If you are an amateur film director, you might need a shot while you are driving. If so, you will need a stand so that you won't be trying to drive the car and operate a camera at the same time. Although many camera stands for cars can be purchased online, it would be much cheaper to build one yourself, and it might be easier.
Where is the Camera Mounted?
One of the first things you will need to determine is where the camera needs to be mounted to get the shot you are looking for. There are several different places in the vehicle where you can mount the camera depending on what you need. Mounting a camera on a dashboard might be good if you need something akin to a police-chase video. However, if you want something from the driver's perspective, it might be beneficial to mount the camera from the driver's headrest. You could mount to the camera to the outside of the vehicle, but that might lead to damage.
Mount the Camera
How you mount the camera is just as important as where you place the stand. You will need to make sure that your camera is secured strongly to the stand. Not only will this keep your shot steady, it will minimize damage to the camera. For a good stand that will give you a shot which can be either in the direct center of the vehicle or directly behind the driver's head, get a 3/4-inch steel square tube about 2 feet long, two "U" bolts, four wing nuts, and one 3/4-inch screw about an inch long. You will be attaching the tube directly to the headrest, using the U-bolts. Measure out the width of the U-bolts and drill holes through the steel tube so you can place them through the holes and around the headrest supports. Make sure the tube is fastened securely to the headrest.
Then, on one end of the steel tube (preferably the end away from the U-bolt holes), drill a hole through the tube for the 3/4-inch mounting camera screw. The stand should be on the back of the headrest, as this will allow the driver (or passenger) to comfortably sit in the car. You can also use this stand to place the camera in other areas of the car. Just add a couple of extra steel pipes with swivel screws to make a rotating arm.
Tags: mount camera, will need, from driver, stand that, steel tube
