How do you get those perfect overhead shots?

hazelwould

hazelwould

Well-known member
What do you use to get those overhead shots (think PT Anderson's "Hard Eight" inthe diner) that are perfectly overhead of the subjects. I'm looking for the most effective inexpensive way of achieving this shot. Any suggestions?
 
What i've been doing is taking a monopod and extending it out all of the way with the camera on the end pointed at the ground (just like a mic on a boompole). Works well for me.
 
CHEAPEST..... 2 ladders - 2- 12ft 2x6 pieces of lumber clamped to ladder and use a Hi-Hat clamped to those. This works best if it's a locked off shot, and there are no camera moves. Roll camera , get off ladder, call action, stop camera after shot is over.
If your camera rig is heavy, or requires pan, tilt or any movement that would require physically moving the camera. Get a jib. You could get by with shorter pieces of lumber, if the shot does not involve an extra wide shot.... The shorter lumber pieces and having the ladders closer together would be a sturdier platform.
Have grips standing by end of ladders at all times.
This is just the cheapest way I can think of. I would use a jib arm, so I could have more variety of shot angles.
 
I was on a spec shoot once where they had a 10 foot ladder rigged with a board clamped to the top and a hi-hat clamped to the board, then a Sony F-900 ($125,000 camera) on the hi-hat. Did I mention the lack of safety lines on all of this? There were some heavy sand-bags at the base of the ladder, but it still made me very nervous
 
If you don't have a jib with xy remote head underslung, you can get a lot done with ladders, Cardellinis, Speedrail, gag arms and a cheese or wedge plate.

The jib gives you quick, infinite set-ups, the grip equipment I described will give you a safe way to get a series of locked-off shots.

e
 
www.cameraturret.com

I've got the one with the three 3' extensions and a PT20 PTZ head. Combined with a camera Iris/Zoom/Focus control and a cheap monitor you can do some very cool things. Makes for some very smooth camera moves or gets you into places you coulldn't go or get to otherwise. I use it for recording events/concerts, too.

Lots of others on the market as well. Great selling tool for projects also.

But I guess that doesn't work for the inexpensive part does it?:)

mark g
www.newmediadevcorp.com
 
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