This week on Backyard FX, Erik and the crew build a Cable-Cam to achieve awesome cinematic camera angles like fly-thru and overhead shots. The Cable-Cam is like a camera dolly, but instead of being on a track, the camera is in the air on cables or rope, so you can shoot above the action. Erik shows you how to capture these tough angles like the pros for under $30


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Hey, I want to welcome you to our first December BFX episode of the year. And since it is getting ridiculously cold, we though we’d show how to build a rig that you can pretty much use outside. This week, we are not going to show how to make any make-ups or effects but instead showing you how build a cable cam rig. It is basically like a dolly in the air, gliding5 along in a cable or a rope instead of track. This unique film making tool let you get some really cool angles like over the head shots, long tracking shots and crazy flythrough. But before we get started, we got to determine out budget. A hank of No. 8 Close line Three close line pulleys A set of two ratchets straps A handful of 5/16 bolts, wing nut and washers Four 5/16 x 2” eye bolts Two flat-ending plates 1/8 ft 2 x 3 And a chunk of strap 3/4” plywood This week on WEPCTV: Male 1: How have computers changed the recording industry and your job? Male 2: The fact that people can make records on their own is huge. It is definitely opened up the possibilities. WEPCTV is brought to you ASUS and INTEL—you dream it, ASUS build it, INTEL inside it. The first step is cut two 18” length using 2 x 3’s. Place them in a T-shape and nail on a staple plate to each side. Then attach the close line pulleys to each end of this T-Shape, make sure you pre-drill your holes so your wood does not split. Also make sure not to over tighten the mountain screws to the pulleys, otherwise you will break the plastic. Now, grab a scrap piece of plywood that is at least 17 inches long and 2½ inches wide. Cut out one 3” length and two 7” lengths. Then, cut 7” chuck from the 2 x 3. Now we are going to build the top rotating piece that hangs off the T section. With a 3” piece on top, attach the 2 7” pieces like so. Then, screw on a scrap of 2 x 3 to the lower section. This basically acts as an extender but you need an open space in the middle to get the bolt inside. Now we are ready to start building the tilting camera box. First we need to know how mush room your camera needs. Open the LCD and place the camera on another scrap of 2½” wide plywood. Add an extra inch on each side and cut to this length. Next measure the length of your camera. Take half of that and add two inches. We are going to use this length to cut two pieces that become the top sides of our box. The lower side piece should be about the 2/3 the height of your camera. Now using carriage bolts, wing nuts and washers, you can bolt the lower and upper side pieces together. Use some more scrap wood to finish up the square and you got the tilting camera box. Next, set your camera inside the box with the LCD open. Mark on the wood where your tripod mounts needs to go and drill a quarter inch hole, a long quarter inch bolt washer and wing nut will act as your camera mount. Now you can attach the camera box to the rotating hanger piece. Then the whole assembly can be bolted to the T piece. The last thing to build is our rope mounts. Just take a 22” long piece of scrap wood and mount two eye bolts, 18 inches apart. We need to build two of these. Now, grab all these parts and rope, ratchet straps and your camera and you are ready to go on location. Once you get outside, find two trees that are 40 ft apart or less. Use your ratchet straps to attach one of the rope mounts to a tree. Hook the rope through your dolly and tie to this fixed mount. Next, tie the ropes to the other mount and using the second ratchet strap, get the rope as tight as possible without breaking. It is definitely a two person job. Mount your camera and you are ready to go. From the director of Steve Nelson, The Movie, comes in epic three-minute saga though time and space. Okay everyone, I want to share a few things we have learned while using this rig: 1. Never let go of the camera when it is on the rig. One of those ropes can break. Attach your camera to this rig at your own risk. I am serious. Do not sue me. Our rope broke once and it scared the Jesus out of me. 2. Our rig was not really totally balanced. If we are going to build it again, we probably put some counterweights on the lighter side. 3. The two-rope system that we designed is really better for slow camera moves. If you want to get that crazy fly from the jungle up, you should probably stick to a one rope system. Maybe we will build one in a future episode. All right everybody, that is it for this week. Make sure and check out the Steve Nelson test film coming out this Tuesday. And seriously, if you break your camera doing this rig, we are not going to get you any one. Male 3: If you ever need a really cheap dolly, really fast, get a simple chair, and your tripod, put it together, and you got a dolly that you can build around.