As a rule of thumb, in a stage environment you want to avoid a jib arm crossing more than 1/3rd the length of the stage. This helps keep the jib out of other camera angles but also lets the widest point of a shot still look very wide. If the arm is going any further along the stage, your wide can result in a cameo appearances of the jib rig and operator! But what about jobs where there isn’t a stage and it’s just an open space? Being a NYC based jib operator, you see venues and spaces of all kinds. A good rule of thumb is to make sure your arm isn’t built so big that you don’t have room to boom around. If the space is 40 wide, then a 30’ reach jib would have a 90’ degree boom radius. An 18’ jib reach would have considerably more boom radius and be a lot more appropriate. With camera crane/jib operator gigs in and around New York City/Philadelphia, ceiling height and what’s around you also is a big factor. Let’s say there is a chandalier close by to where your footprint is. You need to make a judgement call if it’s easy to avoid OR if it’s better to build 3’ shorter so you don’t have to even think about dodging it. No one likes having to use a shorter arm for safety, but if the camera can boom right up to a cool lighting fixture or grid, then you’re in for setting up some amazing shots! Lastly, how high or low the camera needs to go is something to consider. When using the larger Triangle Jib sizes, you have 6 and 9’ ballast arms. To get extra lens height, you set up the tripod legs to be higher. The flip side is that it gets very difficult to boom close to the ground. It’s important to get a feel for the zone you need to be swinging in before you build a rig.
30’ Jimmy Jib Triangle at Parx Casino outside of Philadelphia. Jibbing around lights needs to be done carefully, but there’s a lot of cool perspectives to be had!
