Shooting a music video is a sprint, not a marathon – especially when budgets are tight, and time is the most valuable resource on set. For Paper Planes, directed and shot by Josh Levi-Rodgers for artist Tom Gortler, the challenge was to capture top-quality visuals – and do it all in just one day. But Levi-Rodgers had a secret weapon up his sleeve: AGITO.  

“It wouldn’t have been as fast if we’d shot it on anything else,” Levi-Rodgers explains. “We had one day, so we had to be smart about the equipment we used.”  

As a modular, remote controlled camera dolly system, AGITO offers speed, adaptability and stabilisation in one compact package. It replaces the need for multiple bits of kit and, crucially, reduces the time lost switching between them. But AGITO isn’t just a dolly – it’s a shape-shifting tool that can function as a tracking vehicle, a tripod or even a “baby Towercam”, as Levi-Rodgers affectionately calls it.  

Ordinarily, switching between different shot styles would mean re-rigging and a lot of standing around pretending not to be frustrated. But AGITO eliminates this inefficiency. “Just because AGITO moves, it doesn’t mean you have to use it for movement,” Levi-Rodgers points out. “If I wanted to, I could lock it off and use it as a static tripod, adjusting the lens height with the push of a button. Then, when I needed tracking shots, I could switch to Sports mode – all within the same setup.” This meant more time spent on composition and creativity, and less on the logistics of shifting equipment. 

A rig that does more than expected

Beyond speed, AGITO also delivered unexpected benefits. One was its built-in suspension, which absorbs vibrations before they even reach the stabilised camera head. That was particularly useful on set, where deep bass from subwoofers could have disrupted footage. “Certain frequencies can mess with stabilisers, but AGITO’s suspension absorbs a lot of that before it even gets to the camera,” Levi-Rodgers notes. “That made a real difference. In fact, this vibration-dampening effect is so effective that DOPs intentionally place AGITO in environments where traditional stabilisers might struggle” – proving that it’s not just about convenience, but actual performance advantages.  

Then there was the low mode – a notoriously difficult shot to achieve with most moving camera rigs. While Steadicam-style systems have recently made strides in this area with the invention of Trinity, AGITO takes it even further. Using a paddle mount, the lens can be positioned right on the floor, going lower than the Trinity can safely reach. “The paddle mount consists of two scaff tubes, which can be extended as far as needed from AGITO and balanced with counterweights at the back,” Levi-Rodgers explains. “From there, the camera is mounted on a vertical rig, where extension sections – 4-inch, 6-inch or 12-inch – can be added to fine-tune the lens height depending on the desired framing. We used that for Paper Planes, and it gave us a completely fresh perspective.” 

With only a single day to shoot, AGITO proved indispensable, allowing Levi-Rodgers to capture a variety of shots with minimal downtime. “We wouldn’t have been able to get all these shots otherwise,” he says. “It let us move fast, be creative and walk away with everything we needed.” 

And that’s the thing about AGITO – it’s not just a dolly, not just a stabiliser, not just a piece of kit that gets wheeled out when there’s budget to spare. It’s a chameleon, a problem-solver, a piece of machinery that’s been designed with the idea that filmmakers might quite like to focus on filmmaking, rather than restling with gear that was clearly designed by people who hate them. So, the next time you see a shot that moves effortlessly – floating between perspectives with impossible fluidity – chances are, AGITO had a role in it. Or maybe it was just a bit of filmmaking magic. But then again, perhaps those two things aren’t so different. 

Big thanks to Josh Levi-Rodgers for his continued support and use of AGITO.  

AGITO offers multiple configurations to suit your filming needs, it’s a swiss army knife for film-makers. Perfect for use in the studio or on location, AGITO Sports offers a new way of moving a camera, with complete flexibility using our growing arsenal of modules and accessories, and an ease of operation not available with any other system.

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