Homemade Movie Equipment
Real professional filmmaking equipment is incredibly expensive to buy and costly to rent for a limited amount of time. But basic movie-making equipment can be made yourself for incredibly cheap as long as you know how the equipment is supposed to work and what you will be making.
Homemade Boom Pole
A boom pole is supposed to hold a boom mic or external microphone over the action as it is happening out of the camera frame so you can get proper sound for each scene. These boom poles can be made out of a long painter's pole or even a wooden broomstick. The microphone can be taped to the end of the broomstick or painters pole and hung over the action without it entering the frame. Make sure to tape the wire from the boom microphone to the homemade boompole itself so that it doesn't drift into frame and ruin the shot.
Steadicam
A steadicam is a piece of camera equipment that allows the camera to float along with the action without it shaking the camera unnaturally. These rigs are incredibly expensive to rent or buy but can be made in a very unique and interesting way, giving the camera a smooth, dream-like feeling as you move through shots. By taking a box large enough to fit your camera, cut a hole in the front so that your camera lens can see out of it clearly. Cushion and protect the camera with pillows or other types of padding. Then close the box and run a rope or chain around the box in the middle of all four sides, line a bow would go around a present. Tie it to a long end and balance the box with weights so the camera hangs level when you pick up off the ground by the single rope. The camera will then float naturally as you walk, creating a unique homemade steadicam.
Dolly
A dolly helps a camera move, rise and lower smoothly and steadily. These are large pieces of equipment that take a lot of manpower to set up and operate, never mind the incredibly expensive cost of buying or renting. However, by simply purchasing a used wheelchair that has good wheels and smooth traction against the ground, you can create a simple dolly which will provide you with very smooth, usable shots that you would never be able to get by simply holding the camera in your hand and moving with it.
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