Camera Rotation Rig

[drummerboy678]

Lately, I've been obsessed with new/unique camera moves, especially in short films. I've recently watched films like Irreversible and it's nice to see that creative camera moves are still being invented.

For a short film I'm currently writing, I have a shot in mind where the camera rotates 360 degrees (around the X-axis), creating a dizzying type shot... To be clear, this isn't a 360 dolly around a subject, but rather the shot would rotate from landscape to portrait to landscape....

I'm sure they sell professional rigs that do this (although I haven't found any online), but do any of you creative, engineer-minded people have an idea of how to build a rig like this?

Not sure the best way to get a smooth rotation of a camera, whether it be spun by hand with the camera mounted in a track or what...

Anyone thought about this before or have any ideas how it might be done?

[Drew Ott]

Wait, I don't think I understand.


360 degree tripod pan?

[drummerboy678]

Sorry... I really can't think a good way to describe this... if you stick a pencil in a pencil sharpener, the rotation that the pencil does is the same the camera would (if the pencil tip is the lens).... it would be a twist in a circular motion, creating a disorienting shot.

In "Blow" they do a 90 degree rotate at one point and "Irreversible" uses it a lot, especially at the end. Can't think of any other films that would help clarify though.

[Car3o]

Like a point of view inside a dryer looking out....that's a hard one. I'd get a big pipe and find a want to mount the camera on a skateboard and use it that way. I don't know how fast you want to go, but that'd be a simple way of doing it.

[siniarch]

Easy drummerboy. (if I understood clearly what it is you want.)

if you have a tripod with a bowl system. chances are it is a 3/8"-16 thread. below the bowl, like so:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/126666-REG/Bogen_Manfrotto_3141BALL_3141_100mm_Ball_Leveler.h tml

so unscrew the whole thing from your fluid head.

then grab an L shaped angle (a heafty one that can handle the weight of you camera) like at home depot. drill a hole in it. you might have to tap the hole. or just put a nut on the other end if you bowl attachemnt has enough thread.

on the other par to the L drill another hole and place one of these:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5306-REG/Bogen_Manfrotto_3054_3054_Converter_Plate_for.html

(or just a 3/8"-16 nut) to attach your fluid head. My fluid head doesn't give me 90degrees tilt up, but it does 90degrees tilt down. so I would mount the camera backwards and tilt it 90degrees. which would make your camera level with the gound.

[siniarch]

or if you want the camera to be aligned with the fluid head, you can use a second smaller angle to attach the camera to like so.

[NOMADIC]

...siniarch savin the day again.

[siniarch]

hahahahha. Thanks Nomadic.
too soon to tell. the whole contraption might fall apart and he'll blame me for my rudimentary sketches. hahahah

Nice pic. is that "Johnny Drama" from Viking Quest? "VICTORY!!!!!"

[drummerboy678]

siniarch, thanks for the diagrams... i was thinking way too complex, but i like the idea...

should be getting a new tripod in the next couple weeks, then i'll feel comfortable taking off the fluid head on my tripod and trying something similar.

i'll be sure to post pics/video of the rig if i get it working.

nomadic - that avatar is hilarious

[NOMADIC]

...entourage is so addictive.

[siniarch]

Yeah that show is going to keep some of those sad people that have tried to get in to the industry for 20yrs hanging on for another 20 and keep feeding the machine.
Hey aren't you going to atlanta or something tomorrow? If I wasn't shooting this week coming up and didn't have a day job, I would have gone and taken my equipment with me.

[NOMADIC]

yeah, I'm in detroit... i ended up with a nice package for the music video,

my dvx with a redrock, some nikkor lenses, i bought a followfocus, and the we got a nice dolly with some track and huge kino pack. I'll upload the footy once I get it.

[siniarch]

where did you get the follow focus and which one? I'm looking for one which I will need soon, but I'm hoping redrock micro comes up with their remote version soon.

[Max R. Wilson]

I had a idea if you had the camera in a pipe, then built a U shaped mount with skateboard wheels you could roll the pip in it.