wire suspended camera

genie wrote on 4/10/2006, 7:45 PM

Hi,

Has anybody experimented with suspending cameras from wires rather than using dolly's - maybe a poor man's version of the superflycam, etc.
I have the idea of suspending the camera from a pulley which tracks along a suspended wire, with the wire taking all the weight, and then steadying the camera and pointing it by hand. In other words the camera is only 1.5metres or so above the ground.
It has interesting possibilities because it is simple to set up and the texture of the ground below then becomes irreclevant - but subtle vibration may be a problem and it might need a couple of wires instead of one.
Has anybody experimented with such a device or come across sites or posts that are relevant to the subject?

thanks
Genie

Comments

johnmeyer wrote on 4/10/2006, 8:01 PM
Sounds like what the NFL uses with the camera suspended over the field. You might try searching to see if you can find information about their system.
Serena wrote on 4/10/2006, 8:09 PM
This technique was employed for some fast overhead tracking shots of horse riders in Lord of the Rings. It wasn't a simple camera rig, being computer controlled. The best thing is to try it out -- easy to do and you'll quickly identify the difficulties.
farss wrote on 4/11/2006, 12:01 AM
I think in the days before CGI this technique was used to create some dramatic shots.
Stick an arrow in a dummy, wire the arrow to a platform hung from a flying fox that also hold the camera. Pull back and reverse in post. Voila, shot of arrow flying into victim, needs some rotoscoping to remove the wires.

The pulley system used for sliding wardrobe doors would be excellent as they're nylon, coated clothesline rope might be good as the wire as it's pretty smooth or else coated steel wire.
Bob.
richard-courtney wrote on 4/11/2006, 6:00 PM
I thought there was a post on homebuiltstabilizers.com as side
project but can't find it. (I'll update the link if I find it)

The design used 3 wires, two to support and one to move the sled.
The sled had four white plastic (nylon?) bushings in each corner that
the two support wires passed through. A radio control for model
airplanes controlled a motor wthat the third wire was wrapped in
a helix on a spindle. The camera was a consumer model due to
weight /drag was not teathered.

I would think an ATV (amateur tv) transmitter kit could relay the
signal back to you.