Camera follow a hand but not show the person?
 

Sorry guys didn't know where I should post this but here it goes,

I want to create a shot where all you will see is someone's arm/hand out in front of the camera like from a persons perspective as if was there own hand. It won't be my hand so I don't know how I could get this shot to work with me not being the hand that is going to be followed. Let me explain it is for a rap group and the guy is black and I am white kind of hard to fix that in post ;-). So does any one have an idea how I can compose this shot believably. His hand will be moving fast through a crowd too so that is another thing for me to consider. Any help would be much appreciated.

My first inclination would be to say to bluescreen someones hand, and use it as an overlay. Older movies that did this usually had a white glove on the hand.

Doesn't seem like it would be too hard to have the guy walk next to you with his arm outstretched in front of the lens. It might be a little awkward as you move through the crowd, but if he holds his arm at the right angle it should look okay.

The key to the illusion, really, is making sure the people in the crowd LOOK INTO THE LENS if they are supposed to be making eye contact with him.

You could consider a dolly shot with you and the Hand actor both on the dolly. It may make it easier to keep the hand stable and in the same shot position.

Or, let the actor shoot his own hand. Either hand held, or mount the camera to his chest...

Never seen it done, but could you strap a stand off to his arm (out of frame) that would hold the cam a constant distance from the hand? You would still need to support the cam and follow him through the crowd but it would elimnate changes in depth.

Hadn't thought of a Dolly that's a good idea and I like the idea of strapping the arm down. Does anybody know of a site that sells dollys and stuff like that resonably priced?

Does it have to be a real hand?

Finding a wheelchair cheaply would be one way to do it.

You can also use an image stabilizer (instructions are on the internet for home built ones... search google).

Yes it need to be a real hand as he will be using it to grab butts (girls that is) it's a music video.

I'd like to volunteer my services as a hand.

lol! I wish it was my job as well but unfortunatley not.

hand-in-shot
 

I did this years ago with my own version of what is today marketed as the "EasyRig." Check the website www.16x9inc.com/406 for details.
In the old days a video camera required a separate recorder so I mounted the recorder to a backpack frame, attached some pipe and a springloaded line through a pully and had a crude but effective tool. I could mount it on a police officer and get really cool POV footage of driving, guns being fired, reports being written, etc. I'm sure the EasyRig is more professionally built and probably more versatile than my monster-rig.