Slow motion walking shots and fast motion car shots have been covered by Bestboy Adam in his previous videos. There hasn’t been much for that medium speed. There are some options out there for this, such as a dolly or those hoverboards and skateboards, but those are less than ideal for a few reasons. He actually went with a bike for this and it has a benefit of working for solo shooters.
There are some distinct issues with opting for a bike for a stabilized rig. Bikes don’t have the advanced suspension systems of cars and are even more susceptible to bumps and shakes. Also, it can be difficult to figure out how to mount it right.
If you have seen earlier videos on these topics be warned that you will need some basic knowledge of machining and engineering to execute in exactly the same manner. The rest of us can likely put together a similar solution from off-the-shelf components.
Step one was finding a bracket for the base, and Adam mounted it to the frame of the bike. This is an important note as the frame is not connected to any of the steering components, meaning the camera movement is not impacted by any turns or adjustments of bike direction. You will likely want to protect the bike frame with some padding.
Another issue is the design of a kickstand. It keeps the bike off balance and isn’t super stable when you start adding weight. He basically just adding a heavy-duty kickstand to the front. If you have the Tilta Alien, you get a serious mounting base with plenty of versatility for mounting a gimbal.
Image Credit:TILTA
If you aren’t going for the Tilta you can make one yourself with some 13mm aluminum tubs and clamps. Add on a spring arm to complete the setup and add some stability. This will seriously help address bumps in the road
You can mount this to the back of the bike quite easily. It’s great if that works for your setup. Front mounts require a little more maneuvering, but both are possible.
There are plenty of gimbal mounts out there and it shouldn’t be too hard to find something to connect the arm to the gimbal. A nice big battery can help run everything without much worry, especially since the battery grip of the DJI RS 2 isn’t great with its single mounting thread.
Image Credit: DJI
Wireless control will be a bit tough for a solo operator, but some other kits will work well if you have an operator to watch and make adjustments as you steer the camera. Solo control is possible by mounting controllers to the handlebars and getting a phone/monitor mount up in front. Be careful with these setups. Would not do this on busy roads.
Building out a wireless kit can be done however you see fit. There are a ton of wireless video transmitters and wireless controls/follow focus options on the market.
In use, you may find there are problems with framing since the bike isn’t as easy to keep as consistent as a car. This is why having a second person on hand to help is extremely helpful.
[source: Bestboy Adam]
Order Links:
- DJI RS 2 Gimbal Stabilizer (B&H, Amazon, Adorama)
- Tilta Hydra Alien Arm Mounting System (B&H, Adorama)
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate partner and participant in B&H and Adorama Affiliate programmes, we earn a small comission from each purchase made through the affiliate links listed above at no additional cost to you.
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