Keith Brook

Jimmy Jib TV Crane - How big is it?

My Jimmy Jib comes in three lengths, measured from the pivot, 18, 12 and 6ft (5.5, 3.65 and 1.8m)

The crane usually works with the camera slung under the end of the arm and the maximum height is 18.5ft (5.6m). Exceptionally, it can be raised above the arm and is then 25ft (7.6m), but it's far less stable.

The lowest lens height possible is 12ft (3.65m) below the base level and when the crane is mounted up in a gallery or high rostrum, nearly 30ft (9m) of vertical movement can be achieved.

The picture shows the crane in its 12ft (3.65m) configuration on a live kids programme I do each week.

This length makes for a very flexible arrangment in crowded studios, mainly because the rear section is much shorter. With limited headroom there's really no need for a long jib and the camera can get into corners that a long arm can't.

If you really, really want to put the crane on a rostrum then the minimum area should be 16ft x 10ft (4.5m x 3.0m) for 180deg swings, more for 360. This might sound huge but I must insist that this is a minimum. There's no way out of this, the crane can't shrink and give you big pictures. Many designers have allocated too small an area (the rear end is 2m alone) and forgotten that the operator needs to stand on something!!

The whole thing weighs 170kg but for shoots involving air freight, the weights are hired locally and the crane then comes in at 60kg. It can usually fly for free by consolidating crew baggage. I've never paid for it once in 19 years!!