Filming on a bicycle

K

kazze

(I am not too sure if this is in the correct forum but since its about cameras...)

I want to film on a bicycle and wasn't too sure if something like a steadicam (holding it with one hand while holding the handle bars of the bike with the other) would do the trick. I tried twisting a flexible tripod around the bike rails (with my current camera, a cheap sony screwed on top) granted, the tripod is a cheap thing from Walmart but the camera still bounced up and down so many times I thought would get sea sick just watching a reply of it.

Is there a device or something homemade I could use to ensure a cameras steadiness? Keeping in mind for me, my intention is to use a better quality and heavier camera (2lbs) than what I have. Or, is the steadicam really the only way to go?
 
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Can you have another person on the bike, shooting the shot with a steadycam? I wouldn't try and compose a shot while steering a bike if I were me...or you. If things got ugly that could be dangerous and expensive...

What about pegs on the back of the bike? Have the DP ride on them, with a steadycam. We built a steady cam using the top connection bit of a tripod, connected to a 3 foot metal pipe which has a few 5 pound weights on the end...quick cheap homemade jammer.
 
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Personally, I would take off my tripod head (or screw it and/or the camera to a board) and fasten it to the center of the handlebar and use the straddle bar (boy's bike) as a second point to fasten to - so you would essentially have a "T" shape configuration. This way the weight of your camera won't cause it to tilt forward or fall back.

It's like the commercials where they strap the egg in the box and shake it - the egg suffers no damage, because it didn't bounce. That's what you want with your camera; no bounce, because it is one with the bike.

You could get some killer shots this way! As usual, zoom out or use a wide angle to smooth the image out. Zooming in will make the shots more jarring.
 
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Yes it is a pov shot.
I thought of the tripod head...detaching it from the legs and figuring out a way to fasten it to the bike.
The camera would have to be slightly angled to either the right or the left to utilize the view. I tried it out with the cheap camera (very bumpy and nausiating) and discovered when it was turned slightly, it got a better view.
I don't want to film a bike path...this particular path alighns the ocean and is very scenic.

The other option of course is just walking....I would cycle a bit, get off the bike, film and cycle further down.

While I am both saving and researching for a decent camera, I am trying to figure out just what it is I want to film. I have two different ideas in my head and want to somehow merge them together...without looking like they are two separate ideas (if it makes any sense).

This particular bike path is very smooth, I skate on it as well...and its very wide. A lot of traffic which is good for filming however dangerous for my idea as I stated before.

By the way, on the makeshift steadicam - you take a tripod head and detach it from the legs...you add a 3 foot pole and five pound weights - how did you attach them together so the thing didn't fall apart when using it?
 
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M1chae1 said:
Can you have another person on the bike, shooting the shot with a steadycam? I wouldn't try and compose a shot while steering a bike if I were me...or you. If things got ugly that could be dangerous and expensive...

What about pegs on the back of the bike? Have the DP ride on them, with a steadycam. We built a steady cam using the top connection bit of a tripod, connected to a 3 foot metal pipe which has a few 5 pound weights on the end...quick cheap homemade jammer.
Click to expand...




Can you show a pic of this concotion? Sounds interesting.
 
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Hey thanks guys! I checked out the 'how to' .... I also checked out the webpages for bike attachments and one of sites looks like it is what I was imagining in my head of what to use.
One of them had what looked like the top of a tripod that wrapped around the handle bars - used on motorcycles and the video of it on a motorcycle looked great-
thanks again!
 
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Okay, I tried 2 bungie cords and used the shaft and head of a Gitzo tripod. I rigged it to the bike, as described above, and it was good for a straight on shot. Turning radius is limited, so I would like to play around with where to bungie the head.

Now, here's the funny part: My friend, Paul, walked into the backyard and saw me trying to bungie this contraption. He cocked his head and asked, "They have C-mounts, at Filmtools.com. I have 2 of them." I felt like a white trash filmmaker, but that's okay. :lol:

http://www.filmtools.com/cadellini484.html
 
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Alternative bicycle mount

Scoopicman said:
Okay, I tried 2 bungie cords and used the shaft and head of a Gitzo tripod. I rigged it to the bike, as described above, and it was good for a straight on shot. Turning radius is limited, so I would like to play around with where to bungie the head.

Now, here's the funny part: My friend, Paul, walked into the backyard and saw me trying to bungie this contraption. He cocked his head and asked, "They have C-mounts, at Filmtools.com. I have 2 of them." I felt like a white trash filmmaker, but that's okay. :lol:

http://www.filmtools.com/cadellini484.html
Click to expand...

After looking at the device in that link, it immediately came to mind what could be made from scratch that would accomplish the same job. Go to your local truckstop and get a CB antenna mount with the single bolt and black handle for tightening. Remove the CB antenna stub from it. Take a short 1/4" X 20 threaded stud and mount it in the hole remaing (you will need various washers to close the gap on both sides) along with a couple of 1/4 X 20 nuts and mount this stud into the hole. With everything Afterwards, you can screw the camera onto the top of the stud as cameras and tripod mounts typically use 1/4 X 20. In the mounting of the stud, you might consider the use of rubber washers to dampen out vibration.

If you need something for a heavier camera, consider the mount that uses 4 bolts (usually 3/8" in size).

With this, you should have quick connect/disconnect from the bike. If you are local to Dayton, OH I could help you fabricate this and iron out the bugs. Contact me at hltibbs@gmail.com

Hope this helps.
 
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BTW, we used a clampmount on this short 1 minute movie:


BIG DREAMS


indiemeetbig8a.jpg


(Photo by Alan White)


Yeah, building a clamp is a good idea, too. The one advantage to the above unit is that it has a rotating, all directional head, so that the camera is easily leveled. You could clamp the thing to a vertical bar and still set up horizontally. We mounted the HVX200 on it.
 
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