shooting out car window in cold/snow

[Grainy]

hi guys - I'm thinking about a shoot this winter already and the plan is to get our moving shots (driving through neighborhoods) by pointing the camera out the window of a moving car. Simple - but I'm worried about frost/condensation and temp variables between inside car and outside snowy tundra. Shooting regular old tri-x

Any tips?

thanks

G

[Paul Bruening]

Done it. Works fine. Don't run the heater real hot and leave the window open. You can set a baby tripod in the back seat of a 4-door sedan (two legs on floor and one on plywood sheet running length of seat) and shoot through an open window. Use nylon ratchet straps to keep it from teetering. If the glass is good enough, clean enouph and you use a polarizer at the right angles, you can shoot through the glass and stay toasty warm. That really pisses off the talent. Hang backwards over the front seat to operate the camera and you can even pull focus and some pans and tilts depending on the lens and window frame.

 

My fav car dolly trick is to bolt the baby or high-hat to a 4' X 4' sheet of 1" plywood. Put the rig on a trunk or hood. Shim it with sections of tightly rolled carpet to level and protect the paint. Then strap it down with nylon ratchet straps. Use lots of straps in case your driver has to slam on the brakes. Wrap an old towel or use carpet scraps to keep the nylon straps from scrubbing the paint. Use a smooth riding car and deflate the tires only a little for low speed shots like follow-walks (bring a big air tank or 12V compressor). The brakes need to be smooth or the car might shimmy and you will hear that brake, stuttering thing.

 

It sure looks funky. But, it works fine.

[Grainy]

good deal - thanks for the tips Paul!

[Robert Hughes]

Old what's his name, you know, the guy who did 2001 and Barry Lyndon? On his first movie he borrowed an Eyemo 35mm news camera from a friend, set up a tripod in the bed of a pickup truck and captured his dolly shots with that.

 

But remember - safety first! Don't do anything that could get you or somebody else hurt. That's rule #1 in real world filmmaking.