Caitlyn Timberlake Posted October 15, 2013 Report Share Posted October 15, 2013 I recently got inquires about shooting a VFX plate shot that is supposed to be about 3 miles of road shooting forward without showing any portion of the car. They're looking to hit between 20-30 mph. I've done shots facing backwards on hard vehicle mounts, but never facing forwards on the car. Does anyone have suggestions for how to rig this safely or have a rentable package designed for such a configuration? Production seems ready to rent a vehicle for attaching a front hard mount system. I'm first and foremost concerned with my own safety... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Eric Fletcher S.O.C. Posted October 15, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted October 15, 2013 Honestly a stabilized head like a libra is a better choice 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Mike Germond SOC Posted October 15, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted October 15, 2013 (edited) What about McGowan's HyperCam rig? http://www.steadicamforum.com/index.php?showtopic=18165 Never mind the safety aspects but the wind alone is a problem for the Steadicam sled Edited October 15, 2013 by Mike Germond Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitlyn Timberlake Posted October 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2013 I will definitely mention the Libra head to them. Is there a scaled down type version of the Libra? They are using a DSLR and the Libra looks like overkill for their build. To give you an indication of the production they've already tried the shot once by simply strapping a tripod onto the hood and driving the road. Obviously that did not work at all and so now they're calling around to see if steadicam could solve the issue for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Eric Fletcher S.O.C. Posted October 15, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted October 15, 2013 I will definitely mention the Libra head to them. Is there a scaled down type version of the Libra? They are using a DSLR and the Libra looks like overkill for their build. Movi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitlyn Timberlake Posted October 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2013 I saw the thread about the Hypercam rig and really liked the idea. It looks like a great tool for the job. I doubt production can afford the right tool for the job though. Obviously their quality will suffer, but I'm looking for a safe (but cheaper) option. Right now I'm more concerned with the actual mounting of everything to the front of a vehicle. The Movi is what initially came to mind, but as I understand it the first production models started rolling out this past week. I'll put some feelers out and see if anyone in the LA area has theirs yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Jess Haas SOC Posted October 16, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted October 16, 2013 A friend of mine has his Movi already but it doesnt go out without him or myself. Chapman or any of those places rent camera cars that come with a front platform to shoot from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Eric Fletcher S.O.C. Posted October 16, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted October 16, 2013 A friend of mine has his Movi already but it doesnt go out without him or myself. Chapman or any of those places rent camera cars that come with a front platform to shoot from. Chapman doesn't rent camera cars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Morgan Moore Posted October 17, 2013 Report Share Posted October 17, 2013 hang out the back and reverse the shot in post? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Eric Fletcher S.O.C. Posted October 17, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted October 17, 2013 hang out the back and reverse the shot in post? Now how do street and road signs look if you do that, how about other cars.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Afton Grant Posted October 18, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 hang out the back and reverse the shot in post? Now how do street and road signs look if you do that, how about other cars.... You're not flipping the image, you're just playing the footage backward. The other cars, however, could be an issue. I've had luck with doing exactly this (shooting out the back and reversing the footage for a "car pov"), but the roads were empty and there was no center line so we were able to drive on the opposite side - which is key. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members William Demeritt Posted October 18, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 Perhaps more information about the shot they're looking for, so they don't try to buy the shot 3 more times before they get what they want. If they thought a tripod strapped to the car hood for 3 miles was adequate, but they were unhappy with _____?_______, then perhaps Steadicam isn't right for the shot? If it's a vfx plate, and they're looking for just road zooming by (like a POV from a hood ornament?), then I question if Steadicam would work well since you're bound to introduce some unintended influences (pan and tilt) if you're shooting for 2-3 miles. Just as an idea, why not: hood mount, grill mount or bumper mount (depending on what the shot needs), do an Epic shooting 4K or 5K and use post-stabilization? If it's 2-3 miles of straight road, then give the driver a monitor for reference, rig it up and go take a drive. I'm not that familiar with post-stabilization, but I would think a 4K image would give MORE than enough to extract a 2K/1080p stabilized clip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Mike McGowan SOC Posted October 18, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 GoPro Hero 3 with suction cup mount. Works for Ken Block. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8LRXz75aMSg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Sanjay Sami Posted October 18, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 This is one option from Chapman Leonard, but it might be overkill http://www.chapman-leonard.com/CAMERA%20CARS/CHEVY%203%204%20TON.html Why don't you just hard rig the camera, if its just a plate shot looking forward I imagine there is no operating involved. If you must operate off the front of a vehicle, get in touch with Herb Ault, a Key Grip who runs a company called Griptrix. They have very good electric cars that are purpose built for filming off, and they are not as Mega as the Chapman camera cars, although they are right next door to each other in North Hollywood. Also make sure the stretch of road you film on is locked off, if you can.. A head on collision with you as a hood ornament is no fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members John Stout Posted October 18, 2013 Premium Members Report Share Posted October 18, 2013 Street closure wasn't a big deal, but I wonder what they spent to close the bridge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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