HELP: I need non-wonky footage.....

[Lara]

Hello

I am the wonkiest camerawoman alive, and I need to film some really nice footage of a female character walking round a city. I will need to be on foot following her- it can't be done with static shots on tripods. Now I know what I should really hire to bet this done properly, but I have no ???, and its just a test, I will hire when I shoot the real thing in January.

Does anybody have any ideas or experience with shooting this type of thing? The only thing I can think of is to sit on something with wheels on with a tripod on it hmmmm. How would the shock be absorbed? :help:

Any ideas much appreciated :)

Lara x

[michaelheap]

one word

steadycam rig

ok thats 2 words.

[Lara]

I can't hire anything, I have no money :(

[michaelheap]

one word

steadycam rig

ok thats 2 words.

[michaelheap]

have you tried a monopod, but not susing it as a prop but a large handle held with both hands should take most of the shake out of the camera work.

[Lichtschutzfaktor56]

http://homebuiltstabilizers.com/

and go to the Dollies section. Here you can find some inspiring ideas for your shooting. Or have a look at the handhelds. A full Rig maybe the best solution for your shooting but probable a bit overdone also it needs experience and practice to operate it properly. Anyway, you will get some ideas to solve your "stabilizing" problems.

[littlecatalyst]

i'm not going to tell you to go nik one from a hospital (stealing is bad and other people need that chair) but a wheelchair would do amazingly. way cheaper to rent for a day than a steadycam dolly or tracks.. wheelchairs are amazing dolly replacement
http://www.fredwalton.co.uk/

[Lara]

Thanks so much, these links are great :love2:

[syzygy]

I've had good results from using a tripod with the legs taped together (so effectively a monopod) and some weight (I used cans of coke) taped at the bottom of the legs.

I then held the tripod just under the camera and so of let it swing to find its own level.

The monopod adds as a pendulum and the weight makes sure it is well damped. There is still some swing in the shots if you move the camera around quickly, but it elliminiates most of the shaking.

Dan.

[holly]

It's a silly contraption, but someone once suggested a horizontal board with the camera mounted in the middle (kind of like handlebars). I've heard it's a little easier to hold for long periods of time than the weighted monopod thing....

[spark]

monopods come recommended - as well as michael's two handed, you can use one as a kind of steadycam too, with the added benefit of carrying around a very obvious whacking stick when you're filming dark in the east end... =]

hmm, but its ?200 for the haugue stablizer, which is ?50 each for four people, there are plenty of us round london... hmmm...

http://www.b-hague.co.uk/Camcorder%20Stabilizer%20HCS3.htm

toby

[Lara]

Yeah that's WELL worth thinking about Toby. There's two issues here I need to address, my shaky hand, and also I need to film moving, so the monopod and wheelchair options are looking good...... I'm going to look like such a fool!

[Lichtschutzfaktor56]

Toby wrote:

hmm, but its ?200 for the haugue stablizer, which is ?50 each for four people, there are plenty of us round london... hmmm...

Here you find a step by step instruction to built a very similar system in illustrated easy phases.

http://www.dvforever.com/article.php3?id_article=31&artsuite=1

Sorry its only availble in French.

[complexvisuals]

Right..

Tell everyone it your birthday, have a party, and ask them to give you money, then buy a Steadicam.

Or..

As above, tell everyone its your birthday, have a party, get everyone to bring helium balloons. Tie the cam to the balloons, then walk the cam around with a string as if its a dog (that floats!). Try 2 strings, so its stabilised.

Or..
Fly me over for AVIT, put me up in a hotel, feed and water me, and I'll film for ya, I have a Steadihand(TM).

[wellREDman]

Lara i think you need an alwaysB :)

He's a stick twirler, who also happens to be a professional cameraman,

he makes a monopod shot look like a steadicam shot

hes also my little brother :)

making no promises here cos he's busy as fuck, but ill ask :)

[Lara]

Thanks Red! ;)

I just want to make something fairly simple for this test that I'm doing, but I will be filming for real in January, maybe he would consider a bit of work then? That I will be able to pay properly(ish) ....... I *really* don't want to be the camerawoman then, I know that money spent on equipment hire would be much better spent on the skill of a good camerman, you know what I mean? :)

Cian get yer cheeky arse over here for avit anyway you slacker . . . . :poke:

[littlecatalyst]

Here's another cheap solution (10 pounds plus shipping?)

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2953549057&category=20330

it's a bit dorky but looks like a good solution....

i love the contraption inventor's quote:
THIS DEVICE IS AWESOME! IT IS PERFECT FOR ANY GUERRILLA FILMMAKER WHO IS ON THE RUN AND CAN ONLY CARRY A LIMITED AMOUNT OF GEAR
(?)

[wellREDman]

Originally posted by Lara
Thanks Red! ;)

I just want to make something fairly simple for this test that I'm doing, but I will be filming for real in January, maybe he would consider a bit of work then? That I will be able to pay properly(ish) ....... I *really* don't want to be the camerawoman then, I know that money spent on equipment hire would be much better spent on the skill of a good camerman, you know what I mean? :)

Cian get yer cheeky arse over here for avit anyway you slacker . . . . :poke:

doh,
lara my answer should have been ...
sign yourself up for AlwaysB's camera techniques workshop at AVIT....:)

[labmeta]

Lara, what kind of camera are you shooting with?

I always find that getting steady shots using little dv cam`s is really hard.

If i`ve got steady shots i ususally borrow something like a sony DSR 200 that you can hold from the handle on the top. the weight really helps to balance the camera and you get much steadier shots.

If i really have to use a little handheld dv cam in the past i`ve suspended the camera in a sort of custom sling. Gravity and weight does some of the work for you and can get much steadier shots.

Paul

[InsideUsAll]

hey lara

you know you'd be amazed what 15 years of riding a skateboard holding a video camera can do for you. its a bit ghetto, but really, i can get a very steady shot with ralphs XL1s and my trusty skateboard.

my first choice in this instance would be to offer alwaysB a good meal, the train fair & a smoke & of course your most excelent company. but if he's not available me and my wheels are but a phone call away.

you should meet bruce tho, he's a superstar :D

[dusi]

yea right steadycam..... not anymore>> 2d3 (the best 3d camera tracker) has now for a few months a premiere plugin called steady movepro. this 99 $ plugin makes any shot look like its filmed from dolly. my girlfriend filmed somewhere quickly, she didnt have much time so the shot was very bad, but steadymove fixed it totally. okee 10 minutes video take 15 hours to render, because it is using the simular tracker engine as from boujou (camera tracker) but the output is ****FANTASTIC***** check 2d3.com and look for steadymove pro (oh ja and also take a look at the yet to come pixeldust plugin!!!!!)

greetings dusi.glow.nl

link to steadymove: http://www.2d3.com/steadymove/

[Lara]

Good one Red, I will definitely be there :)

Paul, yes the whole this is made worse by the shitty sony pc110e which I am using which is rubbish, I wish I had known what I was talking about before I bought it but there you go. College are bound to have something better in the media dept. I might have to go on the blag and stamp my feet and shout til I get it ;) !

Dave I like your ghetto solution :up: you might regret offering . . . . Still I think I will take home all the weird contraptions that Lichtschutzfaktor56 pointed me towards :yep: and see what me dad makes of them...... he's just retired I think he needs something to build! I know where I get the tekkiness from you see, he has a whole double garage full of tools........

Thanks everyone :D :cool:

[Lara]

Cheers Dusi, I've only ever tracked on after fx, which is not so good....... I must take a look :)

[Lichtschutzfaktor56]

Hey Lara

Originally posted by Lara
Good one Red, I will definitely be there :)
Dave I like your ghetto solution :up: you might regret offering . . . . Still I think I will take home all the weird contraptions that Lichtschutzfaktor56 pointed me towards :yep: and see what me dad makes of them...... he's just retired I think he needs something to build! I know where I get the tekkiness from you see, he has a whole double garage full of tools........

Thanks everyone :D :cool:

Double garage full of tools? Sounds like my old man. I've only a single one. :nod: The idea with daddy, some years ago I always went this way :nod:
O.K. one of the handhelds on homebuiltstabilizers is mine, guess witch one? :confused: It took me a little time to find the parts and building was 2 weekends in my garage. And it works with my heavy (about 2,5 kg) Sony HI8 Pro Kamera CCD V 6000 E. Not for long shoots, o.k. Must go to the gym for workout of the armmuscles. Hehe! But with a small cam you can get great results over longer time.

B.T.W. have a look at this video:

http://www.steadytracker.com/steady5.html

The link is in the mid of the page. This one inspired my "homebuilt" much.
I spent about 50-70 Euros on the parts and paint. So go and make your daddy happy.:jump2:

[DrEskaton]

Originally posted by dusi
yea right steadycam..... not anymore>> 2d3 (the best 3d camera tracker)
link to steadymove: http://www.2d3.com/steadymove/

I'll second this Lara, check out steadymove. The boujou 3d camera tracker is the shit so they're stabilizer based on the same technology is well worth checking out.

This is almost totally automatic it's not like tracking you may have done in aftereffects where you have to pick points to track and hope it works.

nope, this automatically follows every single object moving in the scene, reconstructs a 3d camera move then smoothes out that move and works out the new frames for you.

yep, I'm serious, thats how it works. Their boujou 3d camera tracking software sells for $10,000US and this is using the same technology but it can only smooth footage for you thus the pricetag difference.

[Lara]

sounds amazing, I will check it out for sure, hey I'll need it for the future anyway with my (lack of) camera skills

cheers dusi and dr esk.