I tried out something new this evening… I mounted my camera on a four-wheeled flat car and placed it on a section of double track. Then I pushed it along by hand, keeping it pointed at the train which was running on the adjacent track. I shot two different angles – one with the camera slightly ahead of the train, looking back at the loco; and the other with the camera slightly behind the loco, looking forward at it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNoF3X4ok_4&feature=channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwpI-DoPRsg&feature=channel These videos aren’t perfect but they’re pretty cool, and the technique is very promising.
Awesum!!!
Thanks! I have some ideas for improvement… I need to figure out a way to keep the camera steadier. I managed to dampen the vibrations a little but it needs more work. The camera car rocks too much, so I have to fix that too. Also, it’s tricky to keep the camera pointed at the train – I can’t see the image on the view screen very well when I’m pushing the camera car.
Ray: My previous videos have all been made using Styrofoam block in a gondola. I cut the styro to fit the car nice and snug, then cut a slot to hold the camera at the angle I want, I cut this slot a little bit undersized to hold the camera very steady. I have a small felt pouch that I put over the camera to protect it from the styro. On my camera the view screen flips out and will pivot so that the screen points straight up and when I stand up looking down on the car I can see what the camera is looking at.
Yeah, I’ll be doing something along those lines. Except my camera doesn’t have the moveable screen, which is why it’s so tricky.