enough with ropes

[Matteo Quagliano]

hi fellow ops,

 

as stated on the title I'm done with ropes on vehicle shot, it's the second time I'm on shot like this and even if I find a good and safe (?) solution (using my climbing harness and ropes) I find it not comfortable at all, for the back, for the legs but mainly for my operating. I have to totally trust ropes and harness, all the weight is there, if something fails I'm dead. producer was happy in the end but in the morning (at 5.30 am) he complained a lot about the hour I take to set everything safely to do the shots requested (nice Ducati Monster on mountain roads).

So my stupid question is... I see a lot of car mount (jerry hill, gpi pro, etc.) but how can they handle such a weight, I mean the base is really small, does it have to be locked somewhere? and where? a bazooka? can someone explain me the easiest way to get and mount on every car a jerry hill or whatever car mount?

 

many many many thanks

 

maqu

[Alfeo Dixon SOC]

Good for you Matteo. It's always good to give the producer choices... such as A) I'll gladly allow you to risk your life for your shot. B ) I can do the shot as plained but not until I'm comfortable with the way they are rigging my life. or C) I can just go home, but I would rather give you the shot you desire and then go home alive.

 

In terms of the Hill Mount, its very simple. It is an adapter between your socket block and any Mitchell mount found commonly on legs, high hats, dollies or even bazookas.

[Mike McGowan SOC]

I'd say almost 50% of my work the last few years has been doing car and other vehicle (usually high speed vehicle) work. Your question has a 2 part answer....

 

First the rigging part. You need to attach the camera to something and you need to attach yourself to something. There are several mounts out there that can attach you to all types of things. Some go into 2" standard trailer mounts, some attach to a Mitchel plate and some attach to speed rail. I personally use this mount (http://www.walterklassen.com/vehiclemount.htm) and have found it to be quite excellent. I don't generally like to be attached to the rig if I have the option to attach the rig to something that doesn't require a chiropractor. Then there is the arm and finally the rig itself. Now for the rig itself, you can get gyros and antlers and a few other things to help make the rig handle the inertia of starting, stopping and turning that usually happens on a vehicle. I have a rig I built (I call it the 'HyperCam') that I have been meaning to re-design and make a batch of a dozen or so for other people that want one. The last bit of rigging is how you attach yourself to whatever your riding in/on. Personally, I don't get in or on stuff that I don't completely know and trust the driver. I've seen too many 'mistakes' with moving vehicles and if your hanging off the side of one with 50 lbs of swinging aluminum a small mistake can be pretty big. If you go to my web site: www.mikemcgowan.net and check out the 'HyperCam' section, the 'Equipment' section and the 'Pictures' section you will see some pictures and video of various ways I have attached myself to things that move.

 

The second part is your comfort level with what your doing. It's your physical comfort (am I being pulled in a way that hurts my back) and then your mental comfort. I think it's probably pretty hard to operate well if your thinking about how much pain your in, how hard it is to hold the rig still, how hard it is to see the monitor and whether or not your going to crash and die. I can't say for sure but a rock climbing course might be a good thing. I've been climbing since I was a kid and the rigging part of climbing translates well into vehicle mounts. If you just know exactly how you want to be attached and what tools you need to attach yourself you can set yourself up more quickly, more comfortably and more safely. There is the skill (I guess you can call it a skill) that allows you to turn off all the other stuff and just frame. That is harder to do when your flying down a road at 50 or 60 miles per hour a few inches off the ground with cars sliding past you.

 

So I guess the short answer is, yes, get a vehicle mount of some sort. The part 'B' is that practice doing vehicle shots will greatly enhance the overall quality (and comfort) of what your doing.

[Matteo Quagliano]

Mike I did watch your website many many times since I started this art and you gave me great help in the past too with my first vehicle shot... That one was much easier, lightweight camera and all day long shooting for the staedicam... This time was definitly harder. I'm ok in rigging since I climb in my free time too, what I didn't do that morning was a quick relaease of some sort (and it could be done easily) so each time I finish a shot and I relax a bit I had to wait to be disengaged. This made me nervous and the production too. That's why I'm in the market for some kind of vehicle rigging. There will not be a next time with ropes. As for operating, totally agree, it was a real pain to have concern on so many things and at the same time create a good operating... Anyway when I'm on I'm on and I manage to forget everything around (directors and dangers as well...)

 

Here's the link to the video I did roped on the back of a van, you have to wait some seconds for the appearing of the play video button, it will be on the high left side of the webpage...

 

http://www.ducati.it/moto/monster/796/index.do

 

let me know what you think... what I don't like (but it's my fault) is that I gave them not so many angles... they're pretty much all the same shots... anyway they give speed idea and that was the task :)

[Matteo Quagliano]

... it will appear on the high right side (not left)... the play button... but have to wait like 10 secs

[Matteo Quagliano]

ok... I found a direct link for the same Ducati video on youtube:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSsoeKMJAVw

[Mike McGowan SOC]

nice looking spot!

[Igor Votintsev]

...can someone explain me the easiest way to get and mount on every car a jerry hill or whatever car mount?

I have a very simple idea about car mount for low budget expeditions (without lighting and grip department). The euro mount plate (Baer-Bel hard mount) fastens on screws to my aluminum case, which fixed to ratchet tie down strap. It's very quickly and with "comfort" (I'm smiling on this photo).