A friend's dad and I have been working on a dolly for quite a while; a couple days ago we finally got it to a testable state. It's one of those that one or two people can sit on - pretty industrial grade. Anyway here's the test footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdiB2El3GvY

I was wondering what other things people here might have homemade for their films. Love to see pics and video if you have em.

Looks great. Any pics of the rig itself?

Very nice!!

I have built a dolly, except it is not the kind on a track. I used 12 inch air tires and made it kind of like a little car. I used it in my film Tears From A Faucet. (which is on the site if u want to watch it in action.) I have also built a jib arm and right now I am working on a underwater case. I love building camera equipment, I feel I get more out of the stuff I build than the stuff I buy.

Made this clap board...

Cool. Now all you've got to do is get the little army of numbers on tape stuck to the back so you can change the numbers instantly. It saves a ton of time


*I did not make that slate.

I was 2nd AC on a film earlier this year, and on our second day of shooting the 1st AC forgot the slate. So, I just took a sharpie and some white gaff tape and made a slate out of my clipboard, and just snapped the clip to mark the sound. It was pretty brilliant.

bfield said:

quote:

...right now I am working on a underwater case.

I'm building one of those, as well, though I've had issues. What camera do you hope to use with it? I had to search for a long time for a piece of 10" PVC pipe to accommodate my HD110. I ending up just finding some scrap pipe behind a water testing lab, so I asked the lab manager if he didn't mind me taking it. It had been sitting out there for 15 years, he said.

I ordered some O-rings, clamps and a 3/4" chunk of acrylite. Now I just need to locate a machine shop to get my pipe and acrylite cut, and I should be on my way.

I'd like to hear what progress you make on this. I've been meaning to share my work, but I've been pressed for time.

quote:

Originally posted by Harris:
I ending up just finding some scrap pipe behind a water testing lab

Haha thats hilarious. There seems to be an irresistible attraction to PVC pipe amongst student filmmakers...if you remember I cut my finger off not too long ago in pursuit of a piece.

Cut your finger off?

quote:

Originally posted by Harris:
Cut your finger off?

Heres The Story

God, that's rough, man. Didn't know if you were serious at first.

That PVC chunk would be worth a lot. I priced some before I found the piece I needed, and once you get diameters beyond 6", you start talking $100s. I definitely would have gone for it.

Since my last post HARRIS I have scratched my last idea. (http://web.media.mit.edu/~tim/pix/waterproofcamera.html) It did not work out like the guy made it. Pain in the ass to make. So I have moved to my next idea. (http://www.bettermoviemaking.com/underwater.htm) But now I am stuck. I am using a canon GL2 and I can not for the life of me find a peice of PVC that will fit the camera. 6" is the smallest. I have gone to every hardware where store within driving distance of my home. So do u have any ideas??

I recall long long ago someone made an elaborate underwater casing out of fish tanks. The footage looked real good . . . anyone else remember that?

bfield,
Try this site if you get desperate: USplastic.com

Be careful with ordering anything and contact them first. They sell by the foot, but most widths you can't get in less than 5' increments. Strange site.

I have a GL2 here with me right now, and it looks as though a 6" diameter would be perfect, if a little snug. The advantage of a tighter fit will be that it won't require a sliding mount to attach the camera. Just wrap a towel around the camera and stuff it in there...

This is what I'm using as a basis for my design, but I have to change it quite a lot to accommodate the difference in size.

Edit: What are you planning to use for glass or plexiglass? My plexiglass is so thick I think I'll have to get it cut at a machine shop.

I discovered "single usage" disposable video camera for $10. However...with a little electronics work, you can easily convert them to "how ever many usages you want" cameras. They are great for dangerous shots like these underwater ones you guys are talking about.

Meh, the quality isn't exactly excellent, but perhaps a little color correction tweaking in post production is better than risking ruining your prized camera.

Cool. What's the recording format of the disposables?

I've done some experimenting with a tiny little Sony MicroMV cam: I just double-wrapped it in Ziploc bags and swam around with it. From what I can tell, underwater color's not going to turn out that great no matter what camera you use, so using a cheaper, smaller camera is worth considering. Chances are you're going to have to crank up the contrast in post anyway, especially if your subject is not within just a few feet of the lens.

However, I really want my HD110 underwater so that I can get real slow-motion shots.