The Orbit Makes Smooth 360º Shots Possible – Interview with Josh Yeo

by Olaf von VossApril 26^th, 2022

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Josh Yeo runs the popular YouTube channel MAKE.ART.NOW. but has recently ventured into making tools for filmmakers, too. Meet the Orbit: a nifty device that makes smooth and controllable 360° shots possible. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, we caught up with him at NAB 2022 to talk about this neat device.

When you look at the Orbit as a whole, you may ask yourself, what the heck is that?! Well, think of the Orbit as a radial slider, only without the rails. It, well, orbits around a motor in the middle that operates in underslung mode. From there, you can extend it quite a bit to increase the radius and thus the circle of motion. Read our initial coverage here.

The Orbit

Once everything is in place, the camera circles gently around the desired object in the center of this virtual circle. You can use long lenses to create a nice background blur and cinematic bokeh, you can also go very slowly, and you can do stop-motion pieces when working with clay puppets and the like.

The possibilities are almost unlimited, as the whole setup hangs over your head, so there are no tripods or the like in the way. You can even mount lights to the Orbit. If you want a nice backlight, just mount it on the opposite side of the camera. There is also a mountable ring light for the motor for soft overhead lighting.

The Pro version also comes with the necessary tools and clamps to attach the Orbit to a Speedrail if you want to take the whole setup outside. Of course, the camera will see the necessary C-Stands holding the Speedrail at some point, but you may be able to hide them a bit or angle the camera accordingly.

Pricing and availability

The Orbit has been quite successful on Kickstarter. According to Josh, they have raised almost half a million dollars ($474,449 to be exact). They are now in the process of shipping out the final units to the initial backers of the campaign, but the Orbit should be available at retailers like B&H very soon (in about 3-4 months, according to Josh).

The Pro kit costs $1,799 and includes everything needed to mount on speed rails for outdoor use, plus a travel bag. The cut-down Studio version costs $1,399 but does not include additional accessories such as V-mount clips. Both versions come with the ring light attachment.

Website: MAKE.ART.NOW

What do you think? Would this Orbit device be a nice addition to your kit? Share your thoughts in the comments below!