the technojib the new ST20 and it comes with a lighter
Z-Head that is a very good head.

What would you consider a good prosumer style jib? Like, I mean under $2000 (excluding the pan/tilt head).

I just got what I consider a great deal on ebay. A 12" Proam jib with stand for just over $400. Obviously at that price you don't get a motorized head with it.
So far it seems great for my needs, but I've never actually used any other jib before, so I'm wondering how great it really is, compared to other brands.

Also, what are some interesting uses for a jib? I've been trying to think of neat ways I can put it to use. Any special types of moves I should try?

David,

After a lot of research I purchased an 8' Kessler crane with the Kpod system and Hercules head. I am very pleased with it.

The only problem I discovered is that to really use a crane for event videography (in my case weddings and musical acts in clubs) you really need a good motorized pan tilt head. That is my next purchase.

However playing with the crane controlling it from the front with the camera mounted on my Satchler head I can get some great shots that if I were doing scripted work where you could do take after take the shots would be fantastic.