Voices from the Cove: Jason Joseffer

As a freelance Cinematographer and Director of Photography, Jason Joseffer is not new to handheld shooting. His background working on everything from feature films to music videos has exposed him to the many benefits and frustrations that come with executing this style of camera work.

“Handheld is something that I’ve found can walk a thin line as being intimate, beautiful and immersive or sloppy and distracting,” he said. “While shooting documentary it feels right at home, but in commercials it can feel forced.”

This challenge became really clear on a recent project for Grove Collaborative. The commercial required a mix of stylized product shots and playful lifestyle scenes. Our director Nikki Arena described the look of the piece as being handheld – but with a more precise and subtle style than would be seen in a documentary.

Jason approached me about using a ZeeGee. He explained that, with the new stabilizing device, he could balance the camera package into a rig that allows for tilt, pan and roll. Essentially, the ZeeGee would retain the handheld feel, while allowing Jason to compose shots with more precision and move with the talent in a more fluid way.

We decided to give it a try, and set about acquiring this very new piece of equipment. It took a little finagling, as we had to rent the ZeeGee directly from the manufacturer, drive it up from L.A., and then find a Steadicam vest/arm. But I’m so glad I followed my gut and trusted Jason’s talent. Not only did the commercial succeed in delivering the exact handheld feel Nikki described, but everyone on the Kraken Cove team was able to be involved with this cutting-edge filmmaking equipment.

Since Jason spent the most time with the ZeeGee, we wanted to catch up with him about his experience.

As this was your first time working with a ZeeGee, what was your initial impression?

I had a really positive experience with the ZeeGee. I loved being able to freely move within a scene and give our actors range to be spontaneous. We had a fun scene with a family playing with their daughter, and wearing the Steadicam vest/arm yielded the ability to fluidly change camera height and walk with the actors without introducing a lot of bounce in the frame. This is something I’ve been wanting to pull off for a long time.

The other neat way to use the rig is that it can be mounted onto a tripod, slider or dolly all while maintaining a handheld feel. This proved helpful during our product shots and detail work. It can be brutal hand-holding a camera for extended periods of time – lots of styling is happening, and products are being swapped in and out. To be able to maintain the handheld look of the piece and not actually ride the camera on my shoulder was a huge help. With high precision, I was able to control the frame and thoughtfully compose a shot. 

Did you find operation to be pretty intuitive, or was there a learning curve?

Having time to prep the gear yourself and make sure you understand all of its different configurations ahead of your shoot day is key. I promised to be at the camera prep with my AC Kelsey Rivera so we could both learn the gear. There are so many creative ways to mount the rig or use it that you really need to put in the time to try them all out. Plus, the system leans heavily on Steadicam vests/arms, which is a specialty trait that DPs aren’t typically trained in.

For example, while chasing Kelsey around the rental house, the Steadicam arm slammed into a water cooler. So, we quickly learned that lesson and figured out how to use the arm in conjunction with the ZeeGee. We found that we could walk with talent and change camera height in an elegant fashion. That’s not easily done with other stabilization rigs and it was important on this shoot, as we had scenes with a child and adults who stand at dramatically different heights.

Would you recommend the ZeeGee? Do you have any tips or tricks for people interested in trying one out for their own shoot?

My initial hope was that this rig would allow for an easier experience shooting handheld. Ultimately, I wouldn’t say it was any easier, but it did offer more control – as well as the ability to focus on the shot in front of me and discuss lighting with our Gaffer and Key Grip. That’s a big deal. When shooting handheld, sometimes you get stuck in a certain position and you aren’t able to easily step away and check in with the team and most importantly the Director.

Overall, I think this method opens a lot of doors for shooting handheld in the commercial and narrative worlds because it offers a more controlled and elevated style. However, it certainly isn’t a replacement for true handheld work like you would execute on a documentary. Additionally, having a focus puller is necessary while using the ZeeGee. In documentary work, you often are pulling your own focus and this isn’t something I see being possible with this setup.

While it didn’t restrict us on this shoot, the ZeeGee is also a bit larger than I expected. I could see that proving challenging in tight spaces.

Overall, were you happy with the results?

I just had a chance to review a cut yesterday and I was thrilled to see that this commercial succeeded in its handheld feel. We had a lot of fun exploring this new approach to this style, and I’m so grateful Danielle made this happen for us and encouraged experimentation.