I shared This Post recently talking about the filming of my model making, and mentioned that I wasn't overly happy with all my filming angles using the tripod, and @oblivioncubed mentioned an overhead mount he uses.
That sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole and I came across one made by Neewer, when I saw the stock dwindling from 11 down to 2 I decided to go out on a whim and order it.
While there were some other ones I was looking at, which were a bit cheaper I decided on this one because I liked the look of it, like and use a lot of Neewer film gear, (Tripod, LED lights, Photography Lights, also a small shoulder mount rig) more so than that I realise the potential to expand this frame with attachments.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BV2ZVZW4?starsLeft=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_cso_fm_apan_dp_MMWKF9P58KVGRMP5890G
There's a link to it, but it's currently unavailable. I'm glad I got it when I did.
Here's the box. It's surprisingly thin, but then again, it is only a metal framework.
It cost me around €167, it was €186 or so, but I got a voucher when I got to the checkout, which was fairly handy.
The mount arrived today. I was shocked by the speedy delivery (3 days) and I was thrilled to have a look at it.
Here are the pieces outside of the box and packaging.
To be honest, I thought there would be more to the assembly of this mount, but it's very self-explanatory and easy to assemble.
Here it is set up, and I have to say, it's a pretty impressive piece of gear.
This took only a few seconds, all I had to do was clip the legs into the upper arms and I was done.
I was afraid it would be too small for what I wanted, but this thing is a bit of a monster and more than big enough for anything I'll need it for.
The only actual assemble bits were these, and they're one of the main reasons I went for this over some of the other products.
They're able to be used to secure a backdrop of your choosing, which is such a great idea, especially for a piece of equipment that could be used for product shots where a nice background is preferred.
They are easy to attach, and while they're not exactly immovable, once the backdrop is secured, it won't be touched again so it's no big deal.
Okay, get this. I plan to buy some magnetic LED strips, like the ones shown in the promo video of this product. What I can do with them is get nice even lighting.
With that, I'll be able to secure a greenscreen to this, and since my models consist of aliens, I can potentially use a greenscreen to showcase the alien worlds of each creature during the reveal shots at the end of each build.
I could have the greenscreen drape down and onto the tabletop, so during these shots, I could have the models resting on any surface I want, with any background I want. It's going to be sick.
Here's my DJI Pocket 2 attached to it. It's a light weight camera, and feels secure. The maximum is about 4.6 KG, so even if I want to use one of my DLSRs it'll be able to handle it.
The reason I want to use my DJI though, is because I can control the gimble head from my phone to move it, zoom in or out, and also adjust the settings.
It's easy too because I can attach my mount to it, and just clip the rest of the camera to that in case I need to move it or charge it.
Here it is zoomed in a bit, and you can get a better look at what I'm working on.
I didn't adjust the settings for clarity, and I didn't have any lighting set up. For this, I just wanted to demonstrate the angle I can now get.
These are just screenshots from my phone too, so the quality of the actual footage isn't the best.
Shooting at 4k, I'll be able to zoom in and out in post without losing too much resolution which is good.
Here it is zoomed out, and this is the way I'll be filming it so I can decide in post if I'd like to get closer, as opposed to adjusting the camera as I go.
I did come to a bit of a realisation though that I won't be able to do it all with this angle alone, and I also don't have a ton of control with the camera mounted as it is.
My plan now is to buy two more camera mounts, one with an arm attachment to add mobility to this bird's eye view, and another one that I'll secure to the side looking in. That would give me more than enough coverage while making and painting models in the future.
Having camera mounts on arms will also allow me to make adjustments and get closer if need be, and that will help to keep the videos interesting.
Is It Worth It?
Yes, it is, but I still need to expand on it to make it truly worth the investment. This product can bring so many possibilities to the table, however, it requires you to buy some other smaller pieces of equipment to let the true potential show.
All in all, I think it's great. The bird's eye view will be amazing for my model making, painting, and even drawing (if I feel like sharing some of my cursed works of art with you guys I can now) It's easy to assemble, doesn't take up much space disassembled, and allows for some creative filming, and it's well made and sturdy.
I don't feel worried about mounting camera gear to it and really look forward to getting some more filming done.