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Jib arm with stabilized head for filming on lake?

Tom Lowe

Tom Lowe

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I have a shoot coming up at Lake Powell, and I want to find a jib with a stabilized head so I can skim the Epic across the water at high speed, and race up the canyons with the camera right above the water.

I understand that stablized heads are very expensive to rent? What is the cheapest way I could do this? I will probably be operating from a 26-foot deck boat like this... and shooting from the bow...

1660013180_bc1f73fe97_z.jpg
 
You could go steadicam low mode with a garfield mount and some speed rail. Put the camera in a splash housing. Cheap, all mechanical, no electronics to get wet. You are on a lake, it's fairly flat how stable is the boat at speed? You could build a speed rail mount on the front of the boat and rent a Mako head, they are fairly affordable.

Nick
 
There's a small company that's been at NAB the past two years. They rent small and medium gyro stabilized units that mount efficiently.
It's called a "Tyler Minigyro". (818) 989 4420, tylerminigyro.com
 
Can I undersling the Tyler mini gyro somehow?

I will probably have an ATM dual KS8 gyro rig with me, but there is no real way to get the camera closer to the water with the ATM rig, that I know of. The deck is already a couple feet off the water, and the ATM rig will add another couple feet.

ATM.jpg
 
Have you considered mounting the cam on a small remote controlled helicoptor? Not the tiny ones, the ones with like 8 foot blades that can easily carry a 50 lb payload and are usually have 3-axis gyro stabilized platforms. My friend has a service in DC for this. I am sure that there are others closer to LPowell.
 
haha, i think there have already been some... "issues" flying helicopters over lakes. probably don't want a repeat.
 
The only time I've shot boat-to-boat crane stuff involved a Libra head -- I don't know what the cheaper version of that would be. I suppose with a 5K original you might be able to zoom in and stabilize the footage in post if it's not too rocky.
 
Tom Lowe said:
I have a shoot coming up at Lake Powell, and I want to find a jib with a stabilized head so I can skim the Epic across the water at high speed, and race up the canyons with the camera right above the water.

I understand that stablized heads are very expensive to rent? What is the cheapest way I could do this? I will probably be operating from a 26-foot deck boat like this... and shooting from the bow...

1660013180_bc1f73fe97_z.jpg
Click to expand...

Tom - if you are willing to be a foot or two high... get some old car tires, place appropriately at the front of the boat for shockproofing. Place the high hat (perhaps Mitchell to get another few inches lower) and go for it. If you shoot at a slightly higher shutterspeed you can remove the rest of the bumps using warp in after effects. you will not, however, remain horizontal to the water line and will be at the whims of the boat's manovuring. Alternatively I have learned through experience that the Hunan body makes a pretty bitchin shock absorber... Not reccomending it... Just sayin...

You could certainly jerry rig a badass Jib with ghetto stabilisation but the more arms and hanging bits you have, you will technically always get more wobbles as they are amplified in the structure.

HTH...

Ivan

EDIT:

Ignore everything I said. I reckon the steadycam idea mention above is killer!
+1 to that!
 
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Tom,

you could ask Frog Squad for an advice and solution because they are probably experts in that field...

http://www.frogsquad.co.za/gallery/camera-boats

image

Fatbastard Camera boat

image

Wrecksentinel 2

But my advice is to try with Tyler Minigyro on Kessler Crane+Head that should be fixed very strong, safe and also as stable as possible at the boat floor....
 
I just don't think the Tyler Minigyro is going to be the answer because of wind. Steadicam won't work either, same problem. You stick a minigyro out on a jib head, my bet would be it's going to act like a big sail.
 
Tom hello Long time ...anyway I can advice on a rental configuration and you can do this. PM me.

to sum up. you want to be able to fly just above the water at high speed,

I assume the system will ne at the front.

Question. do you need to control moves of the camera system or could it be a fixed mount as well?

Both possible to get done on the cheap.

regards
 
David Mullen ASC said:
The only time I've shot boat-to-boat crane stuff involved a Libra head -- I don't know what the cheaper version of that would be. I suppose with a 5K original you might be able to zoom in and stabilize the footage in post if it's not too rocky.
Click to expand...

Yeah, maybe some kind of mini Libra head? I wonder if such a thing exists?
 
How about this gyro set up?, hand held from the top handle or maybe slung from a frame using heavy duty bungees. No jib arm but should get the shot your after. I have never used gyros so I don't know how effective they are, apparently they are pretty good?
Good luck with the shoot.


Edit: can you let us know how you went on the shoot? because I plan on using a jet ski in future as one of my camera platforms in the Kimberley.
cheers
 

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What you can do is this. rent 2 or even 4 Kenyon gyros,then all you need to do is make a small platform that I can quickly sketch for you so you can do it on a waterjet cheap.
and a 1 meter boom arm, which it can be an aluminum tube of around 60-80mm diameter 3-5 mm thick.and a few bungies that I will tell you how to mount so you can make a gimbal.and a afew small counterweights like 100 grams to balance the rig with precision.
And of course a waterproof housing for the Epic.

Thats as cheap as you can go on renting stuff and make some easy support system, having dead stabilizing shots with solid horizons on high speed

If you like write me and I will send you a quick design that you can make this very cost effective.

Regards
 
David Mullen ASC said:
The only time I've shot boat-to-boat crane stuff involved a Libra head -- I don't know what the cheaper version of that would be. I suppose with a 5K original you might be able to zoom in and stabilize the footage in post if it's not too rocky.
Click to expand...

just a side note,as David mentioned, in regards to stabilization and movement, you have to be careful with motion blur, or else you will have a steady shot with wierd motion artifacts. shooting a faster shutter will help, but then ofcourse that is a different look.
 
Tom, I second or third the steadicam concept. I did a boat to boat commercial on Lake Michigan with five foot waves and the footage was silk smooth - and I am not an experienced steadicam operator. What we did was clamp the end of the arm to the boat deck and then just operate as normal. That way you have the smoothness of the steadicam without the need for the difficulties of the vest. And since Lake Powell is likely to be quite smooth the steadicam clamped to the boat in underslung mode should work very well. BTW we found this smoother than the Tyler boat mount. Hope this helps.
 
When you all are flying steadicams on hard mounts like this, do you use a different gimbal or other method to "stiffen" the gimbal sensitivity to wind and such? Or do you balance it such that the CG is closer to the camera? In wind, and on "bumpy" platforms, the gimbal freedom seems a hindrance...
 
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