Well, all I'm really interested in for these specific shots is a high POV. I actually don't want any movement.

However, a 24-foot ladder is going to cost me more than $100 anyways. May I ask where you got the instructions for building your crane?

No plans or blueprint. Everything at the Home Depot except for the stop sign square stock that is available in several guages so it slides inside each peice getting smaller the further away from the fulcrum.

The heavy caster has its wheel removed and a stub welded on to fit on the speaker stand. The built in bearing is perfect. The sign post stock is drilled all the way down so only a nut and bolt are needed where the wheel used to be.

Add a painters pole for tilt control at the end of the boom. Weights from the use it again store. Mounted to threaded rod.

I'll take a photo next time I rig it together....

Cool. I'd love to see a pic.

I recommend having quite a few grips there to hold you steady if you're going up 24 feet. I was on a 20-footer about 3 months ago, changing the bulbs in some ceiling mounted spotlights. That ladder was NOT steady. I definitely recommend some people to stabilize things. Rather common sense, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

Yeah, especially since one of the shots will be on grass (unstable perhaps?) and the other will be over pavement (ouch?). d:-)

I'll probably also throw some sandbags across the bottom steps.

Well, I found a ladder online today that is 10' with a nice standing platform on the top. It has a "safety railing" on 3 sides at 12', which is where I would rig up the camera. It's not as high as I wanted, but it'll have to do. Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

I may have skimmed past someone answering this, but if you want to use scaffolding and can't find it call your local film gear rental house. They may not carry any but if they're anything like the one I work for they'll find it and gladly sub-rent to you.

Hey, Travis- Share the link with the rest of us?

high shots
 

Travis, appears you have already gotten some good advice. I recently used a fork lift with a pallet on the forks, shot from twenty feet high. The lift was quiet and allowed movement as well.

Rand






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failure can not contend with persistence

Perhaps this is ok in Uganda BUT!!!!
 

Nice tip above but some sage advice:

If you work higher than 10 feet even in a cage you must wear and use properly fall restraint equipment. Failure to do so can result in 3 possible outcomes 2 of which are quite undesirable.
1. Nothing. Everything will be ok and nobody gets hurt.
2. You fall and are seriously injured causing your client much greif and unwanted attention from the WSIB and the labour inspector.
3.You don't fall but the labour inspector fines you and the company for allowing such a contravention of the OHSA. About $1 large in fines and you get fired from the job.

Proceed with care and due diligence.

Good points. For me a forklift wouldn't work because of the shoot in the park, and even getting one up on the top floor of a parking garage might be a hassle, but still a good idea for other situations. Thanks.

In case anyone is looking for a nice jib which allows pan and tilt, check out one made by Dykortech.

http://www.dykortech.com/

I had a chance to try one at NAB and liked the way it was built. It also handled very smoothly with no unwanted wobble or vibration.

Price wasn't bad, all things considered.

That does seem pretty decent overall. I've never used a jib. How's the learning curve?

I spent about five minutes with it and started to get the hang of it. The person who built the jib asked if I'd ever used one before and seemed surprised to hear that I hadn't. Of course I nearly bopped someone in the head at one point, but I'm a novice.

Which brings up another point: someone who has spent a lot of time in production mentioned that jibs usually have operators working with spotters to prevent possible problems like that. Something to consider when working over a crowd.

You can rent a gradall from a local hardware rental store for significantly less than what you can probably rent one made specifically for video making. They extend over 30 ft in the air and have a nice big platform to stand on.

-Sam