DIY $15 < Boom Pole

Hey guys,
I just finished making a short this morning and I thought I'd share my idea for a boom pole (it cost me about 14 dollars and change) because I've seen a bunch of DIY ones that are just to complicated! This takes exactly 3 min to make and it extremely simple!!!
I have an ATR-55 (it came with a shock mount so basically all i needed was a pole)
here are the ingredients for your boom pole:
Shock Mount (if your already have one than you save $) :)
A paint roller extension pole $4-12
Wooden male to female on one end and female to male on the other (in home depot there called three wooden piece extensions found in the paint isle) $3.97
A razor (free if you have one and around a $1 (at the dollar store) or $5.
Extension audio cable (Radioshack 25' $7.99)
Velcro Ties $3.99

Recipe:
Attach (1) wooden extension pole (you'll have 2 left over just in case you cut to much off) to the paint roller extension pole.
Next take the razor and shave off the threads on the wooden extension pole (DO NOT SHAVE TOWARDS YOURSELF!!! ALWAYS SHAVE AWAY FROM YOURSELF!!! I am not responsible for any injuries) (also be careful not to shave off too much otherwise your shock mount wont fit snug)
Last you should be able to twist the shock mount onto the shaven wooden pole, the fit should be snug. (your basically using the shock mounts inner threads to create new threading on the wooden pole, because nowhere in home depot (or so I was told) can you find really fine threading couplers for wide threading)
For extra strength (you don't need to do this because its pretty strong without but i put it on anyway.) you can wrap some electrical tape around the base of the shock mount and around the wooden pole. (its not sticky thats why I used it instead of Duck tape)
Now that the pole is complete you can wrap the audio extension cable around the pole and to keep it from unwinding you can Velcro it.

Well there you go.

Mine worked GREAT it got smacked a couple times by a fan (boom operator wasn't paying attention) and its still in perfect condition not wobbly or anything!

I hoped I saved you guys some time and money!!! :)

You can check out the film at:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-162337104270250390

Comment and tell me what you think!
:cool:
~ The Camera Girl ~
 
Cool stuff. Welcome here, by the way. Did you ever have any problems with the cable popping or mic sounds? We tried a home made boom pole similar to that and the audio was unusable due to cabe interference.
 
Thanks guys,
I had no problems with the cable or any problematic mic sounds. The Velcros helped a lot and I made the boom operator wear workers non-slip gloves ($2.93 at Walmart) so that his hands wouldn't slip around on the pole.
Well I have plenty of other tricks for DIY filmmaking I'll be sure to post them!
:)
 
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This is an excellent idea. Any light weight extension type pole which will not bow and creek under mic and blimp weight will do.

Sometime miking from under allows us to move closer to the talent and use a shorter pole. Gripping a long boom can be very tiring after a while.
 
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