Advice for rigging 360 car passenger POV

James Fisher

James Fisher

Active member
Hello,

I need some advice for rigging. A client wants to record a 360 video from the point of view of a car passenger and after googling for a number of days I'm struggling to come up with a solution.

They don't need full 360 video so I'm going to be testing with a GH5 + Sigma 4.5mm Fisheye for a 360x180 and if that goes well I will probably invest in a Entaniya MFT 250. For this job a one lens solution to aid fast production is the best choice.

So, on to rigging. I've ruled out glass suction and floor-ceiling rod because it will be seen in final video. In my mind I've been imagining strapping a tripod to the back seat/floor behind the passenger seat and then somehow extending that platform horizontally out so that I can suspend the camera at passenger eye level.

The most promising thing I've found so far is a Manfrotto Magic Arm:
https://www.manfrotto.co.uk/magic-arm-with-bracket

But I am unsure how I would attach the spigot to the tripod? Or whether using a tripod is even the best solution? I also thought I could buy some rods etc. and extend out but not sure where to start with that.

Unfortunately my limited experience with rigging is hampering my imagination with the options are out there!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

James
 
What kind of vehicle? I ask because you may be able to utilize the arm rests if available. This would be a sturdier option to the seat bottom.
 
What about simply mounting that Manfrotto arm to an apple box placed on the seat and weighed down with some shot bags?

Or, clamping the arm to the sub-structure of the passenger seat, in the front underside of the seat. It is possible you could even mount the arm to the backside substructure of the seat and have the arm running between the seat back and the seat bottom. In other words, force the arm between seat top and seat bottom...place the clamp so it is biting the rear portion of the seat rail closer to the center of the vehicle. Near where a rear passenger's feet would be. The head-end of the arm would end up positioned roughly where a passenger's chin would be, were there a passenger.

Preventing the camera from shaking / juttering on anything but a very smooth road is going to be the difficult part.
 
James Fisher said:
Hello,

I need some advice for rigging. A client wants to record a 360 video from the point of view of a car passenger and after googling for a number of days I'm struggling to come up with a solution.

They don't need full 360 video so I'm going to be testing with a GH5 + Sigma 4.5mm Fisheye for a 360x180 and if that goes well I will probably invest in a Entaniya MFT 250. For this job a one lens solution to aid fast production is the best choice.

So, on to rigging. I've ruled out glass suction and floor-ceiling rod because it will be seen in final video. In my mind I've been imagining strapping a tripod to the back seat/floor behind the passenger seat and then somehow extending that platform horizontally out so that I can suspend the camera at passenger eye level.

The most promising thing I've found so far is a Manfrotto Magic Arm:
https://www.manfrotto.co.uk/magic-arm-with-bracket

But I am unsure how I would attach the spigot to the tripod? Or whether using a tripod is even the best solution? I also thought I could buy some rods etc. and extend out but not sure where to start with that.

Unfortunately my limited experience with rigging is hampering my imagination with the options are out there!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

James
Click to expand...

Do you mean you want the camera to end up where a passenger's eyes are?

Can you just get a shorter tripod then:
- take the head rest off
- strap the tripod to the front of the passenger seat with a couple of ratchet straps going around the back
- use the seat to make adjustments - forwards/backwards, lean forward etc.
 
If there's budget consider hiring a Grip who's experienced a lot of car shoots. Some of the rigging they pull off is mind boggling, & they're safety orientated.
 
Great, thanks for all the help!

Exactly, I want the camera lens to be where the eyes would be.

I'm going to test out the tripod strapped to the seat route. I think this will give me the best chance of getting stability and camera at perfect eye level.

After investigating the magic arm further it sounds like there's a higher chance of vibration.
 
You can just add Apple boxes or anything solid in between the tripod and seat to adjust your horizontal position.

Yes a single magic arm is not ideal at all.
 
James Fisher said:
Great, thanks for all the help!

Exactly, I want the camera lens to be where the eyes would be.

I'm going to test out the tripod strapped to the seat route. I think this will give me the best chance of getting stability and camera at perfect eye level.

After investigating the magic arm further it sounds like there's a higher chance of vibration.
Click to expand...

Tripod strapped to a foam-filled padded seat doesn't exactly shout "stability". :grin:
 
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