Aftershock dual camera mount head

Gary Sconce

Gary Sconce

Veteran
We needed a way to mount dual cameras vertically for our special effects shoot on green screen. We will be shooting with an HVX mounted sideways to gain pixels in the frame and also with a RED ONE to get access to the 4K. Both cameras had to be in the same column, not binocular in view.

I had old attic ladder steps, complete with rubber pads. I took three of them, cut them to size with my plasma cutter and welded them together in a 'C' shape. I then added 1/8" plate strengthened by 1/4" square stock underneath to the base to make it bulletproof (It will have an HVX and a RED on top... No droppie allowed!).

I boxed the base and plasma cut a hatch in the top of the base to have access to tighten fasteners on the tripod mounting plate. Here it is:
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As all the sides are boxed it became very strong.
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The variable mounting holes are at 3/4" centers and are for mounting an HVX sideways with either the screen up or down depending on the desires of the DP.
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Here is the back of the plate.
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This is the lone mounting hole on the base for an upright camera. It is directly under another above it for an exact match on vertical view.
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Here is the base box opened showing the hardened plate in side with the mounting hardware fastener.
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Here the top variable mounting holes for the RED (or whatever).
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And finally, the variable mounting holes on the side to mount an HVX sideways again. I am hoping to test with camera tomorrow... If I can get away from set construction for a few...
 
Another use for the head is to shoot with close up on one camera and then wide on the other at the same time from the same tripod... Always getting the dual shot even on crane, dolly movement, and panning. Yay! :Drogar-Love(DBG):
 
Gary Sconce said:
Another use for the head is to shoot with close up on one camera and then wide on the other at the same time from the same tripod... Always getting the dual shot even on crane, dolly movement, and panning. Yay! :Drogar-Love(DBG):
Click to expand...


Very innovative!

How do you adjust and account for the different camera heights for the same shot, CU and wide? Do you mount pan tilt heads on the plates? Because the cameras will not be looking at the same point vertically.
 
The holes in the plates are slightly over sized in their diameter and will allow for shimming of the 'off' horizontally mounted camera to align the two views. Simple and effective. That is not what we needed here however.

In the special effects shots this mount was designed for, the HVX sideways (to gain pixels of the tall vertical image) can be rotated in the Y axis to match the RED on top with no shimming. :)
 
ZazaCast said:
...but where does the third camera go? :)
Click to expand...

I have invented a small experimental gravitronometric antigravity strong force amplification device on the inside of the plates that solidifies gravity waves into whatever form I dial in and floats the camera in the actual middle of the 'C' shape...

Aw, can't fool you! There will be a RED with a 501 mount on the top of the 'C' and an HVX will be mounted with a 501 mount inside of the 'C' sideways. The RED will be able to pivot in the X direction and the HVX will pivot in the Y direction so both will be able to focus on the same point/shot. The HVX will be sideways to gain pixels on the greenscreen shots and the RED will be there just to get the 4K. I am not sure which will be on close up or wide, that is up to Matt. The RED is just so blammed easy to key out stuff, its image will probably be the one used ultimately.

(Dream sequence: *** I see Panasonic... They finally get smart... They produce an affordable tweaked HPX500 electronics set in an inexpensive HPX170 sized body... With a built in Nikon 35mm adaptor... It shoots 6K... I buy three... *** poof *** I wake up.) Dang. :(
 
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