Killer Camera Rigs That You Can Build: How to Build Your Own Camera Cranes, Car Mounts, Stabilizers, Dollies, and More!
Amazon Exclusive: A Letter from Dan Selakovich onKiller Camera Rigs That You Can Build, Third EditionDear Amazon Readers,This new third edition ofKiller Camera Rigsis so much bigger than the last two, and frankly, much bigger than I had planned! (Believe me on that one. The publisher tells me I’ve set a record with over 2,000 photos.)There’s one thing I really want you to know:Don’t be scared! I’ve designed most of these rigs so that anybody can build them, and I’ve been getting emails from happy filmmakers for years telling me just that. Like the following email from a lovely woman who built the stabilizer:“I made it!!!! I’m so impressed with your plans and detailed instructions. Being a woman who never had the benefit of shop class, I was worried that I would not be up to it.”(Hey, I never had shop class either! And just so you know, the best movie electrician I know is a woman.)For the most part, if you can drill a hole and measure a straight line, you’re in good shape. Yes, there are more difficult projects like the Glass Key Dolly Track, a pro-style dolly track made from aluminum tubing. But there is also a dolly track that you can make very easily from PVC pipe. And both will give you a smooth-as-glass dolly shot!Here’s a confession: I used to be a pretty good camera operator back in the early ’80s. Now, well, not so much. “Use it or lose it” is never so true as with camera work. It took me eight takes on a recent film to get a crane shot right. Why? Because I hadn’t touched a crane in six months while writing this book. Don’t assume any rig will do the work for you. Camera rigs take skill. Camera rigs take practice (some more than others). That’s why having your own is so important. Sure,Killer Camera Rigscan save you a ton of cash, but that’s nothing in comparison to having rigs to practice with. By having your own equipment, you can become an expert on it. The rigs I use the most are the dolly with the Killer’s Kiss Crane on it. Both are super easy to build. Make ’em, and then practice, practice, practice.I want to thank all of the filmmakers over the years who have used the rigs inKiller Camera Rigs That You Can Buildon their films. I truly mean that. I love films and the people who make them. This book has made me friends all over the world. Being a small part of their films does my heart good.OK. Go make a movie already.--Dan Selakovich