Just because it's on a gimbal doesn't make a shot original. Chances are all your shots have been done before, what's important that it's being used in a way to serve the story, without distracting from the story. What experienced gimbal operators say is that it allows you to be freeform with your shots, but it can't do everything, it has limitations, which is something you need to be aware of.

What a dolly gives is precision. As mentioned earlier, you need a crew that knows what they're doing and the correct track (straight or circular) etc. Flexible track has limitations, metal rails allow you to level correctly using a spirit level to set up wooden wedges, apple boxes, elephant blocks (these seems to have different names around the world) to build up the track to the correct level. Lightweight dollys have limitations, so if you're getting vibrations etc, you may have exceeded what the one you're using can do.

https://products.msegrip.com/collections/apple-boxes-wood-products

There are always two versions of decisions at the least.

If you have lots of clever grip kit, you know the kinds of moves you can do well, and which ones are not good. You then select the best one available when you think up the shots - OR - you go the big budget movie way and you dream up the sequence, then you find a way to do it, and perhaps even find a brand new way to do it. Like those movies where they want impossible movements so do things like leave the camera static and move the entire set!

Let's be very honest. A gimbal in the hands of an inept cameraman will never produce steady and smooth shots. A good cameraman might not even need the gimbal - if they have the fluid skills some people just develop naturally. The most common is a good cameraman with a good gimbal and between them they can do many things a steadicam can do. Have you tried a cheap steadicam or equivalent device to see if they work for you? Gimbal mounts solve one problem, but cannot solve sharp changes in movement - sudden ups or downs in particular. They give a look and often the look is inappropriate.

Oh okay thanks. Well most of the shots I want to do with camera movement, which would be about maybe 30 percent of the shots, I try to think of moves I can do on a low budget. Most of them I think would require a gimbal theoretically. Others maybe a dolly or a slider.

So I try to think of moves that can theoretically be done on the budget I have, as oppose to really big moves like a crane, etc.

I thought that going around a person in a circular motion can be done. And since I want to do some walking sequences, and running, with the camera tracking along with, I thought that could be done as well... Things like that, where the movement can work within the budget limitations theoretically. I thought since I want a gimbal for a good portion of the shots so far, like the walking and running ones, then I can come up with any other shots that would involve a gimbal. Dolly or slider, for some, I am not sure yet. But no crane or drone shots for sure.

With the moves I come with though, is there a way of knowing, if you need a dolly, gimbal, or slider for it? Is there a way of calculating that somehow? Some are obvious of course, but is there a way to tell with the not obvious ones when budgeting?

There are always two versions of decisions at the least.

If you have lots of clever grip kit, you know the kinds of moves you can do well, and which ones are not good. You then select the best one available when you think up the shots - OR - you go the big budget movie way and you dream up the sequence, then you find a way to do it, and perhaps even find a brand new way to do it. Like those movies where they want impossible movements so do things like leave the camera static and move the entire set!

Let's be very honest. A gimbal in the hands of an inept cameraman will never produce steady and smooth shots. A good cameraman might not even need the gimbal - if they have the fluid skills some people just develop naturally. The most common is a good cameraman with a good gimbal and between them they can do many things a steadicam can do. Have you tried a cheap steadicam or equivalent device to see if they work for you? Gimbal mounts solve one problem, but cannot solve sharp changes in movement - sudden ups or downs in particular. They give a look and often the look is inappropriate.

When you say a cheap steadicam, do you mean a glidecam, or what do you mean?

I think the answer to your question about how to know what gear for what move is to CONSULT YOUR DP. Tell him/her what youre after and if theyre competent theyll know what gear would be required for that shot and its worth it or feasible on your budget.

Sure. For my next project, I will try to find a DP that knows a lot more about that. I know that I would need a gimbal for sure, but not sure about the rest. As for a cheap steadicam, I thought a gimbal was better cause it seemed to be able to do some more moves, and has better follow focus options compared to a cheap steadicam, if that's true.

I read comparisons, and watched videos like this on it:

Glidecam VS. Zhiyun Crane 2 - YouTube

However, I was also told that a glidecam takes years to master, where as a gimbal can take only a few months. And there seems to be more gimbal operators out there, because I know a few, but do not know any filmmakers in my area that own a cheap steadicam. So would a gimbal be a better option then? But again, based on what I have read, the gimbal has better follow focus options, so if that is true, then would the gimbal win on that alone?

AGain, why agonize over any of this rather than consult a pro dp?

Well it's just I wanted to have as much of it budgeted out on what I need, as much as possible before bringing any crew on board. Plus I wanted to have a preliminary shot list ready to go as much as I can cause once I start bringing crew on board, so much starts happening, that there is less time to do all the shots, so I wanted to have a preliminary one ready to go.

There is one thing though. I was told that in my video I did, that I was using a gimbal to do a dolly's or slider's job more so. However, in the video I posted where the guy did the glidecam vs. gimbal comparison, he does the exact same type of shot I did. So can that type of shot be done on a gimbal instead of a dolly then, if he did it?

But let's say I want to do a shot where the DP says I can't do with with the equipment we have. As director, for certain shots, should I just tell him to think outside the box, and figure it out with the equipment we have, compared to getting more?

Steadicam type devices work on a totally different principle. if you jump up and down, the camera stays put. gimbals try to keep the camera pointing the same direction in the same orientation. That's quite a different thing. You seem to want the things a spring loaded device offers. If you hold a gimbal mount at arms length, then your bones and muscles do what they springs do and take out vertical movement. Hold it close to your body and it jerks around like mad - while staying pointing the same direction. Did you not know this?

DSLRs and gimbals became a bit of a fad - buy one and buy the other. Shoulder mount size cameras perform better on spring devices. The gimbal in them being simply low friction vs inertia to keep the pan direction the same(ish)

Picking the right kit needs experience.

No I didn't know that cause the comparisons I read or comparison videos I watch do not go into the movement being different if you hold it closer to you for example.

However, I read that there is a feature on the gimbal that can turn off, if you do not want the camera to stay pointed in the same direction. Is that true though, cause I thought they had that option. Plus on the gimbal, if you do not want the camera pointed in the same direction, can't you just hit the pan or tilt button, if you want the direction to change? At least that is what the gimbal operator seemed to do when operating the Moza Air 2 that we used before.

Plus I never saw vertical movement being an issue though. Can't we just embrace the vertical movement, rather than think of it as a flaw?

Steadicam type devices work on a totally different principle. if you jump up and down, the camera stays put. gimbals try to keep the camera pointing the same direction in the same orientation. That's quite a different thing. You seem to want the things a spring loaded device offers. If you hold a gimbal mount at arms length, then your bones and muscles do what they springs do and take out vertical movement. Hold it close to your body and it jerks around like mad - while staying pointing the same direction. Did you not know this?

DSLRs and gimbals became a bit of a fad - buy one and buy the other. Shoulder mount size cameras perform better on spring devices. The gimbal in them being simply low friction vs inertia to keep the pan direction the same(ish)

The video really reviews two similar devices. Not a body attached device with arms and springs and a vest.
both suffer from the vertical movement issue.
Picking the right kit needs experience.

Started writing this before reading Paul’s post with the good explaination.

Every project has it’s “cost vs time vs want” decisions and a dolly setup is going to cost both time and money. Other options that cost less may work without significantly impacting the viewers senses in the movie so everything is a tradeoff.

Can’t tell if the subject is still about the martial arts info video or the full-length movie, but at least it isn’t about the star filter. is a more expensive system really needed? It’s hard to keep track of the subject being talked about here.

Yesterday my wife and I were watching a Public Broadcasting Station (PBS) movie called “100 Days, Dishers, Drinks & Destinations” where the cameraman (or woman, cam-person, or cam operator) used either a gimbal or a cam with OIS to follow the subject down a hallway. It was obviously not on a dolly but it was smooth enough that it didn’t detract from the scene. While I noticed, I don’t think my wife was paying any attention to it (movement) and was more interested in the action. I was also looking at the lighting and the color which both was very good but that is an aside. In any event, it was plenty good for the feature “travelog type” of movie.

Whether it’s a gimbal, or a cam with OIS, they both require practice to get the best out of them, and that includes knowing when, or when not, to use them. In some ways, further stabilization in post can almost make it look worse. Gold-plating can be a budget buster, or worse yet, a deal breaker.

In a static cam shot where one almost gets the tripod look, in my opinion it doesn’t look good. Best used if there is some camera movement like following the subject in order to mask there is stabilization being used and my favorite (now) is OIS (with the AX53). The electronic gimbal takes a little time to set up but if a horizontal horizon is needed then it is excellent for that purpose. In this case OIS can often be used to good effect with the moving target and it is quick and easy, and, it’s very easy on both the time and money budget. The Glidecam takes more time to set up and both it and the electronic gimbal have difficulties when combined with a mic.

Recommendation: get out there and network with people who have this equipment and see what they say, and hopefully get some demonstrations. If you can try something out and get some clips to play with on the computer that would be good. Deciding which way to go from a computer is helpful but hands-on is so much better.

Okay thanks, I can do that. And I can try to find more gimbal or steadicam opeators. I wouldn't put a mic on the camera though, and have never done that yet. Yes I was mostly talking about the martial arts video, but also a project after that as well, where I would work with more crew.

The key to Steadicam type devices is the arm, that allows the operator to maintain a constant height. Some now combine a gimbal type mount, so that you can do more advanced moves. However, you need to be highly skilled to do thus type of stuff.

ARRI Camera Stabilizer Systems Showreel - YouTube

Note that they don't replace a dolly.

The camera mic is standard on news cameras, but they are shock mounted to some extend and are commonly short shot gun type usually.

Okay sure. And yes I would want a separate operator to do it if I can.

Well for the martial arts video, I was planning on using a mic on a stand for the interview scene, and then for the fights, where I am operating the camera, I would probably just add folly later, and get some wild recordings, of their voices, as if they were being hit while doing heavy breathing, if that's best.

I bought a knockoff Steadicam based on watching some those type of videos. I discovered they are very hard to operate. That guy makes it look easy. Also note he is walking on smooth level surfaces. I’ve borrowed an electronic gimbal with more success but both become heavy to hold and both you need to control the vertical axis with the ninja walk. These devices are designed to eliminate the camera operator body motion.

You ask so many questions pertaining to so many scenarios it’s hard to keep up. It’s a lot more simple when you pick the right tool for the right job. When you are picking a gimbal to do a slider shot because it’s easier or cheaper that’s when you get into trouble. Someone who is very skilled can push gimbal past it’s intended purpose. Circling around a person is a gimbal shot commonly used in weddings but it’s done slow not like the other video you posted that was done with a dolly.

Okay thanks. Well I want to get the right tool for the job, I just don't know what the right tool is for each shot.

For example, when you say not to use a gimbal for a dolly or slider shot, how do you know if a shot is a dolly or slider shot? I'm not talking about just ones you see in videos, but if I actually come up with shots on my own, how do I know what tool is for that job?

Gimbal shots give the viewer the feeling they’re actually in the scene walking around where as dolly/slider shots the scene is being revealed to the viewer. In some cases just might be too difficult or impossible to lay dolly track.

If you need precise moves, especially with longer lenses use a dolly or slider.

If going over uneven ground that can be seen in the shoot use a gimbal or a Steadicam, or if the shot goes beyond where a dolly or a crane can physically go. Unless you're working with experienced, skilled operators, don't expect the precision and smoothness that you get with a dolly.

Talk to the DP about the right tools, there's nothing worse than a director who thinks they know the way to do things, when they have limited knowledge. Even experienced directors do this, since the DP is the person who has to make it work.

Okay thanks, For the next project I want to do, I can talk to a DP. For the martial arts one however, it's tougher if it's just me.

Let's say I want to give the viewer the sense they are walking around, like a gimbal, but I don't want wide lenses, cause of barrel distortion, if I move in for a close up. What then? Is there a tool where I can walk wherever I want with the camera, but can use longer lenses, to avoid barrel distortion?

Use a dolly with longer lens or buy better lenses that show less barrel distortion or switch lenses for the CUs.

Longer lenses are hardly great for dynamic action shots.

Okay thanks. There are plenty of wide action shots, that I would use wider lenses. But for some of the CU shots, I want the camera to move.

Like for example, there is a script I want to do where an actor is chasing another actor down the sidewalk and through a field. I can do wides for that, while running along with them with a gimbal.

But if I want to cut to CU's of their faces during the running, and I don't want a wide lens cause of the barrel distortion, what tool do I use for that? I could use a dolly as long as the track is long enough for the shots while running.

Another shot I want is for it to start out as a higher up shot, but then do a 180 degree spin around an actor, while the camera comes down, and then moves towards his face for a CU. I don't want barrel distortion, so what tool would be best for this type of combinations of moves then?

With regard to the martial arts scene(s), if the scene involves active interaction between two people, there is a lot you can get away with because it will be the action that is what the viewer will focus on. The audio, focusing, level horizon, even the framing, not so much. Everything moves so fast there is no time for the viewer (unless they're a video guy) to fixate on "errors".

For a budget, non Hollywood video, if it were me with the gear I have, I'd go with a wide cam on a tripod and my handheld AX53 OIS cam to get more closeups from different angles, especially closeups. Since this would be "acting" one can do a number of takes to get the best combination of clips to put together. No worry about barrel distortion and you can handle the audio because you're experienced in that area. Personally, I always like the Røde Video Mic on the AX53 if nothing else but for helping with syncing although FCP X is really good at that. Capturing the players/actors/participant noises really helps. Watching football with action audio is much engaging than the sterile audio without players noises typical of TV game broadcasts. (they probably don't want to broadcast what the players of opposing teams are saying to each other)

Adjust framing and possibly speed in edit. A little slo-mo piece?

For a training video a multicam would be good and especially with some slo-mo to capture important details. Combine that with some editorial comments using the Motion application or whatever you're using. Graphics for the opening and credits. Music? Voice over?

for the martial arts thing if youre that worried about it why not get some friends to pretend to do martial arts and you can test out all your ideas and see what works. it shouldnt take that long so it fits what youve told us theyll put up in terms of helping you.

Okay thanks. I've already tested out some ideas. I'm going to do some long lens shots on a tripod from far away, to get more movement out of it with the fight. Then intercut with some close ups. Just not sure if I should use a gimbal for the close ups or not.

One shot so far that I also want to do, is an over the head shot... By that I mean it's like on OTS shot, but it's going over the top of someone's head instead, with the top of the head, out of focus. But then I want to move the camera around the actor, and refocus for a CU of his face, as the camera comes around him. What tool would be best for that type of movement?

Don’t know how the client wants to use the martial arts action, just something in general or maybe be able to show “some moves”? In some sports, whether it is wrestling, tennis, football, or whatever, there are certain “moves” that are used by participants in that sport and the client would probably like to be able to incorporate some of those in the action video. If so, then they would need to somehow choreograph the action (you might call this a script) to have them in, and in which case, they might want you to try and capture them.

In wrestling, I know there are moves and counter moves.

Even non-team sports have “moves” (probably called differently, like gymnastics, ice skating (dancing, like triple axels), etc.

Just thinking ahead. This would be upping the complexity.
This seems like a good gig! You try out some new techniques, learn a bit about some martial arts, and … get PAID for it all at the same time.

Next thread title: “What kit to buy with all the new found money?”
(we can help you with that too!!!)

Oh thanks. I just feel I would do so much better if I took on projects with crews, where I could concentrate on directing and leave someone else to handle the cinematography. I feel that maybe I should stop doing documentary and corporate video type projects after this one, where they want me to be a one man band.

problem there is that those projects would likely be significantly higher profile and higher budget for a more sophisticated caliber of client. The only way to get hired by THOSE folks is demonstrate that they should put their faith in you, based on your a reel of your work and probably several face to face meetings or at least a formal bid or treatment.

I think everyone here would agree that based on your reel, questions, apparent skill level and experience, you are nowhere near ready for those projects yet.

The projects you hate and want to stop doing are known as “paying dues” and its how you get the experience so you so badly need and learn to master your craft. If you can take on these types of projects with no sweat and “crush” them without copious questions and mistakes, then perhaps you’ll be ready for that next level of commanding a crew as director.

You may find getting CUs of faces while running using a gimbal difficult. if not impossible because can't run that fast going backwards. You can do this with a Steadicam because you can operate it facing forwards, while the camera faces backwards.

For real speed you should hard mount the Steadicam on a Quad or a small John Deere flat bed and use that. The Steadicam arm adsorbs the bumps over rough ground, with the operator sitting on the vehicle controlling the finer framing movements. The latter becomes more important with longer lenses and tighter shots.

Oh okay I think that those type of vehicles are illegal in city limits though.

However, why can't you face forward while the gimbal is facing backward though compared to a steadicam?

You hold a gimbal with two hands, while the Steadicam holds the weight with the arm and is controlled by one arm, so you can turn the camera towards the rear operated by the other hand, as you move forwards, looking to the rear at the monitor. It's called the Don Juan position.

Use an ordinary small pick up truck instead, I surprised you can't get licensed Quads for use on the roads I've used one in central Dublin.

Ryan - why do you just not go and try things, instead of talking about them in advance. When I think up ideas, I use my science background to predict troubles, then think up ways to solve them, then go and do it. I never ask on the forums in advance. There's no learning that way - you cannot be certain the advice is solid, so forums are kind of starting points, guidelines but rarely definitive answers - same with youtube videos.

The most interesting shots I find come from strange solutions. I stuck a go pro onto a Rode boom pole and got amazing high angle shots with it. The weight and inertia smoothed out the movements and with the wide angle a bit of cropping centred things in the edit. You can also do really fast sweeps, and produce great usable shots. I tried it with a small handicam that had a side viewfinder that could tilt down, and that worked really good too. I tied a rope around the handle of one of my full size cameras and attached it to an over weighted jib that just took the weight but let me move the camera just with one hand - a kind of hand-held effect that wobbled a bit rather than the super smooth result on the jib itself. No way could I have held the camera for that amount of time, but you can improvise.

You need to practice. Then practice more and more till it's second nature. If you have to be a one man band, you MUST be totally comfy with your equipment and how it best responds. Some of your questions just make us smack our foreheads with their obviousness.

You talk about barrel distortion, for example - if this bothers you, zoom in a bit, and move away and learn to control and manage it. You KNOW how to solve these things, so why make them problems? Have you ever tried to control a camera that has right and left swapped, as in facing one way and shooting the other. Try it and see!

I think the source of these endless Ryan type questions is that in order to make his own movies for virtually free he does the jobs that require no capital investment like writer or director and brings in his friends who own their own equipment. Unfortunately, you get someone trying to direct others without working knowledge.

In regards to the steadicam, I think myself included are referring to the hand held variety. Most budget oriented projects such as these aren’t going to use the vest and spring loaded arm. At this level the opinions are between a mechanical or motorized gimbal.

I just wondered if some of those Chinese offers might do him, at least till he gets more competent. They're very low down the quality ladder compared to real ones, but for his kind of shooting could work out better value than a cheap gimbal - that doesn't struggle with heavier DSLR and lenses.

This kind of thing
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32899771093.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000014.1.42c164b0dkAbal&gps-id=pcDetailBottomMoreOtherSeller&scm=1007.13338.128125.0&scm_id=1007.13338.128125.0&scm-url=1007.13338.128125.0&pvid=6b543a58-d7f5-4c42-b765-54b96904d2a5

Well the thing about going out and practice, is I don't have the equipment, other people do like a DP, etc. So I feel I have to try to know what is what, before bringing the DP on and shooting it. That is why I haven't practiced near as much, cause I don't have the equipment, that I can just pull out whenever.

Oh sorry Ryan, I thought you had the kit yourself? My confusion.

I just bought a spare Audio Technical's 815 mic that came up on Ebay for £40. I rather like these, but they're a bit long. If you ever want to borrow it, I'll happily loan it to you and stick it in the post. Practice some narrower angle booming.

Oh thanks. Sorry for not being clear. All the sound equipment I talked about before I have. I just don't have the video equipment, such as gimbals, dollies, longer lenses, etc. I can rent them but I the rental stores are often booked up, so it's difficult to get a lot of practice in before other people want to shoot.

Can't you just rent from lensrentals.com or a similar place that ships to your location? Maybe that's only a US thing.

Otherwise you might have to just bite the bullet and rent locally when you don't actually have a project at all...just whenever the gear becomes available. Keep a running list of all the many, many things you are curious about whether a piece of gear can do, rent it when it's available, run tests, take notes, keep it in mind for next time you have a project.

Especially with one man band stuff you kinda have to have a handle on the gear. Or refuse to take work without a budget for a separate DP (that may seem contrary to what I advised early, but a two man crew is different from you only directing---you'd still be hands on just not literally doing everything yourself...and you'd have to someone experienced to bounce ideas off of on set).

Well it does cost a lot of to have stuff ship just for a rental, so I thought I would just get a gimbal or dolly operator, but want to know which I would need for a particular shoot. If getting someone who has it is the better way to go. I have storyboards that are not shots I have seen in other movies, and shots I just came up with myself. But what equipment is needed for those shots, I am not sure. So I would like to know before getting a person who has the equipment to come on board to operate it. But, how do you know what equipment is needed for what shots in the first place then?

It's not unusual to have a meeting about a production before the shoot, where all these issues are discussed with the DP or other camera people.

Yeah I can do that. Is it normal for a DP to know a lot about the equipment that moves the camera though? I thought they mostly were specialized in lighting and lenses, and cameras mostly.

The DP should be aware of the possibilities and many will have either used equipment or worked on productions that have. If they don't have the information, they will contact someone ho does.

If the DP doesn't know about what keeps the cameras off the floor, then they're rubbish. I cannot think of any camera people I know who don't have this kind of knowledge - after all, it's what they do? I'd guess that there are less camera people skilled in lighting than in grip kit.

When I think “DP” or “cinematographer” I think of someone who’s knowledgeable in every area related to the camera side of the visuals...this includes lighting (there is some crossover between DP’s and gaffer’s duties depending on the individual relationships), camera gear, lenses, anything that can move the camera (dollies/gimbals/etc) and back in the day film stocks and their various qualities (nowadays that would mostly be different cameras and their various image characteristics and picture profiles). Some even know a fair amount about the color correction/grading process.

THAT’s what you should be looking for in a “DP” / cinematographer/camera person/whatever. If they call themselves that and dont know about all the various types of gear that can move the cam, then kick them to the curb, girl, and find a DP who does.

Okay thanks. Another thing I can do if all else fails is to get a shot kind of similar to what I want but with a slider, instead of a gimbal, trying to make the gimbal too level with a long lens.

The shot will not look exactly like what I want but maybe I could just have it be different with a slider. As long as people don't say, hey you did that shot all wrong and should have used a dolly and long track, etc.

It depends on the distance you need the camera to move, sliders have a limited length, so if you wish to go further you're into using a dolly om rails or tracking boards. If you only need to move the camera a short distance, no one is going to care what method you use, they'll be watching the content of your film. So, they will only notice your camera move if it's poorly executed or inappropriate for the scene.

You seem to be obsessed by what other people say. Even the best films ever made have people who don''t like them.

Well I just want to do the best job I can:

When it comes to gimbals it seems to me from what I have been told so far that gimbals are only good for when it comes to motivated camera movement, such as tracking along with an actor as they walk, run, etc.

But gimbals are not good for unmotivated camera movement, cause they are not smooth and precise enough for that, and for unmotivated camera movement, a slider or dolly, is the correct choice. Does this sound about right, or can you use a gimbal for unmotivated moevement.

Like other tools, it will depend on how skilled the operator is. Skilled Steadicam operators can do camera moves that you'd have difficulty telling if it was done with a camera dolly, however, the Steadicam has a means (with the arm) of damping the height variations as the operator moves.

As always, it a matter of staying within the limits of what a piece of equipment and its operator can do. Usually with Gimbals and Steadicams it's safer to keep the focal lengths to less than 50mm on Super 35, 35mm or less, commonly tending towards the shorter length range. The better the equipment and operator, the more things can be pushed, However, in your case,, I'd keep to the shorter focal length, because the vibrations etc on the gimbal are more noticeable than any barrel distortion.

Using a dolly/slider will allow the camera moves that can coney a sub text, rather than just following a character as they move.

Okay thanks. Well there are some shots where I want to push in for a more semi-extreme or even extreme close up on the face. A long lens is better for that cause of no barrel distortion.

However, if I cannot do those subtextual shots on a gimbal, then perhaps it's best to budget for a gimbal, plus a slider, or dolly?

What if for the martial arts video, I want to do a shot like this the one you see here, at 0:48 into the clip, where the camera moves past the men standing:

Inglourious Basterds - Trailer - YouTube

Would a gimbal work for that, or should I use a slider or dolly?

Also for another project I am planning the shots for, what if I want to a shot that goes over an an actors head like this shot here at 1:24 into the clip:

Schindler's List 25th Anniversary - Official Trailer - In Theaters December 7 - YouTube

Can a gimbal do that shot, if we do not have a jib?

You seem to be hung up on 'products' but have visuals in your head. That war movie continuous shot we talked about a long way back. Think about that one where the camera mounting swapped continually - with planning perfection try achievable. You seem very stuck on products. Why would you even consider a slider, even a big one has a very limited run, so if you need to follow somebody, it's out. If you need to lay down 20m of track for a dolly, it's also out because your budget and people won't be enough. Remember sitting somebody in a supermarket trolley - maybe that's in? how about a bicycle and a gimbal mount? how about a rope and pulley stretched with camera hanging? I just made this up, but for some moves could be a perfectly stable system that would let the camera hang and slide gracefully pulled across by hand? Think about what you need to achieve, and make it happen. Scrap all these silly job titles if it's a budget production. Get a team together and solve the problems. A lightweight but long jib sitting on a soft wheeled skid made from 4 wheels and a bit of wood gives quite amazing stability to the camera on the end. It might mean lots of ADR but fly a drone along the path - all these things are alternatives to big money commercial products.

The clips.

I was expecting something special Ryan - I had to double check I was watching the right bit!! I could do that hand held with my camera, on wide, close in - it's nothing special and certainly not complicated. probably a couple of takes, because first one, I'd probably raise or lower accidentally - but for me that's a knees bent, twist torso slow walk? The other is another quite simple shot. If the floor was hard and not really soft carpet, I'd use a lightweight ped - I have one of these https://www.vinten.com/system/files/image/New%20Pedestal%20Images/Vision%20Ped%20Plus.jpg
and you'd just go up, then in and tilt down. Or, if the table was too much in the way, I'd use a jib arm to clear the table, push in and again, just tilt down on a wide angle on the lens.

What are you seeing in these two clips? Far more interesting shots you ignored. I can't see why these two you even singled out as something either difficult or special.