Overhead camera rig question

[Gohanto]

Does anyone know what type of camera rig is used for those shots taken directly above the character, and then falls straight down?
A regular crane could do it, but they have an arc when it goes up or down. Plus many of these shots also spiral while moving down (off the top of my head, the overhead shot above the wife's car as she starts screaming).

So what's used to get these shots?

Thanks.

 

[John@dykortech.com]

I believe they use a big long jib so that the arc is minimal even after a descent of 5 to 10ft
. A telescopic technocrane would also do the trick, mind you at a hefty price.

 

[Erik Olson]

You're describing a move with an x-y axis remote head underslung to allow lens-on-center rotation as the jib is lowered.

A Techno won't get you the prescribed shot unless the entire rig was mounted vertically and then you'd still use the x-y for the rotate. For free and clear shooting (where an enormous rigging aparatus would reside just out of frame), you're absolutely describing what I am in the first paragraph.

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[mikkowilson]

To simply overcome the arc of a crane/jib booming down, mount the crane/jib on a dolly.
As you boom down, dolly the whole rig back. As a result the camera can be made to travel directly down.

Text-book way to do a vertical move, before the Technocrane anyway.

- Mikko