Filming from moving vehicles

[harriet healey]

Hi. I'm making a film based around road marking and I'm in need of some advice on how best to shoots from a moving car. I am aware of several types of gripping equipment but I'm eager to learn what has worked best for others, what problems I am likely to encounter and how to overcome them.

I am a final year film student so my budget is very limited but any advice in this area of filming would be greatly appreciated.

[David Rakoczy]

Please do not double post... it only wastes the Member's time.

[Adrian Sierkowski]

It will all depend on what type of shots you want. It could be as simple/cheap as a furnie pad and resting the camera on the car door, or as complicated/expensive as the Ultimate arm or other types of car-rigging. What is best and brightest idea would be to look for an experienced key grip and talk it over with them.

[Chris Keth]

You've only given us a quarter of the information we need to formulate a response. What shots of what action are you filming? What vehicle(s) do you have access to? What equipment do you have access to? Any special concerns like staying under police radar because you don't have permits for this type of thing?

[harriet healey]

You've only given us a quarter of the information we need to formulate a response. What shots of what action are you filming? What vehicle(s) do you have access to? What equipment do you have access to? Any special concerns like staying under police radar because you don't have permits for this type of thing?

 

I will be filming the road's surface and markings most likely with a JVC HD110, Panasonic DVX100 or something smaller should this not be possible. I have inquired about permission to film on local roads but don't yet know if I can as such there is a chance that I will have to film covertly.

[Tim O'Connor]

I will be filming the road's surface and markings most likely with a JVC HD110, Panasonic DVX100 or something smaller should this not be possible. I have inquired about permission to film on local roads but don't yet know if I can as such there is a chance that I will have to film covertly.

 

 

If you have limited resources, one approach that can work well is to shoot out of a vehicle

such as a minivan with the sliding door open. You can shoot off of the tripod. Just be careful

and have a good driver. Going slowly helps a lot too. Any type of hatchback car can work too

if you can fit in the back. That might be useful for shots of the lines in the road, before and after,

"dollying" past the work.

[Chris Keth]

If you have limited resources, one approach that can work well is to shoot out of a vehicle

such as a minivan with the sliding door open. You can shoot off of the tripod. Just be careful

and have a good driver. Going slowly helps a lot too. Any type of hatchback car can work too

if you can fit in the back. That might be useful for shots of the lines in the road, before and after,

"dollying" past the work.

 

These are your best bets, I think. I've shot out of minivans quite a bit and made some great shots. Just make sure you're safe about it. If you're not going too fast, you might let some air out of the tires. It smoothes things out. Just remember to reinflate them when you're done!

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Yepper, Mini-Van will work pretty well, just make sure, as mentioned, you (first) are safe and the camera is secured some way so as not to "slip"

 

Your other bet, depending on the shot, a doorway dolly and a push. If you're in close enough you can probably get away with it on any road without being able to tell it's not from a car.

[Brad Grimmett]

If it were me, I'd just do it hand held with a safety to the camera just in case. In that situation a tripod can be constricting, in my opinion.

[Hal Smith]

One idea is to film from a large American luxury sedan. Big old whale cars are a much more stable platform. Absolutely perfect would be a convertible.