car mounts in the rain

[Daniel Carruthers]

Hey I got to mount a camera to a hood of a car tomorow

and we've been getting some heavy rain lately

Im using a suction mount,and I know when you applie the mount the surface has to be dry.

so my question is,if it starts raining during the shot,do I have to worry about the mount coming lose or sliding off the car.

I wouldnt think it would happen,because those mounts are very strong

but cant be too safe

[Warwick Hempleman]

Assuming the surface is dry and the suction is dry when you pump the cup, the bond should not be affected by rain. In any event, you'll also want to have a strap or safety over the rig to reinforce the seal and keep the whole thing from falling off. Just keep checking the pressure level on the limpet between takes, and if possible have a 12 x 12 frame on hi rollers and covered with tarp or Griffolyn available to put over the car while you (and everybody else) work on the car and the rig(s).

[Jarin Blaschke]

My main concern would be the rain passing between the camera and the subject. You can't close the window, because that would obscure them more, and if you put up a clear barrier between the camera and the side of the car, you have a sound issue. If you use something soft, like fabric for this barrier, it alters the lighting since it's opaque. Perhaps the lesser evil, though.

[Jon Rosenbloom]

I think he said it's a hood mount.

[robert duke]

Anytime I use the suction cup camera mounts I back them up with ratchet straps. In the rain the cup still holds but it can slip a little. But definitly back it up.

 

For a hostess tray a floppy or frame of muslin works as a rain barrier for cast protection. I have some photos that I will dig out and try to post of a show where we mounted the camera in the rain on a hostess tray.

[Michael K Bergstrom]

Anytime I use the suction cup camera mounts I back them up with ratchet straps. In the rain the cup still holds but it can slip a little. But definitly back it up.

 

For a hostess tray a floppy or frame of muslin works as a rain barrier for cast protection. I have some photos that I will dig out and try to post of a show where we mounted the camera in the rain on a hostess tray.

 

 

I back up EVERY camera mount with ratchet straps, I just built a "hoodmount" that was a foot above ground level level with a piece of speedrail, a couple cartellinis, and a couple gobo heads, and a cheeseplate, I was able to stand on it with now problem (5x what the camera weight, no vibration) . If you want to be a rigger, never say "impossible"

[Tim O'Connor]

I back up EVERY camera mount with ratchet straps, I just built a "hoodmount" that was a foot above ground level level with a piece of speedrail, a couple cartellinis, and a couple gobo heads, and a cheeseplate, I was able to stand on it with now problem (5x what the camera weight, no vibration) . If you want to be a rigger, never say "impossible"

 

 

Would you post a picture if you get a chance? Sounds cool. Thanks.

[Michael K Bergstrom]

Would you post a picture if you get a chance? Sounds cool. Thanks.

 

 

Here it is, this is just a few hours old, taken with my camera phone. The camera is covered (due to rain in Ketchikan, Alaska) but it's has a clamp with a c-stand arm stablilizing it. Since I flew commerical with six bags, with a limited budget and no idea what I was dealing with, I had a limited supply. This is what I rigged when I arrived on location. The speedrail is supported by the gobo heads and clamps (which should have been reversed in hindsight), which in turn supports the cheeseplate and leveling head. the rachets make it tight (the downward pressure of the weight of the camera tighening and leveling the head.). No problems through the night with any loosening or shifting. Oh, and it was raining steadily. Since it's the rainforest.

 

 

 

[JD Hartman]

That's mounted onto what vehicle? Ford Excursion, Expedition, Explorer, F-150? What was your attachment point under the bumper, factory tow hooks, frame rails or something else?

[Warwick Hempleman]

I have a few nit-picks: The pipe's too short, it always needs to fill the clamps and preferably extend a little beyond. It kind of looks like the grip arm is extending too far below the rig and could have caught things on the road or the road itself in the event of bump. And I echo JD's question about your attachment point.

 

But it worked for the night, so live, learn, and improve for the next time.

Edited December 8, 2008 by Warwick Hempleman

[Michael K Bergstrom]

That's mounted onto what vehicle? Ford Excursion, Expedition, Explorer, F-150? What was your attachment point under the bumper, factory tow hooks, frame rails or something else?

 

I believe it was an F-150. (maybe a 250?) it was a big work truck. The attachment point was on the factory tow hooks (which are part of the frame) The orange ratchets are connected directly to the frame.

 

The pipe's too short, it always needs to fill the clamps and preferably extend a little beyond. It kind of looks like the grip arm is extending too far below the rig and could have caught things on the road or the road itself in the event of bump. And I echo JD's question about your attachment point.

 

Thanks. As mentioned in my post, I had a very limited supply, this isn't anywhere near what it should be, but it's literally what I had in my suitcase. Production had mentioned they wanted a hood mount, but not that they wanted it a foot off the ground.

The arm is about 8 inches off the ground, and I had driven the route prior to this rig to check the road. Wish I had longer pipes and a shorty arm but I had a 50 lb limit of equipment.

[Jon Rosenbloom]

Nice work. Less is more! (Yeah, you could have flipped the arm so the excess was pointing up.)

[John Sprung]

Im using a suction mount,and I know when you applie the mount the surface has to be dry.

Back 30 years ago when I was doing this, the trick I was told was to clean everything, then wet the suction and car surface with beer. (Robert Elswit sent me to go buy a beer one night down on skid row.... )

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Rik Andino]

I back up EVERY camera mount with ratchet straps.

If you want to be a rigger, never say "impossible"

 

This should be common knowledge for any car rig!

And rig that's moving should have ratchet straps.

I cant see any grip Ive worked with doing it differently.