To Shoot in a Plane...

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enterdcable

Well-known member
Has anyone shot with the dvx100a inside of a small cessna? It's like a 2 passangeer cockpit airplane that's tighter than the back of a volkswagen. It's VERY shaky too. I took the sony trv9 3ccd cam to test. It's half the size of the dvx and I hand held it. It was pretty shaky. Especially when I had to hold it up, zoomed to frame out the airplane to get scenic shots....

Any ideas even if no one has any such footage? Suggestions? Stumped... thanks.

BTW I can't afford any gyroscope stabilizing systems- lol. Yeah right, I'd get a helicopter then. Not a retired crop pilot doing it for kicks. ;D
 
Re: To Shoot in a Plane...

There are some lovely filters I would like to use up there but with the matte box to hold the filters ontop of the added size of the dvx... well I guess I could have the pilot fly hanging out of the door...

which reminds me, does Panasonic make parachutes for the dvx like AG-DVPARACHUTE or something incase something should happen.

Cheers.
 
Re: To Shoot in a Plane...

Actually I have shot inside an airplane with a DVX-100. Granted, we were on the ground. Have you considered shooting in a larger plane and using the cessna for exterior/establishing?

Here are a couple shots from that scene...the 3rd and 4th pictures down. It was probably a 737 and was at an airline training facility.

http://www.geocities.com/galinmcmahon/thetouch.html
 
Re: To Shoot in a Plane...

The only plane I can afford, via the plane accessible to my pilot who has agreed to do this project under my minimal budget is unfortunately the cessna. Either way, most these single propeller planes are very bumpy.

Those grabs were beautiful and the story sounds very intruiging. I love the comic book/ supernatural element. Would love to see more of your grabs.

The only thing I might comment was the last grab of the exterior, the skin tones seemed to have changed signficantly. Did you balance for day light and tungsten? Maybe tweaking it in post in Vegas, FInal Cut or one of the Avid/Photoshop deals might help match skintone a little more. Just a minute suggestion but I loved it.

Thanks for your help.
 
Re: To Shoot in a Plane...

The only plane I can afford, via the plane accessible to my pilot who has agreed to do this project under my minimal budget is unfortunately the cessna. Either way, most these single propeller planes are very bumpy.
Click to expand...

Then I would suggest you go up when it is not bumpy. ;D

Usually the cooler the temp the smoother the air. Also either early in the morning or late in the evening provides the smoothest ride. The only thing being, do the conditions meet your exterior requirements? If so wait and try it, there are a lot of times I have flown for hours in a C-152/172 where the ride was smooth as glass, low or high altitude. I am a cessna pilot and fly the 172 quite frequently for the Civil Air Patrol.
 
Re: To Shoot in a Plane...

"Then I would suggest you go up when it is not bumpy"...LOL

As a pilot, you point out correctly that the time of day "can" give a smoother flight.
What you haven't addressed, as a pilot, is that the terrain you're flying over also impacts the flight.

As far as smooth shooting in a Cessna, I don't think so....without a stabilizer system, your best hope is to hold the camera as loosly as possible, while still keeping a safe grip, use the viewfinder without pressing your eye to it, and don't use the LCD to frame while you shoot (major mistake). You're going to need to learn to "float" the camera with your arms, not too hard actually.
You can also work with the pilot to adjust the RPM down when you're going to shoot, it helps considerably.
 
Re: To Shoot in a Plane...

:o Excellent guys! I thought the question would be ignored because it was so random, but you guys seriously are champs, the lot of you. I had this idea to get a nice establishing shot of the town I'm shooting, some B Roll stuff, maybe some aerial timelapse, witih this pilot from my father. He is a pilot as well and I remember how beautiful and different the world I thought I knew looked from the small window of a piper.

Also pookie, why shouldn't I use the LCD to frame? Is this a no no? I was told not to trust it for field color production and I have a monitor for that but I never knew not to use it for framing. What do you suggest if the DVX is mount on something like the Glidecam400 with a LCD open/ velcro hoodmount? I thought that was the purpose of the hoodmounts so you can see the framing when you're moving about with the camera away from your body. Sorry not to get sidetracked.

Pookie, in Texas, I would say, "thanks y'all".
In plural, to jweeks, thegreenone, et al that would be, "thanks all y'all."
 
Re: To Shoot in a Plane...

For land based shooting, the LCD works just fine, for air shooting, it's extreamly hard to hold steady looking at the LCD, you'll be suprised how much you move.
Framing using the viewfinder allows much more control, and a much better chance of smooth shots.
Get someone to drive you around town, gravel roads are best, to learn the best techniques to hold your camera (much cheaper than in a plane), you'll be amazed at the difference it will make the next time you go up.
If you've got Glidecam4000, give it the car test, it will help considerably, I just wonder about the room for it in a Cessna (I'd describe it as the trunk of a Volkswagon myself), it may interfere with the yoke...postumous credit as filmmaker....hmm...
 
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Haha indeed pookie. At least technical superviser or something for sure right?

Now I understand what you mean by the viewfinder; also, I will try out doing the tests in the car and who knows maybe I'll learn how to post grabs so I can show you what I come away with. Thanks again.
 
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I wonder how a product like the Cinesaddle would come into play here. (A bean bag really with the camera securely strapped into it). Beats holding the damn camera the whole time and create some stability.
 
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LOL this is from their site at cinesaddle.com:

Our “Tripod Killer” video was shot in some of the most exciting locations in the world and it shows footage taken from helicopters, boats, hot air balloons, cars, bikes, rafts, airplanes and skateboards. Every shot in the film (with the exception of some of the interview scenes) was taken using the Cinesaddle.

***FREE***

If you want to see the video, it's FREE. Just send $10
 
Re: To Shoot in a Plane...

Looks real comfy to use. A good "sorta safe spot to put the camera and hope it looks okay" tool. ;D

Laughs aside, in the interior of the cramped Cessna I think it'd be a splendid idea only i just dropped $1100 on a tripod. Doh!
 
Re: To Shoot in a Plane...

Unfortunatly, while something like the Cinesaddle really helps to save your arms, it offers no isolation to dampen vibration. Usually flight shoots are done in helo's, with a modified Steadicam arm and sled. Sitting in a Cessna, with a pilot threatening you not to bump into yoke again, or else you're going to get some first person skydiving shots, there is actually nowhere to put a Cinesaddle...although I have gotten some interesting suggestions for my equipment placement over the years....
 
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I wonder what the footage would look like if I took one of those pocketsaddles strapped it to my forehead and walked around one day with the dvx in time lapse mode. ???
 
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Hahah. That's great. Well I'll be putting my muscles to use in two weeks. Wish me luck. And also to the pilot out there who helped me before thanks- I'm planning on going early morning when the air level of the cool ground and the cool air are equal. This should go for a smoother ride (because some air turbulence and vibrations and more noticeably the dips are caused by the heated air coming up mixing with the higher altitude's cooler air etc.) Plus its the golden hour anyway and my exterior exposures should be nice and even- just right!
 
Re: To Shoot in a Plane...

Well as a C152/172 pilot myself, pookie is right, but it didn't rate an "LOL". Time of day, temperature, terrain (light or dark and flat or hilly) and the kind, altitude and amount of cloud cover are all conditions that contribute to whether your flight is smooth or bumpy - it's called turbulence. If you want to shoot a specific location from the air, then regarding terrain, what you see is what you get.

I also agree with J. Weeks that early mornings and/or during cooler weather, the air is more dense and thus more stable. As the sun heats up the earth (dark parts first), the air nearest the earth also heats up and burbles up through through the cooler air and makes "bumps". Further, that same warming air can hit the underside of a cloud layer and bounce back downward, generating even more bumps, so if you try to avoid flying right under a cloud layer by at least 1,000 feet that will help. I have also logged many hours across Chesapeake Bay, the Shenendoah Vally and Appalachia in a single trip in smooth as glass air and drinking coffee without spilling a drop.

If you are going to film your town or some fixed location on the ground, ask your pilot pal to fly a steep right-hand turn - at least 45 degrees of bank. This will enhance your camera view out the right side AND because the vertical component of lift (the anti-gravity component) must remain constant to stay at altitude and the horizontal component must increase to create the turn, the wing loading must increase, which means that your ride should smooth out somewhat. In effect, you are creating a smaller, but stronger fist to punch through the air mass.

Does that make sense?
 
Re: To Shoot in a Plane...

My LOL was to going up when it's not bumpy, unless you're up there it's rather hard to tell. Yes there are times of day when your odds are better, but if you want smooth shots, obviously going when it's not bumpy is best...

I've also spent many years flying in small aircraft, and helicopters, not as pilot but as a Steadicam operator, and while, as you say you can fly in "smooth as glass air and drinking coffee without spilling a drop", you'd probably be amazed how different smooth as glass looks through the viewfinder.

Good points RC, I think our friend will get himself some usable shots.
 
Re: To Shoot in a Plane...

Help was indeed much appreciated and sparked great ideas.

Rogue- breath taking isn't it? Shenendoah Valley is gorgeous. And I know exactly what you're talking about.

Pookie- I laugh out loud a lot too. You know what they say about laughter, it's the best medicine. So all those dead people out there- they must not laugh a lot.
 
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