The No-Budget, Do It Yourself, Film Maker’s JIB/CRANE Design!
by Don
M.
This particular
crane is designed for the weight of a DVX100, DVX100a or DVX100b. It
extends roughly about 13feet high when my tripod legs are fully
extended. Because I chose to use such a thin stock of aluminum
tubing, I had to re-enforce the crane arm with a nylon rope and a
utility shelf bracket. This method of re-enforcement really helps
minimize the bounce from the extreme length of the front arm of my
crane. I also utilize frame wire (to hang picture frames) to balance
my camera basket. This design helps keep your camera basket at a
consistent tilt level. So even when you tilt your jib arm, the
camera basket’s angle is not affected and stays level.
Just like
myself, I’m sure most do it yourself filmmakers out there want the
biggest, baddest jib. But, simple physics and the principles of
leverage should tell you that you shouldn’t make your crane’s front
arm too much longer than the back arm. My design is a very special
case. I designed my crane to fit in my SUV and still hit my desired
13feet mark. So I’m using more weight that I should be and have to
deal with more bend on my crane.
It would be most
practical to use a 60/40 ratio for the crane arm. For example; if
your crane arm is 10 feet long, then use 6feet at the front balance
point and 4feet at the back balance point. This ratio ensures that
the distribution of weight vs. leverage is somewhat even and easy to
manage with the weight of your DVX camera at the front. If you chose
to use more length in the front of your jib arm without using the
60/40 ratio it will compromise the stability, smoothness, and bend
factor with your jib or crane.
EZ NOTE:
the longer your aluminum jib arm is, the more sensitive it is to
shakiness and bounce. Plus, longer jib arms require more weight to
balance out the back – not so good for ease of transport and setup.
Before building
your jib or crane I strongly suggest that you determine your desired
height for your design… and I mean the MUST HAVE height. Ask
yourself if you are really in need of a large crane or can you
settle for a 4 to 6 foot jib. Sometimes the best jib shots in
movies are the ones you don’t even notice… the shots with only 2 to
3 feet of jib motion. You can always get the best of both worlds by
building yourself a decent size jib and come up with creative ways
to get higher cinematic shots… i.e.; on a bed of a pick-up truck or
on a roof top, or even a bunch of wooden palettes, but be careful –
you wouldn’t want any falling camera operators!
In my opinion
aluminum jibs or cranes are the best all around designs. The
material is easy to find, it’s the least expensive, it’s extremely
light-weight and very easy to drill and cut. And of course, it’s
enough to give that added production value to any no-budget
independent film. So far, I am very happy with the results of my
home made jib design.
Here are some
simple explanations along with some still images to help you better
understand my design. Just click on the thumbnail to view:
Do
YOU have a cheap, low budget, do-it-yourself DVX100 tip or trick that
you'd like to contribute?
If so, just email it to
us and we'll post it up!
Thanks
for helping the grass roots grow!
