Buying a dummy body/head?

[themagichoof]

Maybe something like this. If you're doing a one-man job appearing on camera, I can see a dummy being beneficial since it'll allow to get the lighting and framing right. I have no idea where to buy one of these. Maybe someone can point me in the right direction?

 

[David W. Jones]

You might search ebay for mannequins.

 

[Greg Smith]

Makes me think of Otto, the inflatable "autopilot" in the movie "Airplane!"

- Greg

 

[David G. Smith]

If you really want one, search eBay as noted above or look for a local store fixture store and ask them. I understand your point of wanting one, but I disagree with it being that handy on a shoot with minimal crew. I just think that unloading, hauling, adjusting and keeping up with a mannequin, especially on a one man band shoot, would be more hassle than it would be worth. IMHO. What you need is to just ask some one, a PA or what ever, to be available to hop into a shot when you may need to make some lighting adjustments. That would be a lot quicker then setting up and moving a mannequin around.

 

[tom_wise]

If you really want one, search eBay as noted above or look for a local store fixture store and ask them. I understand your point of wanting one, but I disagree with it being that handy on a shoot with minimal crew. I just think that unloading, hauling, adjusting and keeping up with a mannequin, especially on a one man band shoot, would be more hassle than it would be worth. IMHO. What you need is to just ask some one, a PA or what ever, to be available to hop into a shot when you may need to make some lighting adjustments. That would be a lot quicker then setting up and moving a mannequin around.

Yeah! I second that! I have a mannequin, and She's lovely, right out in the yard where she belongs ( made an art installation with her). I am forever asking folks to hop into my sets to help me. I've even hopped into them myself.

 

[Michael Carter]

This goes waaaay back (for me) to shooting fashion stills and using polaroid backs to tweak exposure. With girls (or corporate portraiture subjects) in makeup, I found I was often jumping into the shot with a remote (or using the timer). These days it's much easier with digital. But if you don't have an assistant and nobody is standing around (and on corporate or retail location stuff, it can be very hard to find someone willing to get in front of a pile of pro gear - it can intimidate people, especially "average" women), make sure you have a tripod. You don't even need a remote for video, hit record, run in, aim your face/body in whatever positions may be used, and review the shot. I find I do this a lot on one-man setups because I'm often the first or only one in the room.

I just can't see hauling a mannequin into a location... people worry about their PVC pipe rigs looking professional, but that could look a little serial-killer-ish...