Filmmaking is expensive. With all of the gear, software, and
time commitments required to produce a good piece, even short, low – budget
works can really burn holes in the pockets. So, what’s a filmmaker to do!?
There are many tips and tricks to shrink a budget, one of
them being do it yourself (DIY) gear. These are cheaper alternatives to more
expensive gear, built out of home materials such as wooden planks and PvC
piping. DIY gear can be either terrible or fantastic.
Considering that I have no job and live with my parents
(Okay, at the time of this writing, I’m only 17, but STILL ...) I need every
bit of budgeting help I can get. So, I made two pieces of DIY gear from
templates I found online.
The first of these was a PvC dual shoulder mount. While it
seemed too simple to be of much use at first, it actually was a huge help in
steadying my shots. I was able to fake stable camera work, whereas if I had
shot handheld, the footage would have shaken terribly.
My only complaint was that the camera had to be attached and
detached using a screw, because I couldn’t afford an expensive quick release
plate. This was a nuisance at times. All in all, however, the mount proved to
be a valuable tool considering the price.
Here’s a video demonstrating how to construct the mount
(Courtesy of Film Riot):
If you are into film making, I would highly recommend visiting their channel. They also have some cool short films.
The next piece of gear was a camera slider. I did not like
it nearly as much as I did the shoulder mount. It did not produce smooth
movement, and it was more cumbersome to use than the shoulder mount.
I’ll post the video for it anyway. The guys at Film Riot
somehow managed to get theirs to work well, so maybe I was missing something
...
That’s all for now! Go out and build something of your own
;)
Daniel Freeman
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