The weeks seem to fly by now with the fall weather gone and the winter snow arriving WAY to soon. It has been several weeks since I put out another post so I thought it time to get something out today to let everyone know that I am hard at work on new projects. In my last post I spoke about a BMW sign that I had made for a friend of mine and with that thought in mind I decided to make a Mini Cooper logo sign to hang in my garage. This project when I have completed it will look something like the computer image I created shown below.
I came across this design online and as I am currently driving a Mini Cooper S this fit the bill. The reason I have not posted any information about this project until now is because I have been shooting video of the entire project so that everyone can see what it takes to put this kind of project together first hand. The project in itself is a bunch of work (or should I say fun) and so to add to the complexity of the project I have the task of trying to shoot video at the same time. I am in desperate need of a video camera operator here at the shop so it just takes me that much longer to get the shots that I want while building this project at the same time.
Along with this project I am also working on a redo of an earlier project that I put together a few years back. I had designed and built a camera mount that would fit on to a standard paint pole. This allows me to shoot video or photos at a height of 12 or 15 feet above the ground. Here is what my first attempt at this project looked like once it had been completed.
This paint pole camera mount worked out okay but as with any project there was room for improvement. The simple point and shoot camera that I use was good as long as you were lucky enough to get the camera pointed in the right direction. Then you still had to figure out how to press the shutter. I had made a simple mechanical remote trigger that again was just okay to work with.
I still could not see where the camera was looking. The rods sticking out of the base mount on the project are there so that when you rest the paint pole on the ground your camera will not touch the ground when you lay the rig down for cleaning or adjustments. On to Paint Pole Camera Mount 2.
This is the new and improved paint pole camera mount. I designed this one in mind so that a video camera can be mounted to the tilting platform using a quick disconnect mount. The platform can be tipped up or down from zero to forty-five degrees in fifteen degree increments. The camera then is connected to a small video monitor by the use of a HDMI cable. This will allow me to see exactly what the video camera is seeing in real time. I have a remote for the camera to turn on or off the record feature as well as zoom in and out so this works out nicely.
This is the monitor that I will use for the project. It is a 7" LCD display for entertainment purposes in your car. It can be powered by rechargeable batteries and measures 7.6" x 5.15" x 1" thick. I will have to work out the mounting hardware for this monitor and still purchase the necessary batteries and 10 foot HDMI cable for the project but I think it is very doable and will be a great accessory for my video projects. As for shooting photos I can take the video footage that I shoot and then take still from it if I need a single shot. The stand that the monitor is pictured with has to be assembled to the monitor if used in a car. I will not need it so it will be an easier task to mount it the way I want without the hassle of figuring out how to remove a stand if it came that way assembled.
I especially want to say thanks to Scott Eggleston from The Frugal Filmmaker website for the info and help in getting this project off the ground. For you film makers out there check out his website at the link I have here. He has some great inexpensive projects for shooting video that you just have to see.
Also for everyone stay tuned for further developments on these two projects in the coming weeks as it should be interesting to see how they come together. Have a good one and keep on tinkering!
The Frugal Filmmaker
http://filmflap.blogspot.com/
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