We have two Portaijb travellers.We recently added a Cartoni Smart Head to our lineup which adds a range of extra movement to the jib. Firstly with this head the camera can be panned and tilted around its optical axis. Secondly it permits the camera to be slung under the jib which makes operation much easier.
A jib is operated by moving the camera, hold the pan handle on the head to operate. A monitor for the operator makes operation that much easier and it ideally should stay in a fixed position as the camera is tilted which means more fancy hardware.
One thing worth a mention about the Portajib is it's one of the few jibs I've seen that counterbalances correctly. Part of the weight goes on a vector bar which keeps the balance compensated as the jib moves up/down. Makes a difference to the safety and ease of use. With near zero friction the camera will hold in any position.

Cranes are en entirely different matter. Probably best to rent them and an operator. Make certain they come with public liability insurance. I've not found anyone in this city who'll rent you a crane without an operator. We've got a 9M ABC crane but no hot head. Great lightweight crane for small cameras but expensive. Twice now it's been damaged by carelessness.
Best crane I've seen is the Technocrane. It's not until you see the differences first hand between this kind of crane and the traditional cranes that you appreciate its value. Sadly they are extremely expensive and need two operators.
The old style crane with the cameraman sitting on the end of the jib seems to be coming back in favour. The high tech motorised , computer controlled wonders lack the organic feel of direct human operation.
We've got a Robocam on order, that should be fun. This locally designed piece of kit is a motorised tower on a motorised dolly that runs on track.

There's just so much exciting gear around. It can sure help tell the story or it can simply get in the way of telling it. You need more crew and more care with any of it. Even the Portajib which looks pretty harmless has pinch points that can chop off a finger.

Bob.

While Practice is clearly the primary means to an end, I'm hoping to jump start that.

thus the basis of this thread wondering if there are any tricks or tips regarding operation of a jib from folks that may help speed up the process of getting good.

Thank you.

I have not done any jib work, but I would strongly advise you getting a professional Health & Safety Risk assessment done to ascertain what the possibilities of damage to property and individuals could occur.

Have you considered Insurances and if you have, does your current Public Liability cover this? You do HAVE Public liability cover, or the American version thereof? Yes?

There is much to consider here before the creative bit.

Grazie

I used to operate an Arri Cinejib and do setup on Barber booms and Jimmy jib (jut a little with the JJ).

The main advice I can give is regarding setup. Balance and cable routing are important. Dangling cables can change your balance as they start to lift off or pile up on the floor so the best bet is to route all your cables from pivot point to pivot point to pivot point. Eventually the cables get routed to the jib's fulcrum and then down to the floor around the dolly or tripod.

Well balanced components of a jib will seem weightless. Not massless, but weightless enough to move with little effort, often just with fingertips. If you really want to get the gist of what balancing a jib is all about, try to find some tutorials on balancing a steadicam, or possibly the Barber or Jimmy jibs if they still exist (Barber might not, it was too fussy).

There are always safety issues when operating a jib. When the front end swings so does the back and it's easy to damage structures. It's a good idea to have an assistant or a grip who knows the jib and is there to work with the jib rather than setting flags.

Jibs can also break, fall over, topple into swimming pools, and seriously hurt people. It's important to keep the base/dolly/tripod level and on solid ground. Jibs on unlevel bases tend to clock around when unattended so you need to get that base level.

Jibs can be found in a broad range of quality. A jib that is stiff and won't wag, wiggle, or roll is important. Truss, box, or tube structural members all work but I think the truss and box frame members are the stiffest. Also, a good jib will have a method of holding counterweights that prohibits spills. Most of the inexpensive video jibs are really bad about this.

Rob Mack