FigRig made for $30

Ought2bCommitted said:
Nice! How do you feel it handled?

-Robert
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It handles fine. Obviously you have to have some arm and shoulder strength as well as stamina. It's only for 2-3 minute type shots, unless you brace it or hang it off your neck with a strap.

It offers way better control than the camera handle strap or shoulder mount could.
 
Thanks for posting, I'm still with GenJerDan and am very skeptical about how this actually performs - beside it looking silly. Do you have any footage that you would be willing to post? I would like to see this unit in action ...
 
GenJerDan said:
Advantage #1: it doesn't make you look like a professional, so you may be able to sneak shots in public places more easily without worrying about permits and such.

Especially if there is a short bus parked nearby.
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Dude -- the fig rig gets sooooo much attention. Especially once you have a boom mic, 2 wireless recievers mounted to it, a french flag on your camera, etc.

I take it out in the French Quarter and people gawk like crazy -- I think because it is so unlike anythying they've seen and then has all this black in your face electronincs jutting off of it, it looks pretty impressive.
 
Cool. Wear a ratty tophat and an embroidered tailcoat, and have someone follow behind you, ringing little bells.

That'll pretty much guarantee the first question won't be "Do you have a filming permit?"

:grin:
 
GenJerDan said:
Cool. Wear a ratty tophat and an embroidered tailcoat, and have someone follow behind you, ringing little bells.

That'll pretty much guarantee the first question won't be "Do you have a filming permit?"

:grin:
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HAha!

And while it did feel "cool", the first day that I got it which was around the same time I got my DVX ... it does suck that you can't walk into the mall and steal something with it.

I think once you put a big boom mic on a camera with foam or a windsock, let alone a slick satelite looking thingy woth gizmos all over you are inviting that permit question.

That might be another cool adavantage to the homemade version (other than price) is that it might ot invite the permit question so much.
 
I like Jack's design since it's simpler, lighter, and easy to make (reminds me of the Knight Rider steering wheel).

However, it has less flexibility for control and does not allow one-handed use (get your minds out of the gutter, he he).

Plus you have less area to attach gizmos.

It is nice, though.
 
anyone got some footage they would be willing to share??? When it all comes down to it, all that really matters is if it can produce the shots needed ...
 
Well, mine isn't "homemade", it's a cheap alternative that works. Okay, in almost any photo store, there should be a selection of camera flash adapters or accessory shoe brackets. Some of these are folding and fancy and cost like $80-100+, I found mine in a local camera shop for $20 and I used to have a website listed that carried the same kind. My accessory shoe adapters are put together cheaply, $20 a piece, and can be unscrewed and twisted around for left hand/right hand configurations, though I've broken a couple of these handles before and had to use tape to keep it together, still works fine but the plastic is brittle sometimes. So far I haven't heard from anyone who's been able or even looking to find some of these accessory shoe adapters so I don't know if they're available in just the Gluskins in Stockton, CA or what. I had the website listed and lost it during a computer format, but if anybody really wants to try this, as called once before, "Felis Rig" out for themselves, PM me and maybe we can work something out.
 
waltind said:
anyone got some footage they would be willing to share??? When it all comes down to it, all that really matters is if it can produce the shots needed ...
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Ok here's my rig:
figgy.gif

figgyjdan.gif

-I keep all the doodads mounted on the fig rig -- nice, especially when I have a couple of wireless recievers on there.
-Here its mounted on the tripod, so I can just pick it up and go hand held in a snap with all the gear and not have to dismantle all the gear when I go back to the tripod.
(right click to save for all clips, please)
Here's regualr movement in.
http://live-theater.org/noirfig.mov
Here's over and under cranked.
http://live-theater.org/underovernoirfig.mov

there's a "money" shot using the fig rig at the end of my Zombie Short that's a 45 second take sped up to 7 seconds.

If you are interested in watching the short (2nd place this last fest) and haven't seen it I would see it before you watch the clip in real speed because it is a spoiler. Of course if you've seen the short or don't care - go right to the clip!

Here's the short 6 min short:
http://frenchquarterfeatures.com/SHED_DVD_vers_4_Web.mov

here's the "money shot" in real time -- again SPOILER alert!
now this was at 5 am in 100º heat index on the 12th hour straight of shooting, plus I know I was going to spead it up sooooo fast, but this was the only take I did. What was great about the fig rig for this shot was that I could hold the camera ofver my head, angle it at any degree, and rotate it.
http://live-theater.org/realtimemoneyshot.mov

(to see the other zombie fest winners see the link in my sig)
 
Thanks. I just downloaded the footage, but I'll have to look at it later as I'm going out to dinner now. BTW- Your rig looks great for something you put together yourself!
 
waltind said:
Thanks. I just downloaded the footage, but I'll have to look at it later as I'm going out to dinner now. BTW- Your rig looks great for something you put together yourself!
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ah .... so sorry for confusion!

This is the store bought, autographed by Mike Figgis version, posted assuming that that KingVidiots motion is simillar -- which when I look at the post that he started this thread with he used his homemade for his Zombie short ... which upon checking just now is one if the few I have downloaded but haven't seen yet, so I will watch it next ---- still getting it all of them damnit! and pay attention to the movement of the camera -- maybe he will posts that again, I could host it if he doesn't have the server space and OK's it.
 
Well don't expect much from my short. It was last place for a good reason since it was less than unfinished. I did the whole assembly, extra shots in the beginning, editing, music composition, mix-down, etc. in a total of 10 hours. The test footage took about 2 hours one night, many days before I decided I ran out of time and was forced to use it. Sometimes you just can't "fix it in the mix."

The only FigRig shot is when I get up off of the ground. The OIS was off and I wasn't being too careful since is was a test shot that I never got a chance to reshoot, just like all of the other garage shots.

I'll post something in the next couple of days that actually looks good.

I can't wait to use it in the next contest.

As far as a tripod mount, I could easily add one to the bottom of my rig. All I have to do is rig a Bogen dovetail plate and I'm good to go. I knew there was a good reason to use a wooden dowel for the vertical brace...
 
Well jdanstan, I'm ashamed to admit it took me this long to see your 2nd place entry. It was excellent. The FigRig/tripod seamless pan was money. The reveal with the shotgun was also very good.

That's the power of the FigRig and a talented individual.

Now you've inspired me to really use my rig well. Thanks!

Congrats on the contest.
 
jdanstan said:
ah .... so sorry for confusion!
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OOPS! Thanks for the clarification. Well I had time to look at the clips and I must admit that I liked them. Thanks for sharing.

Here is a dumb question, is this unit supposed to be a steadycam type device? (I thought that it was.) I ask because in the noirfig.mov clip I noticed some wobble from the 2 - 5 sec. marks. This unit looks like it can hold more gear then say the glidecam, but it doesnot seem to be a silky smooth as the glidecam. (Not that your shots were bad.)
 
waltind said:
OOPS! Thanks for the clarification. Well I had time to look at the clips and I must admit that I liked them. Thanks for sharing.

Here is a dumb question, is this unit supposed to be a steadycam type device? (I thought that it was.) I ask because in the noirfig.mov clip I noticed some wobble from the 2 - 5 sec. marks. This unit looks like it can hold more gear then say the glidecam, but it doesnot seem to be a silky smooth as the glidecam. (Not that your shots were bad.)
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You know I'm not sure what that wobble is, I THINK it maybe where I dragged the frane up or down to reframe in post .. but not sure.

As far as being a steadycam type device -- people will shoot you if you say its a replacement for a steadicam, I have the bullet holes in my walls to prove it.

I call it an "allternative image stabilization device", but it is an image stablizer. It was invented by Mike Figgis to go places a steadycam couldn't and do it without a crew, like say stealing some shots of a couple walking down a real New York street.

But you can get REALL smooth with it. The difference is there is no counter weight. The resistance between your two arms is the steadying device, so for that shot it might have been better for me to hold the wheel at 12 and 6 rather than 9 and 3 since the vertical movement would be the key concern in a shot that was moving horizintally.
But you can get glass smooth shots with it though it is a little harder and you can definately get "acceptibley smooth" shots which is what I would call these.
For me I could own one of these for the price of a weekend rental for a steadicam, therebye really make it "my tool" that I learn how to do tricks with etc. and integrate into the way I work as a lowbdudget artist. If I had a shot that needed critically smooth I would dolly or steadycam it though, or do several takes. I do think that you could get close to if not the same as a steadycam with a few takes and some stabilaztion in post. Everything I've done so far however (two films) has had a rough enough aesthetic that the fig rig was perfect, you didn't get seasick, it did have a smoothe feel to it, but with just enough movement to be interesting for what we are doing.

Bogen/Manfrotto has a demo clip though of Mike Figgis chasinhg a couple of actors around london and that should give you an idea of what someone with lots of practive and can do and show the fig rig in its best light .. I'll see if I can find it and post it here ... usually you can find it on the Ebay listings for Fig Rigs ... be right back...
 
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