Hi,
I'm desperately in need of help- we're shooting with a PD150 on minidv this weekend, and I'm worried about the shakiness of our shots. We have a tripod, but in the end, locked off shots can be boring.
Does anyone have any tips on home-made production equipment? I read somewhere that you could make a suspension rig from two planks of wood and some elastic. Anyone know if this works? Or the specifics of its construction? Any other do-it-yourself equipment we can put together?
Thanks in advance,
cabin fever.
Search the archives on the forums - I spotted a discussion about homemade steadicams that went into a lot of detail. Unfortunately my link to the discussion is stored on my home computer.
You should also consider using your tripod (if it's light enought) - fold it up and attach the camera. Try it.
Finally, here's a snippet from a review of Evil Dead:
"A bold use of lenses and lighting, not to mention the homemade Steadicam (the camera was fixed to a plank of wood carried by crew members to create the sweeping point-of-view shots of the demonic force)"
Good luck
Ray
serious about nothin' 'cept film
What's my name?
Bernardo! Bernardo.
You're damn right...
Don't forget the good ol' wheelchair (for dolly shots). Someone always knows someone who has an old/spare/loanable wheelchair. Failing that, borrow a shopping cart from the grocery store. ?:p?
I've used everything from an astronomical telescope weight to a box-of-rocks for a steadicam. Read a little about what a steadicam does and understand the center of gravity issue - then you'll find that you can (literally) use a thousand things around the house and/or build one very easily for not too much cash. Always nicest if you can saw off the end of a tripod, though - so it can actually screw into your camera.
'Luck!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The Word is spreading!
http://www.HostingEarth.com
is THE best value on the planet!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
